Find Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the rest of the “Peanuts” crew at the Figge Art Museum’s new exhibition, “The Life and Art of Charles M. Schulz,” which is making its Figge debut beginning Saturday, June 3, in the Davenport museum’s third-floor gallery.
Through the exhibit, visitors may explore the personal history of the “Peanuts” creator and his role as the inspiration and artistic talent behind the famous comic strip and unique cast of characters, a Figge news release said.
The “Peanuts” comic strip debuted on Oct. 2, 1950. Over 50 years, Mr. Schulz produced nearly 18,000 strips.
“Schulz drew on everyday experiences to create entertaining comic strips that everyone can relate to,” the Figge’s Assistant Curator Vanessa Sage said in the release. “Over a half-century after launching, the strip continues to make its mark all over the world.”
Appearing in just seven newspapers in 1950, the comic strip’s popularity and influence quickly spread. By 2000, it was the most successful comic strip in newspaper history, appearing in more than 40 languages, in 75 countries, in more than 2,600 newspapers and with more than 355 million readers, the release states.
The strip and its characters inspired nearly 50 television specials, two plays, four movies, a symphonic concerto, numerous books and thousands of licensed products – skyrocketing its products into a billion-dollar worldwide industry and making Mr. Schulz the highest-paid, most widely read cartoonist in history, the release said.
“Schulz’s remarkable ability to connect with his audience every single day for 50 years and stay relevant is a testament to his extraordinary talent,” Figge Executive Director & CEO Michelle Hargrave said. “From Snoopy, to Lucy, to Charlie Brown, the humorous anecdotes and lessons of ‘Peanuts’ are timeless. The nostalgic experience this exhibition creates will resonate with visitors of all ages.”
The exhibition features 52 original “Peanuts” comic strips, sketches, photographs and elements of Mr. Schulz’s studio, as well as a range of ephemera – many pieces of which are on loan from a Quad Cities area “Peanuts” collector.
The “Peanuts” exhibit will be on view at The Figge through Sept. 2, 2023.
