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Once more into the breach dear friends. I think I'll end our little soiree into past cartoonists with the most well-known cartoonist this side of Walt Disney. Charles M. Schulz began Peanuts in the 50's, and never stopped writing or drawing the strip until he died in February of 2000 due to complications stemming from cancer. His strips have become icons of the last century, becoming so ingrained in our culture, that the Peanuts strip continues to this day in the form of "Classic Peanuts." It was his family's wish that the strip not be continued by another artist, and rightfully so. It's unimaginable to me that any person could capture the simplicity of observation or Schulz brought to life in his illustrations. Many may not agree with the spiritual aspect of some of his strips, or may cite Peanuts as irrelevant in a time when we believe irony has died. Fact is, we can never discount the relevance of a strip in which the main character, no matter how much of a loser Charlie Brown is, remains an optimist. I'll continue a tour of cartoonists as they come along, but Charles Schulz is perhaps the founder of the modern era of strips, and a fitting individual with which to end our brief tour.

For more information on the peanuts strip, visit the Peanuts home page. For more info on Charles M. Schulz, visit the Charles M. Schulz home page. Coincidentally, this August brings the opening of the Schulz museum in Santa Rosa, California.