Talk:Peanuts

Some issues

Right now the first sentence is in present tense, while the rest in past tense. There should probably be some explanation that Peanuts is still in syndication, but there are no new strips being made. However the tense should be consistent. Also, instead of calling it "a popular, multiple award-winning comic strip," there should be verifiable statements to that effect in the article (what awards?). --Eric Winesett 11:29, 10 May 2007 (CDT)

I'll take a look at the tenses and see if I can fix it. --Joshua David Williams 11:35, 10 May 2007 (CDT)

I've fixed the tenses up a bit. As for the exact awards, I'll have to do some research. I know several of the films won several awards as well.

The article had quite a few extra spaces in it, as though it was written in vi. We're using quite a few parenthesis right now. I think we need to re-word those sections a little bit to make it easier to read. --Joshua David Williams 11:47, 10 May 2007 (CDT)

The parentheses were a stopgap to improve upon all the commas. I know all the characters and was still confused by both the character names and their descriptions being separated by commas. What we really need to do is go ahead and flesh out the character section without trying to cram all the information into a single sentence. (Also, does Franklin have a discernible personality other than being African-American?) --Eric Winesett 22:07, 13 May 2007 (CDT)

Eric, go ahead and write it. I added material in as points of departure for further work and so that there would not be only three sentences about a ground-breaking comic strip. It's a wiki--keep wiki-ing! Aleta Curry 19:10, 14 May 2007 (CDT)

No, really, the only reason that Franklin is notable is that he's African-American. IMHO, he, along with several others, are not notable enough to be in the introduction. The introduction should really be limited to Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Linus, and Lucy. A full description of the all the characters can come later. --Joshua David Williams 22:08, 13 May 2007 (CDT)

That may seem true in the context of the 21st Century, but it is not. Franklin is not notable because he's African-American, he's notable because he was an African-American introduced during the 1960s, in an environment when his mere presence in the comic strip made a stir. Shultz is on record about the mail he received at the time. He insisted that the inclusion of a dark-skinned character should not be made political, it was intentionally written as a "non-issue" but was very clearly an issue for many people. Aleta Curry 19:10, 14 May 2007 (CDT)

Yes, I do realize this, but I do not believe this should be in the introduction. Franklin's introduction was a very large event, not only in the strip, but for American history, but that's not what Peanuts is all about. I do believe it's plenty notable enough to have an entire section devoted to it, but not at the very top of the article. --Joshua David Williams 21:13, 14 May 2007 (CDT)

Comments

A few things

> Charlie Brown and his pet dog Snoopy have become icons of American popular culture. (Should be some references, examples of pop.cul influence)

> Additional non-human characters include Snoopy's friend Woodstock, a little bird who is inept at flying but skilled at other things including typing and shorthand (is it really shorthand?)

> and a “stupid cat” who is never seen. (Reference of "stupid cat" needed.)

>One of Peanuts’s distinguishing features, especially in its early years, and perhaps a reason for its popularity is its social commentary, a technique often employed by writers, but pioneered in comic strips by Charles Schulz. (reference, example)

> At Christmastime, many families gather together to watch A Charlie Brown Christmas; (speculative? I personally watch "A Christmas Story")

>this half hour broadcast was the first in a long line of Peanuts animations, and is widely accepted as an icon of American culture. (reference?)

>A Boy Named Charlie Brown was the strip's first feature-length film, and is still popular today, as it can now be bought on DVD and VHS tapes. (I can buy "Big Trouble in Little China" on DVD and VHS, but that doesn't indicate it's popularity)

>During a long and heartbreaking battle with colorectal cancer, Charles Schulz officially retired on December 14, 1999, and requested that the Peanuts cartoon not be continued. (Continued or reprinted? Need reference)

>Peanuts is the longest lasting strip in the history of comics, with an archive of almost 18,000 strips. (reference to longevity, and does it apply internationally?)

Additionally, can we get permission to use pictures of the characters from universal press syndicate? I think it would really enchance the article.

--Robert W King 12:12, 10 May 2007 (CDT)

longest lasting?

What is meant exactly by this? What about Thimble Theatre (Popeye)? They have been going since the 20s (30s)? The Phantom? since 1936. Blondie? since the 20s. Or does it mean by a single author? --Patrick Lemaire 21:44, 2 August 2007 (CDT)