Evolution of the Comic Strip

March 5 through September 7, 2014
Upstairs Changing Gallery

“Cartoonists have to be very much aware of their medium.”– Charles M. Schulz

For Charles Schulz, the process of creating a Peanuts strip began with an idea. Following his thoughtful construction of original ink panels, the comic strip then passed through numerous stages before finally landing on the pages of daily newspapers across the globe.

Evolution of the Comic Strip features original printing plates, contact sheets, and documentary photographs illustrating the process of publishing syndicated comics before the digital era.

At its height, Peanuts was distributed to approximately 2,600 newspapers, circulated in 75 countries, and translated into 21 languages. Publishing on such a grand scale required a considerable technical undertaking to bring the comic strip into the hands of weekly readers.