Welcome to a rarely-seen, unintentionally hidden, look at the pillars of Peanuts.
Each segment of this exhibition offers a fresh look at the foundational themes of Peanuts. Charles M. Schulz acknowledged these themes in a 1988 interview; his initial list included ideas such as Lucy’s psychiatric booth and playing baseball. Schulz expanded on these ideas in later interviews and writings, giving readers a fascinating look at the strip from the creator’s point of view.
This collection of Peanuts strips is unique because they are not only original works of art, but until recently, had also never been exhibited. Many simply because there are so many rich examples of a given subject within the Museum’s collection of nearly 8,000 original Peanuts strips. Others because they have been too delicate to display but are now safely conserved. And some because they are new to the collection. No matter the reason, each strip gives readers a fresh look at the beloved themes that set Peanuts apart from others on the comic page.
Many of the strips in each section are from the same running series and provide a special look at sequential storylines that perhaps have not been seen together since leaving Schulz’s drawing board years ago. Other selections are only loosely connected by underlying themes. Look for original dates of publication of each strip as you scroll down to enjoy the exhibition.
