Russell Moore’s review of David Michaelis’ book, Schulz and Peanuts: A Biography
According to Michaelis, Charles Schulz was ambitious from his childhood. Not only was he artistically gifted, Schulz was aware of his gifts. Growing up, he longed for a way to use his gifts, but his family did not support his artistic endeavors.
Later in life, Charles Schulz repeated the mistakes he saw in his own parents. His parents were distant and somewhat cold to him. But instead of growing close to his own children, Schulz showered his fatherly affection on his comic strip characters. At one point, his abdication of parental responsibility leads him to help his daughter travel to a different country in order to obtain an abortion.
Despite the fact that Schulz’s life story turns out to be sad, this book is fascinating. Michaelis believes that Schulz wrote his life story into the Peanuts comic strips. So throughout this biography, readers are treated to various Peanuts strips inserted into the narrative at crucial moments. These strips help us see what was going on in Charles Schulz’s mind at any given stage in his life.
For example, consider the fascinating example of Peanuts character Lucy Van Pelt before Schulz’s divorce and her subsequent personality after Schulz’s remarriage. Before the divorce, Lucy is a loud-mouthed selfish girl. After the divorce and in the later years of the strip, Lucy mellows out. Michaelis believes that the early Lucy was patterned after Schulz’s first wife. The later Lucy reflected his second wife.
Michaelis also exposes Schulz’s insecurity, even after his stunning success. Schulz felt threatened by the creator of Garfield and worried that Garfield might somehow usurp Peanuts. Even as Schulz is at the top of his game he is still insecure.
The saddest aspect of this book for Christians is watching Charles Schulz, who at one time embraced the Christian faith, slowly abandon his Christian convictions. By the time he dies, he seems to have lost all hope.
Schulz and Peanuts is a brilliant book. The childhood sections might be too long, and the narrative could have used a bit more editing. But overall, this is a terrific biography for anyone who is interested in the life of the man behind the comic strip that is still cherished by readers all throughout the world.
