Charles Schulz's widow reveals her most relatable 'Peanuts' character

In "Who Are You, Charlie Brown?," our hero panics when the teacher assigns him to write a personal essay.

"I'm nobody special," he moans as he watches a solitary leaf flutter away from a bare branch.

That lament couldn't be further from the truth.

"Peanuts" is one of the most beloved comic strips in history, thanks to the insightful wit of its creator and Twin Cities native, Charles M. Schulz. He died on Feb. 12, 2000, the day before his final strip appeared in newspapers worldwide.

The new special, which starts streaming Friday on Apple TV Plus, joins "The Snoopy Show" and "Snoopy in Space" as fresh attempts to introduce the gang to a new generation of youngsters. But it's also a biography of the cartoonist that will delight grown-ups, with such celebrities as Al Roker and Drew Barrymore sharing treasured memories.

Jean Schulz, 81, who refers to her late husband as "Sparky," spoke about the enduring nature of "Peanuts" from her home in Santa Rosa, Calif., where she is president of the board of directors for the Charles M. Schulz Museum.

Q: How much of a role did your husband's upbringing in St. Paul play in his success?

A: Oh, I think he reflected what we generically call the Midwestern upbringing. His father came from a farming family and when he moved into a craft, a profession, he was very proud of that. One thing I've deduced is that when his father came home from the barbershop, he brought with him stories. Barbers are always listening to stories. That love of storytelling may have been part of those St. Paul roots.

Q: At the museum, you get a chance to see youngsters reacting to the characters. What are they getting out of them?

A: Snoopy's funny. Anyone can enjoy his antics. But children also understand the frustrations and arguments the characters have at home. When Snoopy is banging on the door with a dog dish in his mouth, demanding to be fed, every kid can relate to that.

Q: I wonder how society would react to the strip if it was being launched today. Charlie Brown is such a loser. Maybe people would insist that he occasionally get to kick the football away from Lucy. Would it be hard to start "Peanuts" in these times?

A: I think so. Even back in the 1950s and '60s, some people referred to it as subversive. It was actually butting up against the norms of the times even then. I remember when my own son came to me and said that they preferred that his own children not watch any of the videos because Lucy called Charlie Brown a blockhead and she bopped her brother in the head. I thought, "My son has lost his mind."

Q: The new special looks at how Mr. Schulz incorporated Franklin, a Black character, into the strip. Do you think if he still was doing it today that there would be a Hispanic character? A gay character?

A: Everything Sparky did was an experiment. He tried it and if it worked, he tried it a little further. There was a character named Jose in the strip. He was on the baseball team. I never asked him about it, but I think it probably reflected the fact that there were Hispanic kids where his kids went to school. Jose lasted about a week. It was a short walk through the comic strip. But he was always experimenting. Well, I shouldn't say always. Maybe the first 20, 25 years. After that, he stuck with the established characters.

Q: Do you have a favorite character, one you relate to the most?

A: I'm not a big favorites person. I used to call Sparky my sweet babboo. When he started using it for Sally as her way to torment Linus, I had to stop saying it. I did come to realize that I'm more like Sally than I thought, a little ditzy and railing at things I don't like going on in the world.

Neal Justin • 612-673-7431

@nealjustin