Charlie Brown and the Great Exhibit December 24, 2012

From its humble beginnings in 1950, appearing in only seven newspapers, Charles Schulz's Peanuts' popularity and influence spread rapidly and widely. At the time of Schulz's retirement, Peanuts was published in more than 2,600 newspapers in 75 countries and had more than 355 million readers. 'Charlie Brown and the Great Exhibit' explores Schulz's personal history and his role as the sole inspiration and artistic talent behind Peanuts and its unique cast of characters. Through original cartoons, as well as reproductions and related Peanuts ephemera, guests will see how characters like Charlie Brown, Snoopy and Lucy were developed and how they evolved over decades in print and popular culture. Schulz's Santa Rosa, Calif. studio, recreated for the first time on tour, will allow for a deeper look into his work and life. In addition, with cartoons and memorabilia, the exhibit will take guests on a Peanuts tour of the holidays--Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Day and Valentine's Day--during which these characters became known so well.