Charlie Brown, music and photography
“You know how I always dread the whole year? Well this time I'm only going to dread one day at a time.”— Charlie Brown
Another character?
Who doesn't like Charlie Brown and friends?
A story not oft told, when my family lived in Petaluma, I decided to take a German class, hoping to visit Germany. The room was packed. As I glanced around, who was in the room but Charles Schulz and his wife, Jeanne.
Lacking confidence, I immediately dropped the class — not wanting to show up in his comic strip as a new character, and one not very bright. Unaware of how kind Schulz was, and how highly regarded world-wide, I'm sure he would have just smiled at my insecurity.
A wonderful way to spend an hour or two is researching this great man's life.
Charles Monroe “Sparky” Schulz was an American cartoonist, the creator of the comic strip Peanuts which features his two best-known characters, Charlie Brown and Snoopy. Born: Nov. 26, 1922, Minneapolis, Minn.; Died: Feb. 12, 2000, Calif.
In the 1980s and the 1990s, the strip remained the most popular comic in history, even though other comics, such as Garfield and Calvin and Hobbes, rivaled Peanuts in popularity. Schulz continued to write the strip until announcing his retirement on Dec. 14, 1999, due to his failing health.
A barber's son who hailed from St. Paul, Minn., Schulz brought his passion for skating to California. The ice rink in Santa Rosa inspired skaters, from those who sprawled on the ice on their fannies to others who later embarked on professional careers.
No strip has been more successful than “Peanuts,” appearing in some 2,600 newspapers, reaching an audience of more than 355 million people in 75 countries and in 21 languages.
The “Peanuts” phenomenon spread to TV specials, movies, a wide variety of merchandise, stage productions, blimps, parade floats, Super Bowl shows and even moon missions.
I think a road trip to Santa Rosa should get on the calendar…his museum is such a walk down memory lane.
How old is Snoopy?
Peanuts' most famous character, Snoopy, is turning 74 years old…or thereabouts. For the record, Snoopy was first drawn in comics by Charles M. Schulz in October 1950, according to the Charles M. Schulz Museum, but Snoopy's inspiration came from the cartoonist's dog Spike, first adopted in 1927. Peanuts began publication on Oct. 2, 1950. Many fans are surprised to learn that the earliest comic strips featured a smart-aleck Charlie Brown absent of his signature zig-zag shirt, and Snoopy as a dog that walked on all fours.
What were Charles Schulz' last words?
But the final words were Schulz's own about Charlie Brown as a light illuminated an empty place on the stage: “What a dirty trick. He never had the chance to kick the football.”
Tribute
A touching goodbye to the artist whose half-century run of fanciful, truegrit characters and human insights touched so many hearts. A sensitive tribute to this great man can be found at: https:// www.sfgate.com/bayarea/ article/saying-goodbyefriends-and-family-eulogize-2774210.php
“Approach the New Year with resolve to find the opportunities hidden in each new day.” — Michael Josephson
Hurry to high entertainment
Tickets to the 31st Annual Professional Piano Concerts are going fast! Saturday, Jan. 27 at 7 p.m., and Sunday, Jan. 28 at 2 p.m., Professional Pianists will hit the stage with two exciting concerts featuring 11 different performances at the Mendocino College Center Theatre in Ukiah.
This utterly fun and stimulating series features the finest regional pianists trading stories and melodies on two concert grand pianos to accommodate impromptu collaborations.
The event is an annual sellout because of the diversity and quality of music in a multitude of styles… and the humor that spontaneously sparks throughout the evening.
Saturday will feature Spencer Brewer, Elena Casanova, Frankie J, Elizabeth Macdougall, Barney Mcclure and Ed Reinhart.
Sunday will include Spencer Brewer, Wendy Dewitt, Tom Ganoung, Ben Rueb, Charlie Seltzer and Janice Hawthorne Timm.
Tickets are $25 general admission and are on sale at Mendocino Book Co. in Ukiah, Mazahar in Willits, and online at www.ukiahconcerts.org. For more information, call (707) 463-2738.
Photography
The Ukiah Photography Club will continue its photographic journey through 2024 at its next meeting on Saturday, Feb. 3 at 10 a.m., at Medium Art Gallery in Pear Tree Center and online. Members will be sharing photographs for the monthly theme “eyes,” which will range from literal to metaphorical interpretations.
The club will also be experimenting with several changes in its meeting format, intended to encourage wider participation while continuing its tradition of lively discussions. Visitors and potential members are always welcome.
For more information, including the link for remote participation, visit ukiahphoto.club or contact ukiahphotoclub@gmail. com.