Charles M. Schulz Museum & Research Center

Charlie Brown and his friends have warmed the hearts of generations of children and adults.  Charles Schulz was a genius at finding humor in the trials and tribulations we call life!  I think that is part of the appeal of the Peanuts is their ability to make us laugh at life.  I have been a big fan of Charles Schulz’s work and when I was a kid, my stuffed Snoopy went everywhere I went.  Charlie Brown Christmas is one of my favorite holiday shows to watch with my daughter and it warms my heart everytime I see the crew dancing around Schroeder playing the piano.

This week I was looking for some fun quotes from Charles Schulz to fit with my daily Momisms and came across the Charles M. Schulz Museum Facebook Page.  Where have I been?  I couldn’t believe they have a whole museum centered around his work!  The Charles M. Schulz Museum & Research Center opened in August 2002 so they just celebrated their 10th Anniversary this year!  The museum’s mission is to preserve, display and interpret the art of Charles M. Schulz.  They do this by changing exhibitions and programming so that it helps to build an understanding of cartoonists and cartoon art and demonstrate the scope of Schulz’s multi-faceted career and celebrate the life of Charles Schulz and the Peanut characters. (Source: PR Release).  The museum is located 50 miles north of San Francisco by car on Highway 101 and is located in Santa Rosa, California.

They are currently running an exhibition called Useable, Loveable Peanuts which highlights 33 years of Peanuts products plus the licensing and manufacutring stories behind them.  As I mentioned I carried around my stuffed snoopy in the mid 70’s so much his neck was barely attached to his body!  I just loved my Snoopy and am intrigued to learn more about the history of the products I so loved as a kid.

The award-winning Snoopy plush was first manufactured by Determined Productions, Inc. in 1968.

What is so great about this exhibition are the childhood memories it will bring to life for the adults. The Useable, Loveable Peanuts exhibition is sponsored by Hallmark and opened Saturday, December 15, 2012 and runs through Sunday, April 28, 2013, with over 500 Peanuts products. Collectibles spanning 33 years, from 1952 to 1985, are sure to tug at the heartstrings of those who grew up with Charlie Brown, Lucy, Snoopy, and the rest of the Gang.

It is always fun to learning the history behind the Peanut toys we probably owned or saw growing up. Following are some of the products featured in the exhibition and some history about the development of  creating Charles Schulz’s art into three-dimensional products, and the key role played by several early companies: Hallmark Cards, Inc.; Determined Productions, Inc.; Aviva Enterprises; and a trio of Japanese companies in developing the branding and merchandising of Peanuts products in the early 1960s.

 © 1980 Peanuts Worldwide LLC

These popular die-cast toys were manufactured for Aviva Enterprises at Universal Toys factory in Hong Kong and these toys have become a popular collectible.

Strips Become Books
The earliest example of Peanuts licensing occurred in 1952 when Schulz was contacted by the publisher Rinehart & Co., Inc. to reprint selected Peanuts strips in paperback books. Reprinted Peanuts strips also appeared in comic books by Dell, Gold Key, and other publishers later in 1952 and into the 1960s.

Hallmark: A Long Lasting Relationship
The decade of the 1960s was off to a promising start when Schulz’s New York newspaper syndicate signed a deal with Hallmark Cards, Inc. of Kansas City, Missouri. Peanuts characters were featured in greeting cards, stationery, partyware, ornaments, candles, and books marketed in the United States and more than 100 countries worldwide. By 1985, the 25th anniversary of Hallmark’s relationship with Schulz, Peanuts was the most popular “social expression” property in the world.

The Snoopy Plush is Born
In 1961, Schulz was approached by Connie Boucher of Determined Productions, Inc. (DPI) with a unique idea of making a calendar in date book format. Schulz must have sensed something special about Boucher because shortly after, a very successful Peanuts Date Book was launched. The success continued in 1962 when DPI published the best-seller Happiness is a Warm Puppy. Possibly the most important product of all was created by DPI when they developed and manufactured an award-winning Snoopy plush. For decades DPI produced a wide array of popular and imaginative Peanuts-themed products.

Aviva Enterprises: All that Glitters…
Elliot Steinberg and Donald Fraser founded Aviva Enterprises in 1968. They obtained the licensing rights to Peanuts jewelry from United Feature Syndicate and produced a broad selection of earrings, tie tacks, and pins. Always looking for ways to expand their business, the company soon turned to a very successful line of whimsical trophies.

© 1970 Peanuts Worldwide LLC

Woodstock on a trophy made by Aviva Enterprises.

 
© 1975 Peanuts Worldwide LLC

Snoopy and Woodstock “Walker Toys (1975 – 1977) Tomy Toys, Aviva Enterprises’ Japanese toy distributor, developed the mechanical system that resulted in the Snoopy and Woodstock “walker” toys in 1976. The toy was later featured in the Smithsonian Institution. (Source: Charles M. Schulz Museum PR Release)

Gosh, I remember these “Walker Toys” and sure wish I had kept mine!  These are classic 1970’s toys and it seems just about every kid in the neighborhood had one of these.  Mrs. Schulz plays an active role in the museum and is the President of the Board of Directors at the museum.  We just might be featuring Mrs. Shultz in our Inspirational Moms section so stay tuned!

I had a chance to speak to Gina Huntsinger, the Marketing Director at the museum for eight years now.  Here is what she had to say about the museum and some of her favorite moments.