ChArActErS
mAiN chArActErs:
"Finding one’s identity in the strip was like finding one’s political party or ethnic group or niche in the family. It was a big part of the appeal of Peanuts. Every character was a powerful personality with quirky attractions and profound faults, and every character, like some saint or hero, had at least one key prop or attribute. Charlie Brown had his tangled kite, Schroeder his toy piano, Linus his flannel blanket, Lucy her “Psychiatric Help” booth, and Snoopy his doghouse." [https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2015/11/the-exemplary-narcissism-of-snoopy/407827/]
Charlie:
"Charlie Brown is characterized as a person who frequently suffers, and as a result is usually nervous and lacks self-confidence. He shows both pessimistic and optimistic attitudes: on some days, he is reluctant to go out because his day might just be spoiled, but on others, he hopes for the best and tries as much as he can to accomplish things. The character's creator, Charles M. Schulz, said of the character that "[He] must be the one who suffers because he is a caricature of the average person. Most of us are much more acquainted with losing than winning." Despite this, Charlie Brown does not always suffer, as he has experienced some happy moments and victories through the years, and he has sometimes uncharacteristically shown self-assertiveness despite his frequent nervousness. Schulz also said: "I like to have Charlie Brown eventually be the focal point of almost every story."
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Brown]
I feel like I relate to Charlie Brown a lot - an introverted extrovert, or visa versa; interchangeable moods depending on circumstances; insecurities, but is ultimately such a big character that people often forget I can be down/quiet/have off days. One of his most famous lines is "my anxieties have anxieties" - this is exememly relevant in contemporary society, in the sense that mental health issues are more spoken about, in the way that Charlie Brown so openly expressed his emotions. I relate to Charlie's feeling of liminality and loneliness, not particularly in the sense that I am lonely (although I am a hopeless romantic like Charlie), but more in the sense that I don't quite know where I fit yet. Especially because I live in London for part of the week with my grandparents for the foundation, and at home on the weekends with my parents, I have friendship circles and families in two places, I am constantly in two places, and it becomes very tiring and disjointed. I could really draw on this sense of isolation despite being fully surrounded by people all the time. London is a big and busy place, you can't help but feel so small sometimes.
Lucy:
"Known around the neighborhood (and by her little brother, Linus) for being crabby and bossy, Lucy can often be found dispensing advice from her 5-cent psychiatrist’s booth, yanking away Linus’ security blanket, or humiliating Charlie Brown. Lucy’s only weakness? Her unrequited love for the piano-playing Schroeder." [https://www.peanuts.com/characters/lucy/]
"Lucy comes from that part of me that’s capable of saying mean and sarcastic things, which is not a good trait to have, so Lucy gives me a good outlet." - Charles Schulz
I am probably the furthest away from relating to Lucy, yet there is something about her character that I am really drawn to explore and investigating. The whole idea of her giving advice and help to others, despite having her own problems in terms of being actually quite mean, and rejected by Schroeder constantly, would be really interesting to investigate, especially in a modern context. Ultimately, I probably shouldn't choose to respond to Lucy as my chosen character, because we are not alike at all, so it could be quite hard to authentically provide an outcome in her name, fully encompassing her character.
"I like Lucy’s politics (“I know everything!” …), her manners (“Get out of my way!” …), her narcissism … and especially her verbal abuse rants … Lucy’s “total warfare frown” … is just as iconic to me as Mona Lisa’s smirk."
[https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2015/11/the-exemplary-narcissism-of-snoopy/407827/]
Linus:
"Though young, Linus is very intelligent and very wise and acts as the strip's philosopher. Childlike aspects of his character are also displayed; for example, Linus is almost always depicted holding his blue security blanket—for which he is often mocked by other characters—and often sucks his thumb. In the earlier strips, Linus's relationship to his blanket was one of intense emotional attachment to the point of manifesting physical symptoms if he was deprived of it even for a short while. He suffered weakness and dizziness, for example, when Lucy took it from him only long enough to have it laundered, spontaneously recovering when it was restored to him." [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linus_van_Pelt#Personality]
Linus is an interesting character, touching on various major subjects such as mental health, especially through the symbolism of his "security blanket". I think this is particularly intriguing, however I do not feel like I can fulfil a response to the topic of mental health issues, because I don't know enough about it first hand, and so I don't think it would be appropriate for me. I could play on other characteristics such as Linus' intelligence, or sibling relationship.
Schroeder:
"Schroeder is distinguished by his precocious skill at playing the piano, as well as by his love of classical music and the composer Ludwig van Beethoven in particular. Schroeder is also the catcher on Charlie Brown's baseball team and the object of Lucy van Pelt's unrequited love. Even though Schroeder is an accomplished musician, his piano is only a toy, and the black keys are merely painted on to the white keys. In one strip, Charlie Brown tries to get him to play a real piano, but Schroeder bursts out crying, intimidated by its size. Another distinguishing character trait of Schroeder is his constant refusal of Lucy's love. Lucy is infatuated with Schroeder and frequently leans against his piano while he is playing, professing her love for him. However, since Beethoven was a lifelong bachelor, Schroeder feels that he must emulate every aspect of his idol's life - even though it is insinuated that he reciprocates Lucy's feelings." [https://peanuts.fandom.com/wiki/Schroeder]
Schroeder is clearly passionate about his artistry, something I think we can all relate to on the CSM foundation. I admire his ambition, determination and focus. As previously mentioned, my love of love overpowers Schroeder's rejection of all romantic feelings to and from Lucy - I feel this is too prominent a theme to ignore, so have chosen not to explore Schroeder further.
Patty:
"Aside from Charlie Brown, Peppermint Patty is the most well-thought out, deeply characterized member of the Peanuts gang. Charles Schulz told some heartbreaking stories about unrequited love, single parenthood, gender norms, and deep-seated insecurities—themes that did not normally appear on the Sunday funnies page. With unique characterization that helped her gain the audience’s sympathy and trust, Peppermint Patty was usually the delivery person of those themes." - [https://kotaku.com/how-peanuts-used-peppermint-patty-to-talk-about-politic-1789460213]
When the strip is over 25 years old and all the characters are locked into their identities, by refusing to respect the sanctity of these famous characters, Peppermint Patty is set up to challenge them. Charlie Brown is “Chuck.” Lucy is “Lucille.” Snoopy is “the funniest looking kid.” And any child whose name she doesn’t know is “Mac". Everything about Peppermint Patty reads differently than the other female characters in Peanuts. This sets her apart and foreshadows the non-traditional ideals she advocates for. She’s a jock (superior to her boy companions), with a short, practical haircut and freckles. She wears a striped t-shirt and shorts; the other girls in the strip, such as Violet, Lucy, and Frieda, all wear dresses.
Snoopy:
"Peanuts was deceptive. It looked like kid stuff, but it wasn’t. The strip’s cozy suburban conviviality, its warm fuzziness, actually conveyed some uncomfortable truths about the loneliness of social existence. The characters, though funny, could stir up shockingly heated arguments over how to survive and still be a decent human being in a bitter world. Who was better at it—Charlie Brown or Snoopy? Before Snoopy had his signature doghouse, he was an emotional creature. Although he didn’t speak (he expressed himself in thought balloons), he was very connected to all the other characters." [https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2015/11/the-exemplary-narcissism-of-snoopy/407827/]
"Snoopy is loyal, funny, imaginative and good-natured. He is also a genuinely happy dog. A running gag within the strip is that he does a "happy dance", which annoys Lucy because she believes that nobody can ever be that happy. However, Snoopy just thinks Lucy is jealous because she is not capable of being as happy as he is."
Snoopy is a strong, exaggerated character, and I find it quite difficult to choose one of his many personalities and characters relatable. I am quite consistent in myself, and I feel I would struggle to represent snoopy, considering he is a multitude of different characters in one.
ThEmEs
CoMinG oF aGe:
- Charles M. Schulz distinguished the Peanuts characters by "fusing adult ideas with a world of small children." "Were they children or adults? Or some kind of hybrid?" wrote David Michaelis of Time magazine. Michaelis continues, "Through his characters, "[Schulz] brought... humor to taboo themes such as faith, intolerance, depression, loneliness, cruelty and despair. His characters were contemplative. They spoke with simplicity and force. They made smart observations about literature, art, classical music, theology, medicine, psychiatry, sports and the law."
In other words, Charlie Brown and the other human Peanuts characters transcended age and were more broadly human.
"Through the everyday experiences and perspectives of children, Peanuts was uniquely situated to address the issues of the time." - [https://kotaku.com/how-peanuts-used-peppermint-patty-to-talk-about-politic-1789460213]
LoVe:
The Little Red-Haired Girl is an unseen character in the Peanuts comic strip by Charles M. Schulz, who serves as the object of Charlie Brown's affection, and a symbol of unrequited love.
The one thing Lucy cannot control by her sheer force of will is her love for Schroeder. Countless hours are spent leaning on his piano hoping that he will notice her. But for Schroeder, Lucy is only an irritant, getting in the way of his one true love - his music. Despite all the evidence to the contrary, she cannot admit to the truth, as to do so would be an affront to her certainty and self-belief.
MenTaL HeaLtH:
FeMiniSm:
Peppermint Patty also addresses many issues within society through the comic strip plots. In one series of strips, Peppermint Patty fights her school’s dress code, which declares she must wear shoes instead of sandals—an issue that still has relevance today. Resisting against the establishment is a common Peppermint Patty plot, made easier by her non-traditional clothes. A different storyline, for example, forces her to wear a dress to school, which she deals with in her characteristic outward manner.
RaCisM:
GenDeR-fLuiDitY:
Peppermint Patty's closest friend, Marcie, calls her "Sir". It is never revealed whether this eccentric habit, dating to Marcie's first appearance in the strip in 1971, is the result of misguided manners, poor eyesight, a snarky reference to Patty's tomboyish ways, or some other reason.
ReFLeCtioN oF mY viSiT to Somerset House
Write a series of reflective entries exploring your own connections to the characters and themes
Characters I feel connected to on various different levels are the likes of Charlie Brown, as well as Lucy, in a peculiar sense. I am certainly more related to Charlie - I find comfort in his sense of introverted extroverted-ness, as well as his insecurities and anxieties, perhaps stemming from nervousness. Alternatively, I also possess qualities such as Lucy's boldness, her strong opinions, and bravery in speaking out and presenting herself to the world. A shared characteristic between the two is the theme of love, and the unrequitedness they experience (Charlie and the Little Red-Haired Girl. Lucy and Schroeder). Love is a theme that I was prominently drawn to when visiting the exhibition - it brought a certain charm to the childlike comics that possess such adult topics. I was also interested in the contemporary views on topics that were perhaps considered a bit more controversial or taboo, such as feminism, gender fluidity, mental health and war. This is something I would be particularly curious about exploring in a modern context. My next steps will be deciding what character to base my publication around, and what sort of corresponding themes and ideas I want to investigate in their name. That is the basis of the brief set by Somerset House.
iNiTiAL idEaS fOr PrOjEct
The current exhibition at Somerset House, Good Grief, Charlie Brown, centred around the life and work of the cartoonist Charles Schulz, will be your entry into this project. You will select a character from Schulz’s comic strip Peanuts, developing a publication, film, poster campaign or interaction in their name.
You will need to get to know and understand your chosen character, thinking about how they function and the role they play in the Peanuts comic strip, but also thinking about how their personality, their relationships and their concerns relate to your own contemporary experience of the world.
In developing your own work and narratives you are encouraged to identify and focus on the themes that make the Peanuts comic strip so memorable and pertinent today including war, mental health, racism, feminism and gender-fluidity. [taken from the brief document]
After visiting the 'Good Grief, Charlie Brown' exhibition at Somerset House, the character that I feel most drawn towards from the Peanuts comics is Lucy. For me, she has one of the strongest voices in the narrative, very important and interesting views on contemporary issues from then, continuing into the present, and I also believe that I relate to her a lot. Immediately, she is memorable for her funny yet meaningful sketches involving her 'Psychiatric Help 5c' booth - 'The doctor is in'! In modern life, although psychiatric help and mental health is becoming more spoken about and addressed by society, my personal approach to the topic would be through astrology, a theme that has become more popular amongst my generation, especially on social media. People have always been drawn to astrology to help them feel better about themselves and their life path. Especially recently, I have become more and more interested in the signs and how the universe can effect my life, communication, moods and mental health. I can imagine Lucy, but in real life today, sitting behind a zodiac booth offering chart readings and advice to her peers based on the stars and movement of the planets - the astrologer is in!
The entire way round the exhibition I kept thinking "wow, Charlie Brown is such a Libra", and so I think it would bee even more interesting to explore the signs of the other characters from the point of view of Lucy Van Pelt.
VisUaL LanGuaGe iDeAs
Before furthering and deepening my concept and ideas for this project in response to the 'Good Grief, Charlie Brown' exhibition at Somerset House, I should think about how I want to present my work, and what medium would be most appropriate for the task, considering it is based upon the self-publishing artwork of the time.
self publish, be happy
DeVeLOpeMenT / ChAnGE oF pLaN
Having reflected on my initial idea, I feel I would not be being true to myself if I were to pursue Lucy as a representative of me, so I decided to change my focus to Charlie Brown.
WHO IS YOUR CHARACTER AND HOW DO THEY RELATE TO YOU AND CONTEMPORARY LIFE?
Charlie Brown
I feel like I relate to Charlie Brown the most. He is the everyman - as Charles Schulz said, “[Charlie] must be the one who suffers, because he is a caricature of the average person. Most of us are much more acquainted with losing than winning”, and I find that approach to his character very humble and relatable. He is a “lovable loser”, a hopeless romantic with extreme emotions and often a real lack of self-confidence. Alternatively, he can provide quite the opposite traits depending on his mood, making him really rounded and relatable. I relate a lot to Charlie's extreme emotional shifts, as well as his sense of loneliness and unrequited love. I am a very affectionate and hopelessly romantic person, and I want to draw on that side of Charlie.
When walking around the exhibition at Somerset House, I found myself reading the works of Schulz and thinking “wow, Charlie Brown is such a Libra”. I, myself, am a Libra, and when I looked up Charlie’s birthday - 30th October (1946, but later suggested to be 1963) I found him to be situated on the libra scorpio cusp. As a believer in astrology, this drew a stronger connection towards the character of Charlie for me, and so I decided to pursue it.
I did initially want to explore the character of Lucy, because I do find her the most interesting, with a lot of character and personality to play around with, however we are not similar in the slightest, so I would find it difficult to create a personal narrative, especially if I wanted to think about creating it from her point of view.
In terms of placing Charlie Brown in modern life, I want to focus on loneliness and the isolation of the internet generation. I could include aspects of astrology, which I am really interested in, perhaps through the character of Lucy who usually plays psychiatric doctor but instead could provide astrological advice. In contemporary society, although mental health is becoming more openly spoken about, I find that especially in my generation there is a real craze for taking comfort in astrology and the way out life plays out because of our signs and birth charts. In my publication, I could include graphical elements such as birth charts and zodiac illustrations to emphasise this tie (???).
Focusing on loneliness and the internet, the way it takes us away from reality and into an isolated environment, only socialising behind screens, I could include elements of text messages, etc. in this publication.
WHAT ARE YOUR WIDER REFERENCES FOR YOUR THEME?
Loneliness and the isolating power of the internet
Exploring social media, internet dating culture, loneliness as an epidemic in the 21st century…
WHAT IS YOUR TONE OF VOICE?
I would like this publication to be written from Charlie’s point of view - a first hand narrative, omniscient yet secluded. I feel I could portray the character quite well through a first person narrative, considering I relate myself quite strongly to him.
WHAT WILL BE YOUR APPROACH TO THE NARRATIVE? AND HOW MIGHT YOU STRUCTURE THE PUBLICATION?
One central narrative
Series of text narratives on fold out flaps, revealing deeper tangents to the behaviours in the main strip styled piece.
Diary styled entries, handwritten to give sense of personal relation to Charlie as a character, and the insight he is providing to readers…
Folded, multiple flaps to represent the layers of loneliness.
Building from my initial test getting to grips with the style of schmalz’s narratives through 4 photos, I could create my strip so that the characters have no real identity, except me as Charlie? Recognise them from iconic features, but no clear visuals. Close up and personal images.
// one clear headshot of each character, profile styled layout.
Charlie Brown and the isolating internet
Charlie Brown tries Tinder
Charlie Brown and the social network
PeEr FeEdbAcK fRom CriT
VISUAL LANGUAGE
- easy to read, relatable content, and a consistent visual language.
- colour scheme is fitting for the concept and the character.
TEXT/TYPE
- the typography choices are sensitive and appropriate to the concept, however there is a lot to read. This takes time to do, yet it ultimately helps with the concept.
- really enjoy the character introductions through text messages - sense of personality - and the tinder idea.
- bold, modern, sans serif typeface serves the purpose of introducing a contemporary Charlie Brown, set in the present society, etc.
NARRATIVE/SEQUENCE
- it is a bit too easy to skip the introduction, therefore it could become difficult to understand the purpose of the book. Perhaps replace the introduction on the opposing page so it is not so hidden behind cover page (?)
- the first double spread repeating "Charlie Brown" again - with the small image of the skateboard - should have the introductory paragraph on it instead, so the reader reads it first, to avoid confusion.
- extra "Charlie Brown" is also not particularly necessary, because it is there twice. To solve this duplicate, could put full "Charlie Brown" on the cover instead.
- ultimately, make the introduction more obvious within the publication!
DESIGN/LAYOUT
- lots of space on the page for images to breathe - well spread and grid laid out.
- as a viewer, was more focused on reading the texts sometimes than looking at the images, mainly because they are humorous (which is good), but they do sometimes become a bit repetitive in terms of Charlie's attitudes and situation.
FORMAT
- the format of the book is very appropriate to the content - original, the half pages with the text messages work really well within the book, distinguishes narrative structure.
- maybe a different binding method to enable the reader to read the texts more, because they are so close to the spine.
- make more accessible to read - bit stiff (?)
PRINT AND PRODUCTION
- the book is well trimmed and bound, well printed and images are good quality (content and print)
- could consider spiral binding because its easier to open (?)
- ultimately, we really like the publication. it is especially interesting with the modern day twist, and the photography is very well connected through colours and thematic content.
FiNisHed PUbliCaTioN
ReFLeCtioN oN CriT eXpeRieNCe
How did I find the crit session useful, especially when constructively assessing others work - how did that effect the way I viewed my own thereafter?
What are some of my responses to other people's work?
.............................
ACTION PLAN FOR PROGRESSION AND REFINEMENT:
Having received some feedback from my tutor, I have some minor adjustments to improve the visual flow of my publication, considering the narrative elements work well. When at the print store , they told me my initial idea of the small cut pages aligned in the middled of the double spreads would not be possible in print, as they would have to knock the paper all down so the mini pages would have to be at the bottom. I didn't like the idea of this, so I decided to risk cutting the pages myself. I found this challenging, and to prevent messing my publication up, I left a border around the space that I originally wanted to trim up to.
For refinement, I have decided to expand the yellow space to the full length of the page, and then cut the inner, smaller pages to the width of the yellow. This new space will make the new size of the text message pages.
BEFORE
AFTER
FuThEr CorrEcTioNs
After looking through some peer responses to the project, and other people's publications, it was brought to my attention that I had referred to the "little red-HAIRED girl" as the "little red-HEADED girl" the entire way through my publication.
I have gone back and corrected this vocabulary issue in all of the text conversations and text in general throughout my publication. I did not have to redo the entire conversations; I simple used the clone tools on photoshop, as well as sourcing a similar text to the iMessage font (I used Helvetic Neue) to effectively recreate the right word in each place. Luckily, I knew these shortcut tricks, and used my initiative to prevent spending hours correcting this minor typo.
BEFORE
AFTER