Craig Schulz

Last updated
Craig Schulz
Born
Craig Frederick Schulz

(1953-01-22) January 22, 1953 (age 70)
SpouseJudy Davis
Children2
Parent Charles M. Schulz (father)

Craig Frederick Schulz (born January 22, 1953) is an American producer, screenwriter, motocross racer, pilot, and instructor. He has often worked on adaptations of the Peanuts comic strip, created by his father, Charles M. Schulz.

Contents

Life and career

Craig Schulz was born in Minneapolis on January 22, 1953, to Peanuts cartoonist Charles M. Schulz and Joyce Halverson. [1] He has four siblings, including Meredith Hodges. He moved with his family to Sebastopol, California, in 1958, and later to Santa Rosa, California, in 1969. [2] [3]

In 1971, Schulz became a motocross racer, and competed in hundreds of races across the United States. Schulz's father was inspired by his son to create You're a Good Sport, Charlie Brown , which aired in 1975. [4] Schulz later became a flight instructor, and is a certified helicopter pilot. [5] In 1989, he made headlines when he flew his father's private jet to Mexico, escorting detectives to arrest spree killer Ramon Salcido. [6]

Schulz serves as president and CEO of Charles M. Schulz Creative Associates, which manages the licensing for the Peanuts brand. In 2008, Schulz produced a series of online shorts, Peanuts Motion Comics , based on the comic strip. [7] Schulz and Stephan Pastis co-wrote the 2011 special Happiness Is a Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown , the first Peanuts special produced with no direct involvement from Schulz's father; Schulz and Pastis also adapted the special into a graphic novel of the same name. [8] Beginning in 2019, Schulz began producing several new Peanuts specials and shows for Apple TV+, for which he has been nominated for two Daytime Emmy Awards. [9]

In 2011, Schulz appeared as a guest judge on Food Network Challenge , in an episode themed around Charlie Brown Thanksgiving cakes.

Schulz was a producer and co-writer of The Peanuts Movie (2015). In 2023, Schulz expressed interest in another Peanuts feature film. [10]

Personal life

Schulz lives in Santa Rosa, with his wife, Judy. He has two children, and has worked with his son Bryan on Peanuts projects. [6] [11] [12]

Filmography

YearTitleProducerWriterOtherNotes
1963 A Boy Named Charlie Brown YesDocumentary
2008 Peanuts Motion Comics YesCreative consultant
2011 Happiness Is a Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown YesYes
2015 The Peanuts Movie YesYes
2019Peanuts in Space: Secrets of Apollo 10YesDocumentary
2019 Snoopy in Space Yes
2021 Who Are You, Charlie Brown? YesDocumentary
2021 The Snoopy Show Yes
2021 Snoopy Presents: For Auld Lang Syne Yes
2022 Snoopy Presents: It's The Small Things, Charlie Brown YesYes
2022 Snoopy Presents: To Mom (and Dad), With Love Yes
2022 Snoopy Presents: Lucy's School YesYes
2023 Snoopy Presents: One-of-a-Kind Marcie Yes

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles M. Schulz</span> American cartoonist (1922–2000)

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. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential cartoonists in history, and cited by many cartoonists as a major influence, including Jim Davis, Murray Ball, Bill Watterson, Matt Groening, and Dav Pilkey.

<i>Peanuts</i> Comic strip by Charles M. Schulz

Peanuts is a syndicated daily and Sunday American comic strip written and illustrated by Charles M. Schulz. The strip's original run extended from 1950 to 2000, continuing in reruns afterward. Peanuts is among the most popular and influential in the history of comic strips, with 17,897 strips published in all, making it "arguably the longest story ever told by one human being" and is considered to be the grandfather of slice of life cartoons. At the time of Schulz's death in 2000, Peanuts ran in over 2,600 newspapers, with a readership of around 355 million in 75 countries, and was translated into 21 languages. It helped to cement the four-panel gag strip as the standard in the United States, and together with its merchandise earned Schulz more than $1 billion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charlie Brown</span> Peanuts comic strip character

Charles "Charlie" Brown is the principal character of the comic strip Peanuts, syndicated in daily and Sunday newspapers in numerous countries all over the world. Depicted as a "lovable loser," Charlie Brown is one of the great American archetypes and a popular and widely recognized cartoon character. 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 apprehensive to even go outside 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. He is easily recognized by his trademark zigzag patterned shirt.

<i>Its the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown</i> 1966 animated Halloween television special

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown is a 1966 American animated Halloween television special based on the comic strip Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz. The third Peanuts special, and the second holiday-themed special, to be created, it was written by Schulz along with director/animator Bill Melendez and producer Lee Mendelson. The cast included Peter Robbins as Charlie Brown, Christopher Shea as Linus Van Pelt, Sally Dryer as Lucy Van Pelt, and Melendez as Snoopy. The special features music composed by jazz pianist Vince Guaraldi, whose contributions include the theme song "Linus and Lucy". It aired on broadcast television every year from its debut in 1966 until 2020 when it became an Apple TV+ exclusive.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stephan Pastis</span> American cartoonist (born 1968)

Stephan Thomas Pastis is an American cartoonist and former lawyer who is the creator of the comic strip Pearls Before Swine. He also writes children's chapter books, commencing with the release of Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made. The seventh book, It's the End When I Say It's the End, debuted at #4 on The New York Times Best Seller list for Children's Middle Grade Books.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peppermint Patty</span> Peanuts comic strip character

Peppermint Patty is a fictional character featured in Charles M. Schulz's comic strip Peanuts. Her full name, very rarely used in the strip, is Patricia Reichardt. She is one of a small group in the strip who live across town from Charlie Brown and his school friends. She has freckles and "mousy-blah" hair, and generally displays the characteristics of a tomboy, while also being shown to not be a strict complier. She made her first appearance on August 22, 1966. The following year she made her animated debut in the TV special You're in Love, Charlie Brown and began coaching a baseball team that played against Charlie Brown, and thereafter had other adventures with him. Uniquely, she refers to Charlie Brown and Lucy as "Chuck" and "Lucille", respectively. In most of her appearances, she is attracted to Charlie Brown, based on her reactions. Her birthday is October 4.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rerun Van Pelt</span> Peanuts comic strip character

Rerun Van Pelt is Linus and Lucy's younger brother in Charles M. Schulz's comic strip Peanuts. Lucy Van Pelt, his sister, disparagingly calls the situation a "rerun" of the birth of her brother Linus, so Linus nicknames the child "Rerun". Despite Lucy's disappointment, she becomes a warm and protective older sister.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marcie</span> Peanuts comic strip character

Marcie is a fictional character featured in the long-running syndicated daily and Sunday comic strip Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shermy</span> Peanuts comic strip character

Shermy is a fictional character from the comic strip Peanuts, by Charles Schulz. Schulz named him after a friend from high school. When Peanuts made its debut on October 2, 1950, Shermy sat with another early character, Patty on the curb, and spoke the first lines of dialogue, ending with "Good ol' Charlie Brown...How I hate him!" which is ironic, considering how he became one of Charlie Brown's closest friends, along with Linus van Pelt and Schroeder.

Violet (<i>Peanuts</i>) Peanuts comic strip character

Violet Gray is a fictional character featured in the long-running syndicated daily and Sunday comic strip Peanuts, created by Charles M. Schulz. Violet first appeared in the February 7, 1951 strip. She was originally a major character, until she was eventually relegated to background and cameo appearances as other female characters became more prominent, with Lucy ultimately taking over most of Violet's character traits.

Franklin (<i>Peanuts</i>) Peanuts comic strip character

Franklin is a fictional character in the comic strip Peanuts, created by Charles M. Schulz. Introduced on July 31, 1968, Franklin was the first black character in the strip. He goes to school with Peppermint Patty and Marcie.

Woodstock (<i>Peanuts</i>) Peanuts comic strip character

Woodstock is a fictional character in Charles M. Schulz's comic strip Peanuts. He is a small yellow bird and Snoopy's best friend. The character first appeared in the April 4, 1967, strip, though he was not officially named until June 22, 1970. He is named after the Woodstock festival of 1969.

Patty (<i>Peanuts</i>) Peanuts comic strip character

Patty is a fictional character featured in the long-running syndicated daily and Sunday comic strip Peanuts, created by Charles M. Schulz. Patty was formerly a major character whose role was reduced in later years; she never developed a distinct personality like Lucy or Sally. She is sometimes confused with Peppermint Patty, a different and later character with a similar name. Patty appeared in the first Peanuts strip, with Shermy and Charlie Brown, on October 2, 1950.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great Pumpkin</span> Peanuts comic strip character

The Great Pumpkin is an unseen character in the comic strip Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz. According to Linus van Pelt, the Great Pumpkin is a legendary personality who rises from the pumpkin patch on Halloween carrying a large bag of toys to deliver to believing children. Linus continues to maintain faith in the Great Pumpkin, despite his friends' mockery and disbelief.

<i>Youre a Good Sport, Charlie Brown</i> 1975 animated television special

You're a Good Sport, Charlie Brown is the 14th prime-time animated television special based on the comic strip Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz. It was originally aired on the CBS network on October 28, 1975. In this special, Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and Peppermint Patty participate in a motocross race.

This is a list of adaptations in film, television, musical theater, and video games, based on characters from the Peanuts comic strip by Charles M. Schulz.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lee Mendelson</span> American animation producer (1933–2019)

Leland Maurice Mendelson was an American animation producer and executive producer of many Peanuts animated specials.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Snoopy</span> Peanuts comic strip character

Snoopy is an anthropomorphic beagle in the comic strip Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz. He can also be found in all of the Peanuts films and television specials. Since his debut on October 4, 1950, Snoopy has become one of the most recognizable and iconic characters in the comic strip and is considered more famous than Charlie Brown in some countries. The original drawings of Snoopy were inspired by Spike, one of Schulz's childhood dogs.

<i>Happiness Is a Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown</i> 2011 Peanuts special

Happiness Is a Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown is the 45th Peanuts animated television special, released in 2011. It was the final primetime special based on the comic strip, before the franchise moved to Apple TV in 2020. The special is the first one produced without Bill Melendez on the production team, following his death in 2008. It is also the first special without the direct involvement of Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz, Lee Mendelson Productions or Bill Melendez Productions. In addition, it is the first Peanuts special produced in part under Warner Bros. Television, which holds the home media distribution rights to the Peanuts specials.

<i>The Peanuts Movie</i> 2015 animated comedy film by Steve Martino

The Peanuts Movie is a 2015 American animated comedy film based on Charles M. Schulz's comic strip Peanuts, produced by Blue Sky Studios and distributed by 20th Century Fox. It is the fifth full-length Peanuts film and the first in 35 years. The film was directed by Steve Martino from a screenplay by Cornelius Uliano and Craig and Bryan Schulz. Uliano and the Schulzes also serve as producers alongside Paul Feig and Michael J. Travers. The film stars the voices of Noah Schnapp as Charlie Brown and, via archival recordings, Bill Melendez as Snoopy and Woodstock, alongside the ensemble voices of Hadley Belle Miller, Mariel Sheets, Alex Garfin, Francesca Angelucci Capaldi, Venus Omega Schultheis, Rebecca Bloom, Marelik "Mar Mar" Walker, Noah Johnston, Anastasia Bredikhina, Madisyn Shipman, AJ Teece, Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews, and Kristin Chenoweth. The film sees Charlie Brown trying to improve his odds with the Little Red-Haired Girl, while Snoopy writes a book where he is a World War I Flying Ace trying to save his fellow pilot and love interest Fifi from the Red Baron and his flying circus.

References

  1. "Timeline Archive". Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center . Retrieved September 10, 2023.
  2. Taylor, Dan. "The life and legacy of Charles M. Schulz". The Press Democrat . Retrieved September 10, 2023.
  3. "The Charles M. Schulz Museum: Home of the Peanuts". sonomacounty.com. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
  4. Cavanaugh, Patrick. "Snoopy Presents: One-of-a-Kind Marcie Filmmakers Talk the New Peanuts Special". comicbook.com. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
  5. "Pilots Peanut pilot". Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association . Retrieved September 10, 2023.
  6. 1 2 Taylor, Dan. "Craig Schulz has quietly and wisely kept alive his father's work". The Press Democrat . Retrieved September 10, 2023.
  7. "On Web, 'Peanuts' Gets New Lease On Life". NPR . Retrieved September 10, 2023.
  8. Weldon, Glen. "It's A New Peanuts Comic, Charlie Brown". NPR . Retrieved September 10, 2023.
  9. "Apple TV+ lands 17 Children's & Family Emmy Award nominations". Mac Daily News. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
  10. Hermanns, Grant. "New Peanuts Movie Chances Gets Hopeful Response From Creator's Son: "I Would Like To See One Come Back"". Screen Rant . Retrieved September 10, 2023.
  11. "Obituary: Charles Monroe Schulz". Deseret News . Retrieved September 10, 2023.
  12. Smith, Chris. "How the Schulz family made 'The Peanuts Movie' a reality". The Press Democrat . Retrieved September 10, 2023.