November 12, 1996 (comic strip; original) November 25, 1997 (comic strip; reprint)
Voiced by
Sally Dryer (1963, 1965) Karen Mendelson (1966) Ann Altieri (1966-1969) Linda Ercoli (1972-1975, 1976) Lynn Mortensen (1974) Linda Jenner (1974) Roseline Rubens (1980) Stacy Ferguson (1985) Deanna Tello (1992) Ashley Edner (2000) Kaitlyn Maggio (2003) Jolean Wejbe (2006) Taya Calicetto (2008-2009) Blesst Bowden (2011) Madisyn Shipman (2015) Charlie Boyle (2021-present)
In-universe information
Gender
Female
Violet Gray is a fictional character featured in the long-running syndicated daily and Sundaycomic stripPeanuts, created by Charles M. Schulz. Violet first appeared in the February 7, 1951 strip.[1] 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.
Violet is best known as a bit of a snob who likes bragging and, along with Lucy and her best friend Patty, often teases and torments Charlie Brown. She bullies other characters in the strip, particularly "Pig-Pen" and Charlie Brown.
In addition to the comic strip, Violet has appeared alongside other Peanuts characters in numerous Peanuts television specials, cinematic movies, theatrical plays, and video games.
History
Violet first appeared in the February 7, 1951 Peanuts strip.[2] She became the strip's fifth character: up to that point, Charlie Brown, Shermy, Patty and Snoopy had been the only four characters seen in the then four-month-old strip. From there on, Violet's character changed and developed until the 1960s, when she began to be seen less often than the other major characters, with her appearances eventually reduced to the background and cameos. Her last appearance was in the November 27, 1997 Peanuts strip.[3]
Appearance
As Violet's character developed over the years, her appearance changed as well. In the early strips, Violet has her shoulder-length black hair kept in either pigtails, a bun, or, sometimes, a ponytail. Later on, Schulz dropped the braids and kept Violet's hair only in ponytails. Violet also wears front bangs and often wears dresses which are originally depicted as purple; later they were depicted as lime green, as well as black Mary Janes shoes. Violet wears her purple dress in The Peanuts Movie, which is consistent with her name.
Personality
Violet is smart, popular, tomboyish, and somewhat of a snob.[4] She makes her opinions known to everyone,[4] and her haughtiness causes her to often torment other people,[5] whom she views as beneath her.
Compared to the apparent middle-class upbringing of the other characters, Violet is supposedly of upper-class mentality, and she likes to brag about how her father possesses something her friends' fathers don't; it is also implied, however, that Violet's father is often absent from her life, which her peers use against her when she gets too obnoxious. For example, in a Father's Day strip, her boasts are quelled by Charlie Brown when he takes her to his dad's barbershop. After telling her about how his dad would always smile at him no matter how bad a workday he was having, a moved and humbled Violet walked away, but not before quietly wishing Charlie Brown a Happy Father's Day. In another example, a character named "5" fired back at her with "My dad goes to PTA meetings!" Charlie Brown once deflated her with the comeback: "My dad has a son."[6]
In the early strips, Violet often acted like a preschool-age Suzy Homemaker:[7] frequently making mud pies, playing "house," and being linked to romantic scenarios involving Shermy or Charlie Brown. In a strip from 1954, she is shown to collect stamps as a hobby. On some occasions, Violet was shown walking and keeping company with Lucy.
Her surname (Gray) was mentioned only once, on April 4, 1953.[8]
Violet's personality was much more forceful and recognizable compared to the more generic early Peanuts characters like Patty and Shermy, which allowed her to survive slightly longer than those founding characters when a new wave of characters, Linus, Lucy, and Schroeder, were introduced (as an example, Violet has key roles in the TV specials A Charlie Brown Christmas and It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown). By the 1960s, however, Violet, too, was largely phased out with the introduction of the next wave of characters (Peppermint Patty, Marcie, Franklin and such). Schulz admitted in a 1988 interview that Violet's pure vindictiveness had made it difficult to give her punch lines. Speaking of her, Patty and Shermy: "Some characters just don't seem to have enough personality to carry out ideas. They're just almost born straight men." Schulz also contrasted Violet to Lucy in that where Violet was purely mean, Lucy had redeeming characteristics of being bluntly honest and to-the-point, and thus Lucy "worked" as a more rounded character where Violet did not.[9] Violet's use in the strip was eventually reduced to appearances in the background.
↑ Farago, Andrew (2017). The Complete Peanuts Family Album: The Ultimate Guide to Charles M. Schulz's Classic Characters. Weldon Owen. p.51. ISBN978-1681882925.
↑ Hall, Mary Harrington (2000). "A Conversation with Charles Schulz: or The Psychology of Simplicity". In Inge, M. Thomas (ed.). Charles M. Schulz: Conversations. University Press of Mississippi. p.47. ISBN9781578063055.
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". At the time of Schulz's death in 2000, Peanuts ran in over 2,600 newspapers, with a readership of roughly 355 million across 75 countries, and had been 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.
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 get out of bed because he is unable to face the world, but on others, he hopes for the best and is determined to accomplish things. Charlie Brown is easily recognized by his round head and trademark zigzag patterned shirt. His catchphrase is "Good Grief!"
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.
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.
Marcie is a fictional character featured in the long-running syndicated daily and Sunday comic strip Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz.
Schroeder is a fictional character in the long-running comic strip Peanuts, created by Charles M. Schulz. He is distinguished by his prodigious skill at playing the toy piano, as well as by his love of classical music in general and the composer Ludwig van Beethoven in particular. Schroeder is also the catcher on Charlie Brown's baseball team, though he is usually seen walking back to the pitcher's mound with the baseball, never throwing it—admitting in one strip he did not want the other team to discover his lack of ability. He is also the object of the unrequited infatuation of Lucy Van Pelt, who constantly leans on Schroeder's piano. Charlie Brown, Frieda, Peppermint Patty, and Snoopy are occasionally depicted leaning on Schroeder's piano.
Lucille "Lucy" Van Pelt is a fictional character in the syndicated comic strip Peanuts, written and drawn by Charles Schulz. She is the older sister of Linus and Rerun. Lucy is characterized as a "fussbudget", crabby, bossy and opinionated girl who bullies most other characters in the strip, particularly Linus and Charlie Brown.
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 on the curb with another early character, Patty, 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.
Frieda is a fictional character in the comic strip Peanuts by Charles Schulz. She is known for having naturally curly hair, of which she is extremely proud.
Woodstock is a fictional character in Charles M. Schulz's comic strip Peanuts. He is a small yellow bird of unknown species and Snoopy's best friend. The character first appeared in the March 4, 1966, strip, though he was not given a name until June 22, 1970. He is named after the Woodstock festival of 1969.
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.
It's Your First Kiss, Charlie Brown is the 16th prime-time animated television special based on the comic strip Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz. It originally aired on October 24, 1977, on the CBS-TV network. In this special, Charlie Brown worries when he is chosen to kiss his crush in a homecoming parade.
She's a Good Skate, Charlie Brown is the 19th prime-time animated television special based on the comic strip Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz and a spin off around Peppermint Patty and Marcie. It originally aired on the CBS network on February 25, 1980, making it the first Peanuts special of the 1980s. It is also one of the few Peanuts animated specials to feature clear and intelligible adult voices. From 2010-2019, ABC had the rights to air this special, which it paired with Happy New Year, Charlie Brown!
Is This Goodbye, Charlie Brown? is the 24th prime-time animated television special based upon the comic strip Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz. It was originally aired on the CBS network on February 21, 1983. In the special, Charlie Brown tries to cope with learning that Linus and Lucy are moving away. The special is adapted from a storyline from the comic strip that lasted from May 9 to May 21, 1966.
A Boy Named Charlie Brown is an unaired television documentary film about Charles M. Schulz and his creation Peanuts, produced by Lee Mendelson with some animated scenes by Bill Melendez and music by Vince Guaraldi.
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.
Peanuts Motion Comics is an animated miniseries based on 1964 strips of the comic strip Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz. The series premiered on iTunes on November 3, 2008 with the support of the Schulz estate. The first season consists of 20 cartoon shorts, paired into 10 episodes. The episodes employ signature themes and plotlines from the classic strips. The first season was released to DVD on March 9, 2010. Animation production was done by Studio B Productions.
Weapon Brown is a 2002 comic book published by Death Ray Graphics and written by Jason Yungbluth, the author of Deep Fried, an anthology comic also published by Death Ray Graphics, in which the Weapon Brown character and story first appeared split across four issues in a story called A Peanut Scorned. The entire story was compiled from these four issues of Deep Fried, had new content added, and was then released as a one-shot issue in December 2002.
Happiness Is a Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown is the 45th Peanuts animated television special, released in 2011. It was the final network TV 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.
Snoopy Presents: Welcome Home, Franklin or simply Welcome Home, Franklin is a 2024 animated television special in the Peanuts franchise, the first to center on the African-American character of Franklin Armstrong. The character, introduced in the comic strip on July 31, 1968, was the first Black character in the strip. The special was co-written by Robb Armstrong, Craig Schulz, Bryan Schulz, and Cornelius Uliano from a story by Armstrong and Scott Montgomery, and was directed by Emmy-winner Raymond S. Persi, with Caleb Bellavance starring in the title role. The film was released during Black History Month of 2024.
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