Thank You, Sparky

Well, David Michaelis was given unfettered access to Sparky8217;s papers by his family 8212; that is, all the drawings, storylines and correspondence. He supplemented this treasure trove by hunting out everything connected to Sparky across the US. He mined the memories of the Schulz family and spoke to an astonishingly diverse cross-section of people 8212; some of them unknown to Sparky until he sat down and started talking to them. And there lies the rub.

Sparky8217;s family has publicly come out against the portrait that Michaelis has created of him. They say they are unable to recognise the uncertain, depressed man as the humorous, livewire they knew. But Charlie, having gone through this book, I am forced to say that Michaelis has probably got it right. The good-humoured Sparky had a sad man inside him. The Schulz family got more than they had bargained for when they cooperated with Michaelis, but there is nothing to show that he has created a distorted version of Sparky8217;s life. Michaelis, knowing how touchy the subject would be, has handled it gently and dispassionately. The Schulz family should not be too upset at the revelation of Sparky8217;s sadness 8212; it makes him more human, and shows his achievements to be even more awesome.

Sparky, the barber8217;s son, it seems, always wanted to be a cartoonist. And this he did right after World War II. He started in 1947 with Sparky8217;s Li8217;l Folk, a failure but with the drawing style already in place, though a little rough 8212; and a dog with long black ears. Then Charlie, it was your time. Your name came from a friend of Sparky, and you made your debut on October 2, 1950 a most felicitous date, if you ask me!. Lucy, Linus and Snoopy were there from the start, though a few characters dropped out, and of course, others came in, like a bird that couldn8217;t fly straight, and black kids.

But what was it that made the gang so special? Firstly, Charlie, all of you are grown-ups shown small-size. You reflect the hope and worries of people everywhere. But all of it is sweetened with a dollop of timeless humour. Sparky always said there was no one real model for you folks, and he was right. The Peanuts gang is a reflection of Sparky himself. Only Sparky, a devout Christian, could have carried it off, using Biblical verses with finesse and a telling point 8212; and not offending anyone. Also, Sparky did not let you be static. In small, subtle ways, he reflected the changing mores 8212; and his take on it. Sparky wrote and drew every strip himself, without help from anyone. It was, therefore, appropriate that when cancer killed him, he died at his sketching board at 1 Snoopy Place. Thank you Sparky. Forever.
Goodbye Charlie.