Ten new stamps salute the birth centennial of cartoonist Charles M. Schulz whose ”Peanuts” characters are some of the best-known and most beloved in all of American culture. For five decades, Schulz alone wrote and drew nearly 18,000 strips, the last one published the day after he died. Each character reflects Schulz’s rich imagination and great humanity. His resonant stories found humor in life’s painful realities including rejection, insecurity, and unrequited love.
The ten Peanuts stamps form a frame around a 1987 photograph of Schulz. Art director Greg Breeding designed the stamps from Schulz’s artwork and an existing photograph by Douglas Kirkland.
Santa Rosa is home to the Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center. Schulz moved his home and studio to Santa Rosa in 1969 and lived there for the rest of his life. The regional airport is named in his honor and bronze Peanuts sculptures grace the airport and downtown’s historic Railroad Square.