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What’s that? You’d like to see something strange that has nothing to do with Scrappy? Glad to oblige. For the first time in a dog’s age, I’ve added a new page to my Harry’s Museum section–a complete reprint of a bizarre 1957 comic in which Charlie Brown and Lucy tour the Des Moines Register and Tribune offices and plant.
I’ve never seen this story (most definitely not by Sparky!) mentioned anywhere. And if serious Schulz fans would prefer to forget it existed in the first place, I wouldn’t blame them–even though I find it fascinating. Click here to read it.
Self-serving plug: I’m selling this, and a random assortment of other items (mostly not related to comics) on eBay at the moment. (I’m trying to weed out the clutter around here.) Click here to see my listings, should you care.
In the book “50 Years of Happiness” (which can be purchased from the CMS museum), is reprinted a 1969 advertisement from the Omaha-World Herald which takes the form of a Peanuts comic strip in which Charlie Brown talks about becoming a paperboy. Where the final panel should be is a coupon that could be sent to the paper for info on how to become a paperboy. The strip carries Schulz’s signature, but I am unsure if he drew it or not.
This isn’t as unusual as the thing you posted, but since Charlie Brown and friends have sold everything from cars to life insurance, it seems only fitting that they’d give a shout-out to the media form that carries their escapades.
Speaking of uses of comic characters in newspaper advertising, http://www.lileks.com/comics/worst/index.html shows off an unusual use of The Spirit which amused the late Will Eisner (who didn’t authorize it). And http://www.lileks.com/oldads/60s/3.html shows a interesting Walt Kelly piece (also reproduced in Brian Walker’s book “The Comics since 1945″).