The Beagle Scout flies again!

The Beagle Scout Snoopy balloon will return to this year’s Macy’s 98th Annual Thanksgiving Parade.

The parade will air live from 8:30 a.m. until 12 p.m. ET/PT on Thursday, Nov. 28. It will begin on Manhattan's Upper West Side, and conclude at Macy's Herald Square flagship store. The parade broadcast also will stream on Peacock, with an encore on NBC at 2 p.m. ET/PT.

The 55-foot tall Beagle Scout Snoopy wears his red Scout tie and green backpack; his pal Woodstock rides on his hat, to join the festivities. This balloon debuted to honor 2023’s 50th anniversary of the first appearance of Beagle Scouts in the Peanuts newspaper strip.

Snoopy continues to be the longest-running character in the parade’s history.  He started in 1968 as the Flying Ace; this was followed by an Astronaut, Ice Skater, Ice Skater with Woodstock, Millenium Snoopy, an updated Flying Ace, Snoopy and Woodstock, an updated Astronaut, and now (again) Beagle Scout with Woodstock. 

The new Snoopy balloon will be joined by a Peanuts float: Camp Snoopy, with Woodstock and friends perched on top of their tent, on the lookout for some wild turkeys.  This will be the sixth version of the Peanuts float; the first was way back in 1967!

If you want even more Beagle Scout fun following the parade, season 1 of Camp Snoopy is available via subscription on Apple TV+. 

Can Beagle Scouts fly?

(This special post is by 5CP Associate Editor Gayna Lamb-Bang.)

(Amended, to correct two mistakes; note, in particular, the parade start time.)

A new Snoopy balloon and Peanuts float will debut at this year’s 97th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade

The parade will be televised from 8:30 a.m. to noon November 23rd, all time zones, on NBC-TV and also streaming via Peacock.

The 55-foot tall Beagle Scout Snoopy, wearing his red Scout tie and green backpack, with his pal Woodstock sitting on his hat, will join the festivities. This honors the 50th anniversary of the first appearance of Beagle Scouts in the Peanuts newspaper strip. (Check out the relevant strips below.)

Snoopy continues to be the longest-running character in the parade’s history.  He started in 1968 as the WWI Flying Ace, which was followed by an Astronaut, Ice Skater, Ice Skater with Woodstock, Millennium Snoopy, an updated Flying Ace, Snoopy and Woodstock, an updated Astronaut, and now the Beagle Scout with Woodstock. 

The new Peanuts float will feature Camp Snoopy, with Woodstock and friends perched on top of their tent, on the lookout for some wild turkeys.  

To top it all off, in 2024 Apple TV+ will present more of the Peanuts gang’s adventures, with the premiere of the “Camp Snoopy” series.

Snoopy debuted as an "apprentice Scout" on May 13, 1974

He hoped to become a Beagle Scout the following day...

...and he finally debuted as the World-Famous Beagle Scout on May 17.

Cartoonists honor Charles Schulz's 100th birthday with comic strip tributes

Saturday, November 26, 2022, is the 100th anniversary of Charles Schulz's birth.  To celebrate, Mutts cartoonist Patrick McDonnell has organized a tribute with help from his fellow cartoonists - on November 26, more than 75 comic strips will feature tributes, Easter eggs and references to "Peanuts."  For more information and background, see this Associated Press article.

So be sure to buy a copy of your local newspaper and check out their comics page!  But of course, no one paper will carry all the strips.  Fortunately, the Schulz Museum has set up a webpage that will showcase the entire collection of strips.

Needless to say, there have been quite a few news articles and other items on the subject of Charles Schulz's 100th birthday.  Here's a sampling of them:

• A nice article from Sonoma Magazine about Charles Schulz's contributions and legacy in his home county of Sonoma, California.
• The Washington Post ran an article titled Schulz at 100: How ‘Peanuts’ lifts those on stage, on ice and in space .
• The Santa Rosa Press Democrat - the local newspaper of the town where Schulz lived, and where the Charles Schulz Museum is located - had a special section celebrating Charles Schulz; see this post from The Daily Cartoonist for the links.
• A short video tour of the Charles M. Schulz Museum in honor of Schulz's 100th birthday, hosted by curator Benjamin Clark, courtesy of the Santa Rosa Press Democrat.
• As part of their celebration, the Schulz Museum has published a new book titled Charles M. Schulz: The Art and Life of the Peanuts Creator in 100 Objects.  "This heavily illustrated volume reveals the art and life of Charles M. Schulz through 100 objects from the Schulz Museum's expansive collection—from Schulz's childhood drawings to NASA's Silver Snoopy Award that is still used today.  Alongside commentary by Curator Benjamin L. Clark and Peanuts historian Nat Gertler, Schulz's family, friends, and colleagues share their favorite objects and provide an intimate look at the cartoonist's creative legacy."  For a limited time, if you order the book directly from the Schulz Museum, you'll get a copy signed by Jean Schulz, widow of Charles M. Schulz and also president of the museum's board of directors.
• Check out this BBC article about the recent Artemis I spacecraft, which features a video titled, "Can you see Snoopy moving around inside the Orion capsule?" - a brief look at the Astronaut Snoopy zero-g indicator in action.  Also see this NASA Photo of the Day,  this CollectSpace article with more info about Snoopy's mission.

Snoopy returns to the Macy's 96th annual Thanksgiving Parade

(This special post is by 5CP Associate Editor Gayna Lamb-Bang.)

The Thanksgiving Parade will be televised on NBC-TV from 9 a.m. to noon November 24th, all time zones, and also streaming via Peacock.

 

The orange-suited Astronaut Snoopy balloon returns to the festivities for the fourth consecutive year, making the World-Famous Beagle the parade’s longest-running balloon character. Also be on the lookout for the Snoopy's Doghouse Float, which represents Mission Control for the launch of Astronaut Snoopy!

 

NASA's "zero-gravity indicator"

Snoopy’s flight along the parade route of downtown New York’s streets will take place shortly after NASA’s November 14th launch of the giant Artemis I rocket.  It will be the first of three uncrewed Artemis I flights designed to circle the moon and return to Earth. The subsequent Artemis II flights, a few years later, will include a crew.  Astronaut Snoopy — in a much smaller form than his balloon persona — will be onboard as a zero-gravity indicator alerting Mission Control of the moment each flight achieves weightlessness.

Snoopy’s involvement with NASA hearkens back to 1969’s Apollo 10 mission, when the command module was named Charlie Brown, and the lunar module was named Snoopy.

Not bad for a World War I Flying Ace!

 

Time for Macy's 95th Annual Thanksgiving Parade

Snoopy is back again!

 

Save the date!

 

New Yorkers and visitors once again will be able to enjoy the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade in person. After nearly two years of intense social distancing, we’ve no doubt this will be one of the best-attended parades ever.

 

The balloon(s) will go up — literally! — on November 25th. Folks not able to attend the 95th annual Macy’s Parade in person, can watch all the fun from 9 a.m. to noon, all time zones, on NBC-TV.

Astronaut Snoopy will return for the third consecutive year, continuing the world-famous beagle’s record as the longest-running balloon character in the parade.  Snoopy is delighted to know his ground crew will be back, because being driven by a utility vehicle — last year, due to Covid restrictions — was simply not the same.

Snoopy is back again!

Save the date!

On November 26th, the 94th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will air from

9 am to noon, all time zones, on NBC-TV.

 

Due to COVID19, this will not be the typical crowd-filled, two-and-a-half-mile route starting at West 77th Street.  The balloons will not be flown by handlers; they will be driven by utility vehicles and joined by floats gliding just one city block down 34th Street, near the flagship department store, and without an audience.  Marching bands will not be included, but the casts of four currently shuttered Broadway shows will perform instead. 

A scene from 2019, when handlers were allowed to fly Snoopy.

 

Astronaut Snoopy will return, continuing his record as the longest-running balloon character.

For a complete history of the various Peanuts character balloons that have flown in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, see here.

It all began ...

... 70 years ago today: October 2, 1950.

Three small children, an average neighborhood, an apparently congenial tone ... and an unexpected little sting in the final panel.

And thus tradition was born.

Fun facts: Although we're immediately introduced to Charlie Brown in this debut cartoon, his two companions — Patty and Shermy — weren't named until (respectively) October 26 and December 18, also in 1950.

(Snoopy debuted in the third strip, on October 4, but wasn't named until November 10.)

As we celebrate this platinum anniversary, let's remember how it all began: with one man, his pen, a blank artist's board ... along with a rich imagination, and an extraordinarily perceptive understanding of the human condition.

To quote the title of the documentary/retrospective that aired January 9, 1976 (and won an Emmy Award, for "Outstanding Informational Children's Special") ...

Happy Anniversary, Charlie Brown!

Snoopy Returns to Space

Save the date!

On November 28th, the 93rd Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will air from 9 am to noon, all time zones, on NBC-TV. You won’t want to miss it, because an updated version of Astronaut Snoopy — presented by Peanuts Worldwide and NASA — will be featured in the line-up of super-sized balloons. 

Astronaut Snoopy will be in the parade to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Moon landing, and to promote the 12-part Apple TV+ series: Snoopy in Space.  You won’t be able to miss him; he’s 49 feet tall, 43 feet long, and 29 feet wide!

For additional information about this Snoopy balloon, and Peanuts’ history in the annual Macy’s parade — along with fun facts about Snoopy’s relationship with NASA — check out this informative article.

For additional information about Snoopy in Space, see our previous blog post.

This post contributed by Gayna Lamb-Bang.

The Redwood Empire Arena — Snoopy's Home Ice — Turns 50

(This special post is by 5CP Associate Editor Gayna Lamb-Bang.)

A milestone celebration took place at Santa Rosa’s ice arena on April 28, 2019.  Many people associated with the arena’s history attended the event, including Karen Kresge, director, choreographer and co-writer of the wonderful holiday ice shows; Judy Sladky, the one and only skating Snoopy; and famed ice skating star, Richard Dwyer (aka Mr. Debonair).

(For a history of Redwood Empire’s holiday ice shows, which ran from 1986 to 2003, read our previous blog entry.)

Charles M. Schulz grew up in St. Paul, Minnesota, where his father would flood their back yard with a garden hose; this created a small skating rink, where Schulz played hockey with his friends.   

Judy Sladky and alter-ego

When Charles Schulz moved to California as an adult, he missed playing hockey.  Meanwhile, he and his family enjoyed skating at Santa Rosa’s existing ice arena.  Unfortunately, that rink had structural issues, and was forced to close.  

In 1969, Schulz and his first wife, Joyce, decided to build their own ice arena on an empty plot of land on Santa Rosa’s West Steele Lane.  Joyce spent a month in Europe seeking inspiration from the buildings and landscapes she admired. Thanks to this research, the Schulzs’ new rink was designed with a Swiss chalet-inspired exterior.  The interior is just as lovely, with hand-painted flowers and designs on the walls, and an overall old-world charm.

After the arena was completed, the April 28, 1969, grand opening gala was emceed by baseball broadcaster Joe Garagiola. The show starred 1968 Olympic Gold Medalist Peggy Fleming, with music provided by the Vince Guaraldi Trio.

The rink has since provided skating and ice hockey for generations of children and adults.  But, after half a century, it’s necessary for the miles and miles of refrigeration steel pipes to be replaced with a high-density polyethylene piping system.  This $1 million renovation — to replace the below-ground infrastructure that keeps the ice smooth — began May 6, 2019, right after the anniversary ceremony, and is slated to be completed on Sept. 6, 2019.

To learn more about the Redwood Empire’s history, visitors to Northern California should check out the adjacent Snoopy’s Gallery and Gift Shop; the second floor has a terrific exhibit of pictures, videos and memorabilia that commemorate the building’s first 50 years. You also can check out the arena web site.

During the arena’s closure, the Warm Puppy Café remained open.

News update: The renovation is complete: a little behind schedule, but well worth the wait! The arena opened for business on Nov. 9, 2019, and had a celebration on Nov. 15.  As you can see in the picture, something special was added to the ice.

Our friends are a permanent part of the ice!

Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and Apollo 10

On May 18, 1969 - fifty years ago - Apollo 10 launched on a mission to perform a "dress rehearsal" for the moon landing. Astronauts Thomas Stafford, John Young, and Eugene Cernan would go the moon and do almost everything that Apollo 11 would eventually do... except for landing on the moon. While the previous Apollo mission had tested the lunar lander module in Earth orbit, Apollo 10 would test it in lunar orbit - coming within 50,000 feet of the moon's surface. The mission would also gather pictures and data that was used to refine the plans for Apollo 11.

What does this all have to do with Peanuts, you might ask? (Or, perhaps, since you're a fan, you already know.) On every Apollo mission, both the command module (the spacecraft that stayed in orbit) and the lunar lander had unique call signs; hence, for Apollo 11, we heard that "The Eagle has landed" because the lunar module was named "Eagle."

For Apollo 10, with the blessing of Charles Schulz, the calls signs for the command module and lunar lander were "Charlie Brown" and "Snoopy," respectively. This led to the two Peanuts characters appearing in some of the iconic photos from the mission - such as Thomas Stafford patting the nose of a plush Snoopy doll on his way to the launch; two figurines on one of the consoles of mission control; and Tom Stafford holding up a drawing of Snoopy during the first live color television broadcast from space.

To learn more about Apollo 10, visit this NASA page, this New York Times article, or view this historical documentary from NASA.

Apollo 10 was part of the relationship between NASA, Schulz, and the Peanuts characters that continues to this day. The Silver Snoopy is a prized NASA award recognizing "outstanding performance contributing to flight safety and mission success." And just last year, NASA and Peanuts Worldwide announced a new initiative to collaborate on STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) educational activities, featuring the Peanuts characters.

You may remember a series of Peanuts comic strips that ran from March 10 to March 15, 1969, in which Snoopy becomes the first beagle to land on the moon (beating his namesake lunar module there by a couple of months).  Go here to read the entire sequence.

To celebrate Apollo 10 and their long history together, Snoopy, Jean Schulz, and other members of the Schulz family visited the Johnson Space Center in Houston back in April, an event which also featured an Peanuts-themed art installation by Kenny Scharf.  To learn more, see this Johnson Space Center blog page with photos; Facebook posts one and two; Jean Schulz's own blog entry; and this Space Center Houston blog post.

The Charles M. Schulz Museum in Santa Rosa, California hosted an event on May 18, 2019 with presentations and representatives from NASA and the Space Station Museum, and has a small exhibit that will be on display until early 2020.

The Schulz Museum has also put together a traveling exhibit titled To the Moon: Snoopy Soars with NASA that will be visiting several museums around the country - visit this page for the current schedule.

Finally, a short 9-minute "documentary of sorts" titled Peanuts In Space: Secrets of Apollo 10, created by Morgan Neville, Ron Howard's Imagine Documentaries, and DHX Media was released May 18 on the Apple TV app. The free-to-watch video is "an affectionate, lighthearted look at NASA and Charles Schulz's beloved Peanuts characters" and "seek to answer the question: was Snoopy a world famous astronaut?"  (As if we didn't already know the answer!)  Ron Howard and Jeff Goldblum star. See a teaser trailer here.

For now, to view it you'll need an iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV.  (Apple has announced plans to make their TV service available on other platforms by fall 2019; in fact, you may be able to get the Apple TV app for select Samsung televisions now.)  To find the video, open the Apple TV app and search for "Peanuts in Space".  If you can't find it, you may need to update your device's operating system to at least iOS 12 or tvOS 12.

Take this opportunity to marvel that 50 years ago men went to the moon and back - with a little help from Charlie Brown and Snoopy.

A bird by any other name...

Many American newspapers currently have been re-running the lengthy 1972 storyline that begins when Snoopy starts to read Tolstoy’s War and Peace — one word at a time — and climaxes when, after a silly spat with Woodstock, Snoopy bravely hops the fence in order to save his little bird buddy from the vicious cat next door … only to wind up “rescuing” an old yellow glove.

Fellow Peanuts fan Derek Tague just called our attention to an existential hiccup that pops up midway through this sequence, in the strip originally published April 7. (And boy, we love to get mail like this!)

The “cat and dog fight” has drawn the attention of the entire gang, at which point Linus hastily explains that “Snoopy is rescuing Woodstock!”

So … how does Linus know Woodstock’s name?

We take for granted that Snoopy and Woodstock communicate with each other, via thought balloons and chirps, but they certainly don’t talk to people. And it’s not as if Woodstock’s nest is equipped with a mailing label.

We’d be inclined to dismiss this as a single slip on Charles Schulz’s part, except that — as we discovered via some quick research — it happens several more times, with Charlie Brown: in a weeklong January 1973 sequence, when Snoopy gets annoyed after receiving a bill for items he broke during Woodstock’s New Year’s Eve party; when Charlie Brown encourages Snoopy to put an orange in Woodstock’s Christmas stocking (12/23/75); when Charlie Brown chastises Snoopy for getting out of control at another of Woodstock’s New Year’s Eve parties (1/1-3/76); and when Snoopy, traveling to Kansas City, sends Charlie Brown a letter and asks him to say hello to Woodstock (6/22/76).

Although the latter offers an explanation for how Charlie Brown would know Woodstock’s name — rather late in the game — it does beg another question; one is forced to wonder how Snoopy penned this missive.

No doubt there are other examples of Charlie Brown and his friends somehow knowing Woodstock’s identity; we leave their discovery to our readers. Logically, we can assume that word spread after Linus’ initial announcement, but that still doesn’t explain how he found out.

Mention also should be made of 1977’s big-screen film, Race for Your Life, Charlie Brown. Recall that when Woodstock wins the race, he’s honored with a trophy that’s presented to him, by name. Granted, we’ve long insisted that the TV specials and movies are “non-canonical,” but still … it remains part of the same droll mystery.

Was Schulz aware of this delightful anomaly? Did he do it intentionally, or did he not realize the whimsical muddle he made of his own continuity?

We’ll never know…

A History of Redwood Empire Arena's Peanuts Ice Shows

(This special post is by 5CP Associate Editor Gayna Lamb-Bang.)

A recent trip to Knott’s Berry Farm featured a wonderful Peanuts ice show, called Blockbuster Beagle.  I was reminded immediately of the fantastic Christmas ice shows once held annually at the Redwood Empire Ice Skating Arena, in Santa Rosa, California.

1983 summer show program 

Redwood Empire, a lovely, Swiss Chalet-style skating rink, was a gift to the Santa Rosa community from Charles M. Schulz, who’d been distressed over the closure of the city’s only other ice rink.  The opening gala, on April 28, 1969, starred 1968 Olympic Gold Medalist Peggy Fleming, with music provided by the Vince Guaraldi Trio.

 

Schulz’s beloved Christmas ice shows didn’t begin immediately; indeed, the venue catered mostly to local families and hockey teams for the first decade. Starting in 1979, Redwood Empire’s schedule began to feature professional ice shows, presented in the summer and autumn.

1985 summer show program

The first, in July 1979, honored the rink’s 10th anniversary.  That show, called Ice Decade, also starred Fleming, in keeping with the earlier opening day celebration.

For the next several years, such professional productions alternated with spring ice shows provided by the Santa Rosa Figure Skating Club; the first of these was presented in 1980, followed by others in ’82 and ’84.

In July 1981, Love Is Here starred  British competitive figure skater Robin Cousins, a 1980 Olympic Gold Medalist and 1980 European champion.

1986 holiday show

July 1983’s show, Perhaps Love, also starred Cousins.

Flashbeagle, in July 1985, featured American figure skater Scott Hamilton, a 1984 Olympic Gold Medalist, and winner of four consecutive World Championships.

The following year, 1986, marked the debut of the beloved Christmas shows.

Schulz truly loved producing all of Redwood Empire’s shows.  As he noted, in a quote supplied by The Charles M. Schulz Museum, “The thing I enjoy most of all, even more than drawing cartoons, is putting together an ice show… I think that is the ultimate in happiness.”  He produced all the ice shows until he died in February 2000.  His daughter, Jill Schulz, took over for the final four ice shows, from 2000-03.

A History of Peanuts Balloons in the Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

(This special post is by 5CP Associate Editor Gayna Lamb-Bang.)

After watching last year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and anticipating the oversized balloons of our pals Snoopy and Woodstock, I wondered about the Peanuts balloon legacy in this annual celebration.

1968 WWI Flying Ace Snoopy

I quickly discovered that information was both scarce, and frequently inaccurate.

In the interests, then, of providing an authoritative chronology of the association between Macy’s and the Peanuts gang, I spent considerable time researching the topic. The goal was to find and provide an absolutely accurate listing, at all times cross-checked with photos and news coverage from reputable sources.

Let’s start with a few fun facts:

• New York City’s famous Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade began in 1924, complete with live animals borrowed from the Central Park Zoo. Beginning in 1927 — not 1928, as numerous Internet sites incorrectly claim — the live animals were replaced by large balloons designed by famed puppeteer Tony Sarg, and built by Bil Baird. A terrific Smithsonian Magazine article profiled Sarg in November 2013, and the Norman Rockwell Museum mounted a delightful exhibit devoted to him from June 10 through November 5, 2023.

• Snoopy, in various personas, has been in this parade more than any other character. 

Newspaper ad for the 1969 parade

• The average height of the large balloons, like our pal Snoopy, is roughly six stories.

• The ground-based balloon handlers must weigh at least 125 pounds.

• For many year's, Macy's promoted the parade with detailed, full-page newspaper ads that sometimes even listed the scheduled balloons and floats.  

• Until 2011, the floats and balloons were built in a former Tootsie Roll factory in Hoboken, New Jersey. The parade construction facility then moved to a larger warehouse in Carlstadt, also in New Jersey. 

• During the very early hours of parade day, everything travels through the Lincoln Tunnel, to get to the parade’s starting point in Manhattan. Once there, the balloons are inflated with a mix of helium and outside air, just a few hours before the parade begins.

• These days, roughly 2 million spectators line the streets of Manhattan, to view the parade. The event lasts approximately three hours, and covers two and a half miles.

New Peanuts float debuts, Snoopy balloon returns in 2015 Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade

Look for Peanuts characters both in the air and on the ground in this year's 89th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

A returning favorite, the Snoopy and Woodstock balloon will make its third consecutive appearance sailing above the crowds - and the 39th time overall a Snoopy balloon has appeared in the parade, starting with the first appearance in 1968.

Meanwhile, down below on the road, a new "Snoopy's Doghouse" float will celebrate the 50th anniversary of A Charlie Brown Christmas.  The float will feature elements from the classic television special, including Charlie Brown’s Christmas tree and Snoopy’s prize-winning decorated doghouse, along with several of the Peanuts characters themselves.

Preview of the new float. Photo courtesy of Mitsu Yasukawa/NorthJersey.com

(A Peanuts-themed float has appeared at least once before in the parade; it also featured Snoopy's doghouse, but this is a completely new float.)

If you can't be in New York City in person, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade will be televised from 9 AM - Noon on Thursday, November 26, 2015 on NBC. (All time zones; the Macy's Parade broadcast starts at 9 AM, regardless of which time zone you're in.)

---

The parade balloon and float aren't the end of Macy's celebration of Peanuts in 2015; this year, the store's traditional holiday window displays will feature a Charlie Brown Christmas theme.  According to the company's press release, "the Broadway windows at Macy’s flagship store at Herald Square in New York City will debut incredible animated scenes from the iconic television special [...] additionally, A Charlie Brown Christmas is the theme that will decorate the holiday windows at Macy’s downtown stores in Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, Salt Lake City, San Francisco and Washington, D.C."  So you might want check it out if you live near one of those locations!

You can see a preview of the NYC windows and a peek at how they were made in this video from USA Today.

Snoopy Becomes a Star (Again!)

Charles M. Schulz’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame soon will have an equally prestigious companion.

Our favorite beagle, Snoopy, will be honored with his own star, which will be unveiled during a ceremony at 11:30 a.m. (PST) Monday, Nov. 2. The event will be streamed live at the link below.

Snoopy himself — and longtime Peanuts Collector Club members know what that means — will be on hand to acknowledge this honor in his own inimitable way. He’ll be joined by our very own Craig Schulz, co-writer and co-producer of The Peanuts Movie, scheduled to hit theaters nationwide on Friday, Nov. 6.

Paul Feig, another of the film’s producers, will give a short talk.

The dedication of the world-famous beagle’s own star — the 2,563rd star along the Hollywood Walk of Fame — will take place at 7021 Hollywood Boulevard.

What will Snoopy wear?  A tuxedo, of course!

Additional details are available at this Walk of Fame site.

Snoopy and Woodstock balloon to return in Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 2014

Snoopy and his best buddy Woodstock will return to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade this year.

The balloon featuring Woodstock atop a soaring Snoopy debuted in last year's parade; 2014 will be its second outing, and Snoopy's 38th parade appearance overall.

The TV broadcast of the 88th annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade airs Thursday, November 27, 2014 from 9 AM - Noon on NBC. (All time zones; the Macy's Parade broadcast starts at 9 AM, regardless of which time zone you're in.)  Advance press says there will be a live stream of the broadcast on NBC.com as well.

New Snoopy and Woodstock balloon to debut in 2013 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

The Snoopy balloon will have a new look as it floats down the streets of Manhattan in the 2013 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. This year, Snoopy will be soaring together with Woodstock when the famous canine from the Peanuts comic strip makes his 37th parade appearance.

Model of the new Snoopy and Woodstock balloon

The new balloon is the seventh different depiction of Snoopy to take part in the parade; previous balloons have shown Snoopy as an astronaut; an ice skater (with and without Woodstock); "Millennium Snoopy;" and of course the World War I Flying Ace.

In fact, Snoopy now holds two Macy's Parade records: most appearances by the same character (starting with his debut in 1968), and now most balloon versions as well.

The 87th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade airs on Thursday, November 28, 2013 from 9 AM - Noon on NBC. (All time zones; the Macy's Parade broadcast starts at 9 AM, regardless of which time zone you're in.) So tune in and check out the latest in beagle balloon fashion!

UPDATE Nov 13: The news site NorthJersey.com has posted a series of photos showing the new balloon's test flight, giving a better idea of what it looks like.

Put a beagle on your car!

California Peanuts fans have waited a long time for this moment, and it finally has arrived; they'll soon be able to travel in the company of the World-Famous Driving Ace.

The World-Famous Beagle sits at the California State Capitol, holding a prototype of
his very own specialized license plate; the text along the bottom reads "Museums are
for everyone." (Photo by Steven Hoffman/California Association of Museums)

On October 5, Golden State Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation — carried by Assemblywoman Toni Atkins, D-San Diego — to launch a specialized license plate that features Charlie Brown's favorite companion, Snoopy.

You can read additional details here. Information on ordering the plate can be found at snoopyplate.com, linked below.

Alas, this wonderful news applies only to California; Peanuts fans in the other 49 states will need to mobilize their efforts!

The campaign to add Snoopy to California's roster of special-interest license plates officially kicked off in the spring of 2010, with the debut of the web site snoopyplate.com ... but those of us living close to Santa Rosa's Charles M. Schulz Museum know that plans were afoot quite a bit earlier. We sat (im)patiently as California drivers expressed interest by signing up for the program, and then watched as that number slowly approached the 7,500 threshold demanded by the Department of Motor Vehicles.

At that point, the politicians got involved. The California State Assembly passed a bill to established the Snoopy license plate — AB 482 — this past spring, on May 30. The bill then went to the State Senate, which passed it on September 11, sending it to Gov. Brown's desk.

Dog-lovers up and down the state felt pretty secure at that point, knowing full well that Jerry Brown often can be seen at the Capitol with his beloved corgi, Sutter.

Now that the plate has become an official option, California's Peanuts fans will be scrambling to dream up a 6-character phrase that characterizes their devotion to Charles M. Schulz and his classic newspaper strip. (And yes, folks: six characters. Although other California plates have room for up to seven characters, with a space, the placement of Snoopy limits your options a bit.)

The Snoopy license plate will generate funding to help support California's many diverse museums. The California Cultural and Historical Endowment, a state entity, will administer the California Museum Grant Program with these funds.

Two articles celebrate the 62nd anniversary of Peanuts with archival photos

The Peanuts comic strip debuted on October 2, 1950 - 62 years ago today - rating, as it does every year, a brief mention in many "This Day in History" articles.

This anniversary, two websites have gone above and beyond and marked the occasion with articles featuring some rarely seen Peanuts and Charles Schulz-related photographs.  (At least, they were new to me, and I've seen a lot of such photographs.)

First there's Biography.com's photo of the week, titled Snoopy and the Apollo 10 Gang Go to Space.

And then Time-Life has a feature of 21 photos titled Good Ol' Charles Schulz: The 'Peanuts' Creator at Home.

Take a few moments to check them out while you nibble on your pizza and root beer and consider which volume of "The Complete Peanuts" you're going to read as part of your anniversary celebrations.

(And if you're interested in more photographs, the Charles M. Schulz Museum's new website has a nice selection covering Charles Schulz, his art, and the Museum's collection.)

Snoopy guest stars in Mariah Carey's "When Christmas Comes" video

"When Christmas Comes," Mariah Carey's video for a song from her new holiday album,  Merry Christmas II You, features an unusual guest star... Snoopy.  The video also includes short clips from A Charlie Brown Christmas, even though the song doesn't seem to have anything to do with the classic Peanuts TV special.  You can see the video on YouTube:

When Christmas Comes - Mariah Carey & John Legend

(Snoopy appears from approximately 1:25 through 2:00 of the video.)

Mariah's new album does include a cover version of Vince Guaraldi's song "Christmas Time is Here" (although the track is titled "Charlie Brown Christmas"), but somehow Snoopy ended up in this video instead...!