Peanuts Creator Charles Schulz’s First Sketch Published 75 Years ago this Month as Part of Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Cartoon

ORLANDO, Fla. (Feb. 17, 2012) – When most people think of the legendary cartoonist Charles Schulz, they of course think of Peanuts. But Schulz’s first published drawing wasn’t Peanuts; his creation was actually part of a Ripley’s Believe It or Not! cartoon.

Schulz’s drawing of his dog Spike became the inspiration for Snoopy                                                                                                                                                                               

Ripley's Believe It or Not! cartoon Feb. 22, 1937

February 22 marks the 75^th anniversary of Charles Schulz’s very first published drawing.  Schulz, 15 years old at the time and nicknamed “Sparky,” submitted a sketch of his dog Spike to Robert Ripley and wrote about how the dog would eat pins, tacks, screws and more. Ripley published the sketch as part of his Believe It or Not! cartoon on February 22, 1937.

Spike eventually became Schulz’s inspiration for Snoopy.        

“That was an amazing crossing of paths for two young illustrators who would go on to  create cartoons, books and other media that have entertained millions of people around the world,” said Norm Deska, Executive VP of Intellectual Property for Ripley Entertainment. “This cartoon was basically the birth of Snoopy.”                

John Graziano's Current Salute to the Original Cartoon

 Contact

Tim O’Brien
VP Communications
Ripley Entertainment Inc.
(615) 646-7465 – office
(615) 496-5949 – cell
Obrien@ripleys.com

About Ripley Entertainment  
                                                                                                                  
Ripley’s Believe It or Not! is part of the Ripley Entertainment Inc. (www.ripleys.com) family of worldwide attractions, the global leader in location-based entertainment.  More than 12 million people visit its 80-plus attractions in 11 countries each year.  In addition to its 31 Believe It or Not! Odditoriums, the Orlando, Florida-based company has publishing, licensing and broadcast divisions that oversee projects including the syndicated Believe It or Not! television show, best-selling books and the popular syndicated cartoon strip, Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, that still runs daily in 42 countries. Ripley Entertainment is a Jim Pattison Company, the third-largest privately held company in Canada.