It’s Plain They Love ‘Peanuts’

In tribute to “Peanuts” cartoonist Charles M. Schulz, who lived and worked in this city for four decades, Santa Rosa has painted the town Brown.

Fifty-five large sculptures of Charlie Brown stand sentry throughout Santa Rosa, offering proof that although he was a loser in love, baseball and everything else, Charlie Brown wins the game of attracting tourists.

This June, after the installation of the statues, the number of people stopping in at the Santa Rosa Convention and Visitors Bureau increased by more than 50% to a record 6,660, said Mo Renfro, the bureau’s executive director.

Many are looking for Charlie Brown.

“We’re getting visitors from all over, literally,” said Santa Rosa City Councilwoman Janet Condron, who helped organize the “It’s Your Town Charlie Brown” celebration, which also commemorates the comic strip’s 55th anniversary. “The recognition of Charles Schulz and the ‘Peanuts’ characters is international.”

Just as artists decorated statues of cows in Chicago and angels in Los Angeles, artists in Santa Rosa were allowed to paint blank statues as they saw fit.

Like Snoopy imagining himself as a World War I flying ace, Charlie Brown was depicted in different personas: “Good Grief, It’s Superman!,” painted with a red cape, blue tights and black hair; “Aloha Charlie,” wearing a Hawaiian shirt, sunglasses and a lei; and “Surf Chuck,” with suntan and surfboard.

But the summer celebration has had its “good grief!” moments.

In June, someone stole Charlie Brown, dressed as a chef, from his spot in front of Michele’s Restaurant. He reappeared after co-owner Bob Forsyth offered a $2,500 reward. But vandals have forced the relocation and repair of other sculptures.

“He’s inside the restaurant now,” Forsyth said. “I don’t want him to disappear.”

Fifty-five miles north of San Francisco, Santa Rosa is near 200 wineries, has its own symphony and boasts the famous Luther Burbank Home & Gardens.

Schulz spent the last 40 years of his life in the Sonoma County town, which dubbed him the “most beloved resident of the 20th century.” He is known locally as “Sparky,” the nickname given to him as an infant.

The man who gave the world Snoopy, Lucy, Linus and the rest of the “Peanuts” gang also gave much to this community. In 1969, Schulz and his wife built the Redwood Empire Skating Arena -- also known as “Snoopy’s Home Ice” -- which plays host to an annual Christmas show with nationally known skaters.

“Every child who’s grown up in our community has been to there for lessons, birthdays,” Condron said of the arena. “Then the senior hockey tournament held here brought people from all over.”

Next to the arena is the Warm Puppy Cafe, where Schulz ate breakfast most mornings before heading to his nearby studio to draw. In 2002, the Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center opened, featuring more than 7,000 original strips, cartooning classes for children, and discussions with cartoonists.

Jim and Susan Green and their dog, Harry, recently stopped at the museum on their way to British Columbia from their home near Houston. They came because of the effect Schulz “had on us individually and also on America,” because of the Charlie Brown in each of us, and because of Schulz’s message about the love between man and dog, they said.

Hanging on a wall in the museum is a strip that summarizes their view. “That’s what it all boils down to: ‘You have a dog, be happy,’ ” Susan Green said, as if quoting a philosopher. “Keep it simple. We have a lot to be grateful for.”

Then the Greens headed out to find Charlie Brown. They planned to photograph Harry with the statues and e-mail the images to their grandchildren.

Santa Rosa isn’t the only city that claims a special bond with the cartoonist. Schulz spent his childhood in St. Paul, Minn. For six years it has held a “Peanuts”-themed statue celebration, beginning with “Peanuts on Parade” in 2000. That summer, 101 statues of Snoopy were stationed throughout the city. Each year, members of the Schulz family traveled to St. Paul for the event, which inspired Schulz’s son Craig, a Santa Rosa resident, to suggest a similar event.

Artists in Santa Rosa spent four days painting the statues in a warehouse, with the public invited to watch. Each polyurethane statue is bolted to a concrete base. The combined statue and base weighs 500 pounds and stands 5 feet tall.

“We let people be as free as they wanted to be,” said Craig Schulz, the celebration’s co-chairman who reviewed and approved all of the designs. His 16-year-old daughter, Lindsey, helped paint “Holiday Special,” a Charlie Brown statue covered with scenes from animated TV specials such as “A Charlie Brown Christmas.”

Photos of all 55 statues can be found under the visitors section of the city’s website, https://ci.santa-rosa.ca.us/.

Local business owners paid $5,000 to have a statue placed at their establishment, and $7,000 to own one. About 20 statues will be auctioned off in September after a “Blockhead Party.” The proceeds will fund art scholarships and help pay for a permanent bronze “Peanuts” statue at the county’s airport, renamed Charles M. Schulz Sonoma County Airport after his death in 2000.

In addition to attracting tourists, the statues have drawn locals out of their neighborhoods.

“It has a tendency to bring people together,” said Craig Schulz. “It’s what I call rediscovering Santa Rosa. It’s been phenomenal so far.”

Some of the statues have had a hard time. Vandals ripped the arm off “Dive On In, Charlie Brown,” and tipped him over. They crushed the gold leaf-covered peanuts attached to “Gold Rush,” and stole the sunglasses off another statue.

As Charlie Brown might say: Rats!

“Like any other community, we’re experiencing some gang situations,” Condron said.

Such harsh treatment isn’t evident most days. What is more obvious are the families snapping photographs around Charlie Brown, each with a “Peanuts” story.

Janet and Tim Sandis of Mountain View recently visited Santa Rosa. Born and raised in Greece, Tim knew nothing about Charlie Brown until he met Janet, then 25 years old and a “Peanuts” lover. That love persisted through parenting, work, retirement and now illness. Multiple sclerosis has left Janet, now 60, in a wheelchair. It has robbed her of tennis and the symphony, things she once enjoyed.

So Tim, 75, brought her to Santa Rosa. He wheeled her through the museum’s halls and past the Charlie Brown statues. They purchased a T-shirt for their daughter, who recently graduated from art school.

The town was good for Janet Sandis.

Her spirits are “still high from the trip,” said Tim Sandis, days later. “She’s really a fan.”