Charles M. Schulz

Charles Monroe Schulz (November 26, 1922 – February 12, 2000) was a 20th-century American cartoonist best known worldwide for his Peanuts comic strip. Charles Monroe Schulz was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and grew up in Saint Paul. He was the only child of Carl Schulz, who was German, and Dena, who was Norwegian. His uncle nicknamed him "Sparky" after the horse Spark Plug in the Barney Google comic strip. Schulz loved drawing and sometimes drew his dog, Spike. Spike ate unusual things, like pins and tacks. Schultz drew a picture of Spike and sent it to Ripley's Believe It or Not! Then, his drawing appeared in the comic published by Robert Ripley with the caption "A dog that eats pins, tacks, and razor blades is owned by Charles F. Schulz of St. Paul, Minn. Drawn by 'Sparky'" His middle initial was mistaken in the caption. Schulz attended St. Paul's Richard Gordon Elementary School, where he skipped two half-grades. He became a shy timid teenager, perhaps as a result of being... full article at wikipedia