Charles Schulz's biggest Peanuts regret seems hilarious 76 years later, while fans care less than ever

A title chosen for the strip

Before Peanuts debuted in 1950, Schulz’s concept appeared as Li'l Folks in the Minneapolis Tribune and St. Paul Pioneer Press. The strip already featured children like Charlie Brown and a puppy resembling Snoopy.

Because Tack Knight held a copyright for Little Folks, Schulz and United Features Syndicate agreed that the strip needed a different name. Schulz later said he had wanted to call it Good ol’ Charlie Brown instead.

Schulz said the syndicate representative picked Peanuts at random from a list and had not looked at the strip before naming it. David Michaelis, in Schulz and Peanuts, linked the name’s consideration to Howdy Doody’s Peanut Gallery, itself associated with old vaudeville slang for rowdy audience members.

Why Schulz disliked Peanuts

Schulz objected to the title’s lack of dignity and felt it did not capture the characters. Though they are children, many of them are thoughtful and introspective rather than rowdy hecklers.

In a statement quoted in the article, Schulz said, “I don’t like the name of my strip at all.” He also described a compromise for the Sunday strip: Peanuts appeared above a Charlie Brown subtitle. For much of the run until 1987, the Sunday strip was titled Peanuts, Featuring Good ol’ Charlie Brown. The article says the title compromise lasted roughly 36 years.

Characters outgrew the name

Schulz’s characters often became recognizable beyond the series title. The article points to A Charlie Brown Christmas and Snoopy merchandise as examples of how individual characters could stand apart from Peanuts.

The strip ran for 50 years, and the article says its characters have won fans for 76 years and counting. Schulz also had disputes over character choices, including editorial pressure to remove Franklin, but the article says he refused.

Despite his regret about the name, Schulz created an enduring comic strip. Many fans recognize Charlie Brown or Snoopy by name, rather than describing them only as characters from Peanuts.