Charles M. Schulz

Charles Monroe "Sparky" Schulz ( SHULZ; November 26, 1922 – February 12, 2000) was an American cartoonist who created the comic strip Peanuts, featuring the characters Charlie Brown and Snoopy. Schulz was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and developed an interest in drawing while growing up in Saint Paul. He was conscripted in 1943 and served in the United States Army during the final years of World War II. After returning to Minnesota, Schulz began his comic strip career with Li'l Folks in 1947. In 1950, Schulz redeveloped Li'l Folks as a four-panel comic strip and submitted it to United Features Syndicate, who renamed it Peanuts and began publishing that October.