Good Grief, Charlie Brown! Celebrating Peanuts and Its Cultural Legacy, Somerset House

'The only thing I ever wanted to be was a cartoonist. That's my life', once said Charles M. Schulz, the innovative creator of the Peanuts cartoons. And guess what, that's exactly what he did.

Born in 1920s America, Schulz decided to pursue his dream of becoming a cartoonist following his return from war in 1945. In just a few years, the lovable Charlie Brown and his best friend-cum-pet beagle Snoopy, became national sensations. In October 1950, Peanuts, as the comic strip in his local newspaper became known, was to appear in seven publications nationwide.

The four-panel comic strip focusing on the lives of a gang of lovable youngsters soon became a cultural phenomenon, its tangle of relationships and philosophical musings on the characters proving to be a huge hit among readers. From 1950 to 2000, Schulz created 17,897 strips for 2,600 newspapers in 75 countries. The witty adventures were translated into 21 languages and had a readership of approximately 355 million people. For many, television specials became the highlight of the cultural calendar and the 2015 3D computer-animated feature film went on to earn $246 million worldwide.

Feeling nostalgic? Take a trip down memory lane this autumn with Somerset House's upcoming Peanuts exhibition celebrating the life and landscape surrounding the cartoon's creator.

This long-overdue celebration of Schulz's original creations, many never seen before in Europe, seeks to offer new perspectives on the comic-strip masterpiece, and explore the impact and influence of the cartoon on art and culture today. It will also unpack the diverse array of topics the cartoon addresses, including feminism and racial equality.

New and existing works inspired by the Charlie Brown franchise by current artists and designers will be on show alongside original drawings and personal artefacts from the Schulz Museum. Visitors are invited to discover the phenomenon of Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy, Peppermint Patty and co. through a series of accompanying interactive workshops.

Claire Catterall, curator says; 'we're told by his family that Schulz [...] would have been so happy and humbled by an exhibition where the world of arts and culture reference him and his own creations in response to the deep and enduring influence he has had on them.'

Continuing to capture audiences both young and old, Peanuts the exhibition is going to be hell of a lot of fun! So good grief, don't miss it.