After Peanut began its prolific output in 1950, creator Charles Schulz continually expanded the boundaries of what could be done with comic books. An exemplary achievement of his was to introduce a long narrative into the series, with plots that span days, weeks and even months. One of these arcs has Linus running for school president with the help of Lucy and Charlie Brown, and it makes for a hysterical story.
In an October 5, 1964 comic strip, Lucy approaches Linus about running for school president. He is initially reluctant due to the mountain of responsibilities of the role, until Lucy wins him over in just four words: “Think of power.” Linus’ power-hungry expression says it all, and he quickly accepts Lucy’s proposal.
In the next month of publication, Linus embarks on a presidential campaign that is equal parts hilarious and scathingly accurate to real-world politics. This brilliant plot was later adapted into an animated TV special, thus playing a key role in consolidating Peanut‘Pop culture legacy through multimedia expansion.
Linus campaigns for school president (but is Lucy really in control?)
First published: October 5-26, 1964
Lucy helps Linus start his presidential bid, and the story picks up from there. Throughout October 1964, Linus gives impassioned campaign speeches to students and makes bold promises that he may or may not intend to keepjust like any politician would do. Some of his speeches demonstrate his childlike innocence, while others accentuate Linus’ surprising maturity, which makes him a standout among his peers. One of the most critical aspects of his campaign is Lucy, who takes on the role of campaign manager – although her motives may be more self-centered than they appear.
Although Linus is the candidate in the school elections, Lucy seems to be the one pulling the strings. After all, she was the one who suggested Linus run for president in the first place; furthermore, she continues to pressure her younger brother in ways that seem blunt on her part. For example, when instructing him to sign the forms to become a candidate, Lucy does not tell Linus that he is the one on his way to the presidency. Instead, she says, “We’re on our way!”
Additionally, Lucy continually instructs Linus on what to do throughout the story, and goes so far as to threaten classmates to convince them to vote for him – hilariously bringing an unexpected pastiche of real-world “strong-arm” politics. to Peanut. Admittedly, Lucy’s intentions are pure, compared to most political operators, as she is helping her brother, although Schulz’s hints about Lucy pushing for power on her own through Linus certainly give the story an extra layer. of comedy and critical weight.
Linus’ political campaign is still one of Charles Schulz’s funniest story arcs on Peanuts
First published: October 21, 1964
What makes this story so funny, even today, is the way it channels political satire through Peanut‘ childish lens. Schulz resented the political commentary in the comics, evidenced by his disdain for Garry Trudeau’s story. Doonesburybut that doesn’t mean his work is entirely devoid of politics. Peanut‘satire is not aimed at specific events in politics; Instead, Schulz paints his commentary in broader, sillier strokes. For example, when Violet interviews Linus, she dismisses his ambitious ideas to simply state that he will “do his best”, conveying how the press chooses what to portray about candidates. The best example of Schulz’s simple but witty commentary is the conclusion of Linus’s political campaign.
What makes this story so funny, even today, is the way it channels political satire through Peanut‘ childish lens.
As Linus prepares for his final speech, Lucy comments that the only way he can lose is to say something stupid. He ends up doing just that, while talking to the student body about the Great Pumpkin. This is one of Peanut‘ most famous jokes, in which Linus believes in a being similar to Santa Claus who appears every Halloween. The speech cost him the election, turning him into a laughing stock. The way a single statement derails Linus’ entire campaign rings true to policy, however, it is portrayed in a light-hearted manner. Interestingly, the animated adaptation takes an alternative direction with the end of Linus’ political endeavor.
‘You Weren’t Elected, Charlie Brown’: How the Animated Adaptation Differs from the Original Peanuts Comics
Charles Schulz made important changes when adapting this story
In the 1972 TV special You weren’t elected, Charlie Brownthe premise begins in a drastically different way. Instead of Lucy suggesting that Linus run for school president, it is Charlie Brown who presents the idea – only after he fails to start his own campaign. Additionally, instead of Charlie Brown being the vice presidential candidate alongside Linus, he is recruited to be Lucy’s assistant to help her fulfill campaign manager duties. This gives Charlie Brown a simultaneously more prominent and minor role, as the story begins with him as the protagonist, but he is sidelined in favor of Linus.
You weren’t elected, Charlie Brown is currently available to stream on Apple TV+.
The most fascinating change between the adaptations is in the way Linus’ campaign ends. In the original comics, Linus loses after mistakenly mentioning the Great Pumpkin. In the animated special, however, he continues his campaign after that embarrassing moment. Surprisingly, Linus manages to win the elections in this version of the story; he claims victory when his opponent votes for him, claiming he thinks Linus would be a better candidate. This ending marks a major change from the source material and serves as proof of Charles Schulz’s proficiency in writing for multiple mediums.
Peanuts Spans Comics and Animation
During the 1960s and 1970s, Peanut branched out from comics into the realm of animation with a series of television specialsstarting with the widely loved A Charlie Brown Christmas in 1965. By writing these adaptations alongside the comics, Schulz learned how to adapt his writing style to best suit each medium without compromising the core of the story and characters. The jokes that bookend the special comic and animated versions of Linus’ campaign offer a glimpse into Schulz’s diverse thought processes when writing for these contrasting forms of entertainment.
By writing these adaptations alongside the comics, Schulz learned how to adapt his writing style to best suit each medium without compromising the core of the story and characters.
As previously discussed, the comedic iteration of Linus running for school president ends shortly after his speech about the Great Pumpkin sinks his campaign, ending the story on a somewhat unsatisfying but laughable note that befits a moody comic strip. . In You weren’t elected, Charlie Brown, After Linus’ victory, he realizes that he cannot fulfill his campaign promises because he does not have as much power as he had hoped as school president. This conclusion is more suited to an animated special because it has the feel-good moment of Linus winning to resolve the main plot, followed by a joke that ties back to how the story began.
Comic books must be isolated in some way to fit into your daily publication, while a TV special must have a proper resolution that brings everything together. Schulz understood this and was able to take the same main story beats and tweak them accordingly to make each interpretation as strong as possible to appeal to the respective audiences. His dual interpretations of Linus’s madcap campaign for president highlight his masterful command of both mediums, which in turn solidified the Peanut series as a timeless classic.