Of all the newspaper comic strip characters in history, Charles M. Schulz‘s Charlie Brown, Linus, Lucy, Sally, Snoopy, and the other members of the Peanuts gang are probably the most famous, but one lesser-known character was dispatched in a bleakly funny way. Schulz’s creations influenced various other comics, such as Dennis the Menace, Calvin and Hobbes, and Bone. Moreover, the critically successful Peanuts films and specials—It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, A Charlie Brown Christmas, and The Peanuts Movie (2015)—still play a huge role in American culture. But the most beloved aspect of the franchise is, by far, the characters.
On October 2, 1950, Schulz published the first Peanuts comic strip, marking the first appearance of Charlie Brown. Immediately in the first strip, Shermy, one of Charlie’s schoolmates, states: “Good ol’ Charlie Brown… how I hate him!” Unlike every other comic strip at the time, Schulz’s child characters and their interactions had surprisingly somber and seasoned personalities. Schulz remains recognized as a genius for creating such simple characters with compelling relationships and issues. Between Lucy’s psychiatric booth, Linus’ security blanket, and Charlie Brown’s struggle with depression, the Peanuts characters stand as some of America’s best comic characters. Having said this, not all of them lasted throughout the strip’s entirety.
On January 5, 1955, Schulz decided to remove one of the characters from the strip. He received various letters with complaints about a female version of Charlie Brown named Charlotte Braun. Charlotte’s primary trait was her uncontrollable loud voice, which annoyed even Charlie Brown, the boy constantly seeking company. Schulz decided to take her out of the strip entirely simply because he felt the strip’s comedy was at stake. However, he wasn’t pleased with having to terminate a character either. To vent out some of his frustration, Schulz used some of his creative dark humor in a letter to one of the fans who complained about Charlotte Braun. In the letter, he wrote, “you and your friends will have the death of an innocent child on your conscience. Are you prepared to accept such responsibility?” At the bottom of his note, he sketched a quick Charlotte Braun with an ax in her head. This final drawing of Charlotte was his punny way of saying, “she got the ax.” The letter is now in the United States Library of Congress.
Although he still wanted a “female counterpart to Charlie Brown,” Schulz never put Charlotte Braun in another comic strip after February 15, 1955. Fortunately for fans, this eventually led to the creation of Charlie Brown’s sister on August 23, 1959. Sally Brown is one of the strip’s most famous characters; she’s notorious for her unrequited crush on Linus, as seen in several moments from the best Peanuts specials. Whether it be Charlie Brown and the Little Red-Haired Girl, Lucy and Schroeder, or Sally and Linus, the many instances of unrequited love are one of the most significant aspects of Peanuts.
In a way, it’s a good thing fans sent Charles Schulz letters concerning the removal of Charlotte Braun. Peanuts definitely wouldn’t have the same amount of flair without Sally. Her brutally honest thoughts and innocent attitude make her one of the strip’s funniest characters, especially when she says things like: “If you try to hold my hand, I’ll slug you!” She is one of Charles Schulz’ most popular Peanuts characters, perhaps almost as famous as Charlie Brown himself.
