Peanuts
After a long debate that caused 402 injuries and 3 wars, and somebody to lose a tooth, we are doing this blog post. What is it? Well, this time we are doing a post about something Peanuts related (there's no way that caused that much problems, this place is very much doing Peanuts stuff) about a graphic novel ( that's it bring in the tanks!). So why? Well this graphic novel that came out this year, 2021 AD, is based off storyboards for a special that went unproduced (yet, they made It was My Best Birthday Ever, Charlie Brown, this world is sad) that was maybe called "Will Ye No Come Back Again, Charlie Brown?" I say maybe because we don't know if it was ever going to have a different name and that was a developmental name. The graphic novel is called "Scotland Bound, Charlie Brown".
The graphic novel was written by Jason Cooper, the art was done by Robert Pope and Hannah White. The idea was to take some of the original storyboards and make a story out of them. Let's take a look at this undone special now.
It starts with Franklin visiting Lucy's booth which is something we really don't see much, and interaction is funny and leads into the plot of Charlie Brown who has a pen pal, something we see in the strips, and he's exited it's from his Scottish Pen Pal from Scotland, Morag. (Fun fact: Morag is a Gaelic name meaning great; the story mentions that it's the Gaelic equivalent of Sarah) Charlie Brown being Charlie Brown has fallen smitten with her. While the story is based off story boards the writer put his own work into this story and Cooper did a great job capturing the Peanuts character's characterizations. Anyway, in the letter Morag mentions that in a few months there's an annual international arts and music festival and that it would be fun to see him come some time. Charlie Brown being Charlie Brown takes that as he should go right now.
Charlie decides he wants to go so he has to make money and starts with a car wash. This turns into a bike, roller skate, etc wash. It's kind of cool to see Charlie Brown's optimism and never give up sprit work through this arc as he tries to figure out ways to get money to go to Scotland; after Lucy gives him an idea, he inspires Lucy, Schroder, and Linus to help him and encourages them to come with him. Lucy with golf at St. Andrews, Schroder playing at the festival, and Linus apparently is interested in the Loch Ness Monster because Great Pumpkin. (what?) Also Charlie Brown is trying to write a poem to preform.
Since the story is called "Scotland Bound, Charlie Brown" and not "Charlie Brown doesn't make it Scotland, after failing a few times" he and his friends made enough money to fly on an airplane to Scotland. This being Charlie Brown we need something to bring his high down slightly, on the airplane he opens his latest pen pal message from Morag and finds out that she won't be there because she's in Mexico City, visiting a different pen pal of her thirty pen pals. (30? My writing hand is tried)
Anyway, at the airport in the great city of Edinburgh, there's a girl holding a sign that says "Charles Brown" (I like how a) Lucy mentions when Morag wrote to him as just Charlie and this girl as Charles, as they aren't getting his name right, and b) it's the same thing Marcie calls him) Anyway this girl is Nell, her family is hosting the Peanuts gang.
Nell is fun character to be introduced, the Scottish girl has a nice optimistic attitude to her. In the interview about the novel (that's included in the novel) the original storyboards were going to have a love triangle thing with Linus/Nell/ Charlie but Cooper decided to not have that in the story and I'm glad he didn't go with the love triangle thing. Since this is a story in Scotland, let's talk about Scotland in the book. I like that how they depict the Edinburgh airport's distinct tower, and the welcome sign those were nice touches.
Back to Nell, she provides a way for the Peanuts characters which are in a nice paired down basic amount of characters ,including Snoopy, to get to know things around Scotland and the festival plot line as well. She also provides a nice balance to the cast, by helping Charlie Brown when plans don't go the way he was expecting. She doesn't seem to mind Linus' odd quirks, even gets on well with Lucy. There are some nice hints of Nell and Charlie Brown crushing splashed in.
"Life's not really about what you wish were happening. It's about what is happening.--Nell
We get to meet Nell's family's farm with Coos, which are like hairy cows. I like how Lucy takes a liking to the creatures, it shows her sentimental side that's not seen too much and I'm glad they had that in this story. There are some fun jokes and gags that'd you expect in Peanuts, but I'm happy the didn't do a football gag or something we'd expect.
They go to different things like Lucy's golfing at St. Andrews (Peanuts characters have that power to visit exclusive golf clubs), then seeking out Loch Ness Monster. There's a sweet moment of them thanking Charlie Brown for the fun trip, before something goes wrong, weirdly it's a Linus reason not a Charlie Brown reason. Linus thinks he saw the monster and gets too excited and cause the boat to fall over. They are safe, but Schroder's piano is ruined. He feels stressed about using a real piano for the show but he gets some encouragement thanks to Lucy which provides another great moment.
Charlie Brown who has been very confident this whole thing is up next, and he presents his poem (he's even wearing a kilt) and finds a creative way to present his poem to make it work out for him and the audience. It was creative and a cool tie in from an earlier scene.
The story ends with Charlie Brown back at home writing to Nell, and now I want a sequel.
The art work is befitting a Peanuts media. The coloring and shade allow things to pop out well and provide a nice feeling of warmth when needed. There's also the classic feeling of Peanuts Sunday comics (since it's in color) with the simple backgrounds, but the detailed stuff is well done. The character expressions are well done and bring out their emotions.
"Scotland Bound" is a great novel, I kind of would love to see it be animated as a special, it's a great story and a fun ride.
This was pretty fun to read, and I'm kind of sad that it wasn't a special, maybe they should get on that. There's some good stuff with Scotland in it with out it feeling stereotypical , minus Loch Ness monster stuff, but you know. It's all the great fun of Peanuts well told in a great story.
That's it for now, tune in next time when the Peanuts go to Wales.
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