Created by Charles M. Schulz, Peanuts is one of the most beloved and longest-running comic strips ever with several characters that have endured the test of time. Among them are Charlie Brown, Lucy, Snoopy, and Franklin.
Cartoonist Robb Armstrong, best known as the creator of the Jump Start comic strip, had a fan in Schulz, who really admired his work, so much so that he named one of his characters, Franklin, after him.
The name Franklin Armstrong was bestowed upon the first African American Peanuts character after the cartoonist, who enjoyed a great relationship with Schulz during his lifetime. SK POP chatted with him about how the honor came about in an exclusive interview.
Catch the interview in video format below or read on for a transcript:
Robb Armstrong serves as the co-writer for the new Peanuts special
Armstrong co-wrote Snoopy Presents: Welcome Home Franklin with Craig Schulz, son of the legendary cartoonist. The special is directed by Raymond S. Persi of The Simpsons fame and is available for streaming on Apple TV+.
Armstrong was stunned to discover that Schulz was a fan of Jump Start. Thus, to have a Peanuts character named after him was overwhelming.
"But he was a fan to the point where four years after meeting him, he said I want to rename Franklin after you. I want to rename him Franklin Armstrong after you. First of all, I don’t know what I did in the beginning to earn his fan-ship. This was really over the top. I said I’ll be honored and all that. And he did it."
Armstrong never told a soul for twelve years until he brought it up during a speech. As per the cartoonist:
"But I felt unworthy of it. Why even do that? Why me? I never told anyone for twelve years. Twelve years after it happened, I gave a speech at the museum named in his honor. And I announced to fifty people that he’d done this. And his widow says – how come you never told me? I said well, I was unworthy of it. I didn’t think to tell anyone."
Franklin was a character introduced into the Peanuts universe after the death of Martin Luther King Jr. at the urging of a schoolteacher. While the special delves into his origin story, the story behind the man holding this special mantle wasn't known to all.
Speaking about the incident, Armstrong further revealed:
"She said you made a mistake holding this inside. And I don’t know if she got on the phone with people, but I started getting interviewed about this topic."
Robb Armstrong realizes what it means to have a character from such an iconic franchise named after him, and he said as much during the interview:
"I just can’t express what it means to be carrying this. But I am happy to be a part of a legacy that can’t die. It can’t die. We’re not going to let it."
Catch Franklin's origin story only on Apple TV+. Always on the move and unable to make friends, Franklin comes into contact with the Peanuts gang. What follows next is the development of a friendship that is guaranteed to bring a smile to viewers of all ages.