Charles Schulz The Peanuts Franchise

In 1950 Charles M. Schulz launched a simple 4-panel comic strip titled “The Peanuts”. Little did he know, he would publish nearly 18,000 strips before his death in 2000, when the series consequently ended. His comic was extended to many other forms of media to accommodate the growing market for the Peanuts. According to prominent media scholar Henry Jenkins, “Transmedia storytelling practices may expand the potential market for a property by creating different points of entry for different audience segments”. Schulz was able to create these different points of entry to his comic by selling the rights to the Peanuts franchise to several media outlets and corporations across the United States. However, as a byproduct of the expanded reach of the Peanuts, the franchise took on a more commercialized identity over time. Seeking out profits surpassed enhancing the story world as the primary goal.

Perhaps the most famous of all the Peanuts extensions are the

Despite his inability to speak (his personality is conveyed via thought bubbles), Snoopy has evolved into a global sensation. One would expect protagonist Charlie Brown to be the face of the franchise, but due to his lack of discerning facial features and pitiful persona, this role is filled by snoopy, a more distinguishable and confident figure. The commercialization of the Peanuts via Snoopy has created a stronger focus on molding a brand rather than a story world. According to Jenkins, “transmedia storytelling represents a process where integral elements of a fiction get dispersed systematically across multiple delivery channels for the purpose of creating a unified and coordinated entertainment experience”. The aforementioned media platforms each contribute to an enriching of the Peanuts story world, while Snoopy based advertising increases revenue without adding anything