Franklin, the Peanuts strip's first African-American character, whose dad was a serviceman in Vietnam first appeared on August 5th, 1967. His race was never addressed in the strip and Franklin never really became "funny". He also encountered accusations of tokenism but he nevertheless lingered in the strip's ensemble for decades and is arguably the greatest black cartoon figure in US history. Here's me in Santa Rosa wishing Franklin many happy returns. I think he looks good with the dreads, even if it looks suspiciously like Charlie Brown in black face.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Franklin at Forty
Franklin, the Peanuts strip's first African-American character, whose dad was a serviceman in Vietnam first appeared on August 5th, 1967. His race was never addressed in the strip and Franklin never really became "funny". He also encountered accusations of tokenism but he nevertheless lingered in the strip's ensemble for decades and is arguably the greatest black cartoon figure in US history. Here's me in Santa Rosa wishing Franklin many happy returns. I think he looks good with the dreads, even if it looks suspiciously like Charlie Brown in black face.
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