First Black 'Peanuts' character Franklin finally gets to tell his origin story in new TV special

Inclusion and equality are being practiced and propagated more than ever in today’s times. People are becoming more open-minded to diversity and embracing diverse people on all fronts of life. The much-loved and nostalgic “Peanuts” animation has also stepped up its game to promote inclusion. The new special will feature a Black character named Franklin and people are warmly welcoming him more than ever. TODAY reported that the character, to be featured on Apple TV, was created on request from a mother and teacher, Harriet Glickman. Frankling made his debut in "Peanuts" on July 31st, 1968.

While he was featured only as one of the neighborhood kids in the comic strip, he was recently added as one of the main characters in a new TV special. The special titled “Welcome Home Franklin” focuses the spotlight on the new Black character and his journey and bonding with Charlie Brown. The letter was penned as a suggestion to bring in more inclusion and help children understand and accept people of different backgrounds. The letter, now preserved in the Charles Schulz Museum, worked as a reinforcer to the creation of Franklin and his special role in the cartoon.

However, given the period of controversy at the time, Schulz thought it best to avoid including the character. Glickman persisted in her plea and requested her Black friends to write to the creator persuading him to go ahead with the idea. Soon, Schulz included Franklin but maintained him as a minor character. Franklin received a surname a few years later, “Armstrong,” which came into being through Rob Armstong, a cartoonist who had also written to Schulz. Rob was one of the first four Black cartoonists to work on major, mainstream comic strips.

After penning a letter and sharing his work with the creator of “Peanuts,” Schulz bonded with Rob. Soon, Schulz found himself requesting Armstrong’s permission to use his surname for Franklin. “It’s supernatural. It’s surreal,” Armstrong said, mentioning that he recalls the honor every now and then. As years went by and the popular comic strip developed, Schulz ensured he added to the details of Franklin's life as well, considering the profound request made for the character to come into being and the wonderful history it held. 

Raymond S. Persi, who directed the new TV special said, “We know that his family traveled because his dad was in the military but otherwise, he kept the character neutral. We leaned into that and used this special as a chance to develop this character more." Persi also mentioned in an interview that both Franklin and Charlie Brown are good friends owing to their ability to focus on the positives in life. Rob played an active role in designing the story of Franklin in the new special. While Craig Schulz worked on the character, he invited Rob to the writing team to enhance the special in a better way, especially with Franklin.

Set to air on February 16th, the special subtly highlights the struggles and discrimination faced by people of color or with different backgrounds and also shares a positive message of inclusion through the friendship shared by Charlie and his friends with Franklin. With Thanksgiving, friendships, plot-twisting projects and so much more featuring the duo together, people are excited to welcome the special.