After quite a long pause in posts; I have returned to share my exciting time at the Charles M. Schulz Museum in Santa Rosa, CA. Last Saturday, I had the pleasure of being the Cartoonist in Residence at this "Mecca" for most cartoonists; where I presented my "Cartooning & Comics" program and drawing demonstration, followed by a "Hamster Sam" book signing and "Meet the Cartoonist" reception in the Gallery atrium. I did sketches and talked with a really enthusiastic bunch of cartooning fans; both young and old. If you are a fan of Peanuts, or comic strips in general- then you need to visit this wonderland of comics history; as it is much more than merely a gallery to show off Mr. Schulz's work- which is in itself astonishing to say the least. The complex comprises 3 different buildings: The 2-story colorfully themed gift shop was the original museum, and still displays classic Peanuts history upstairs. Snoopy, as a WWI flying ace, soars over the gift shop from above in his giant Sopwith Camel! Next door is Snoopy's Home Ice; a skating rink that includes the Warm Puppy Cafe. My family and I ate lunch (the kids meal comes in a dog dish!) and watched a hockey game through the glass. Mr. Schulz was a Minnesota native and loved to play hockey. A table near the stone fireplace was where Mr. Schulz himself ate his breakfast and lunches. And finally, the new museum; finished in 2002, houses galleries of original Peanuts strips and features his drawing studio, re-created with drawing table, thumb-tacked family photos on a dark paneled wall, memorabilia given to Mr. Schulz over the years and a portion of his own personal library. So much to see. As a teaching artist, the one thing that I internally applauded was the education room. Here, visitors are encouraged to draw Charlie Brown and his gang, and to develop their own cartooning skills. Cartoon art

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