Friday, September 28, 2007

It was a bit of a cartoon week


I met another Illustration Friday artist. This time around it was Doodlestreet! What fun! She is an incredible cartoonist and is such an extremely warm and endearing person.

She and her wonderful friend, Annie were up in my neighborhood and dropped by my house for a visit.

I gave them a tour around my town including taking her to the home her mother lived in as a baby under a mile away! And how could I resist taking them by another cartoonist's studio?

Yup. A quick sneak peek of Charles Schulz's former studio where he drew his lovely comic strip Peanuts. After all, Doodlestreet is a cartoonist. The gate was open and pulling in to the entrance just outside the gate, I asked, "Ya wanna chance it?"

I reminded them of the last time I was there. A friend and I were locked inside the gate for hours in the dark and cold.

"Sure!" they said. Because, really. Who would have believed it would happen a second time around?

So we drove in, did a quick jaunt around the parking lot and driveway and as we turned to make our exit, I could not believe my eyes. The door had closed shut. Again! Locking us back inside! We were trapped! And hungry. And it was growing dark.

Fortunately, because of the many Snoopy statues that once adorned the streets of Santa Rosa were on view at the softball field by the Charles Schulz Museum, we managed to find our way down there to find a very kind security guard who left his post to rescue us.

Thank you Pam and Annie for our meet-up and for the fun time together. I am wishing you a safe trip home.

9 comments:

Michele Miles said...

What an interesting visit!! Leave it to Shawn to take visitors to Charles Shulz's former studio. How cool and unique is that?

And, even cooler, you get locked in!!
But most hilarious of all... it's your second time getting locked in!!

Man, Shawn, you are a trip. I live for stuff like this. What would life be if not for these sort of scenarios?

By the way, I had friends over for dinner last night and while we talked about all kinds of stuff, somehow your "Thynthia and the Lolitas" story fit in perfectly with what my friend was talking about... maybe overhearing a funny conversation or something.

Anyway, they were howling!

Doodlestreet said...

Ya know what I was thinkin' on the long drive home yesterday??? How come we didn't just park the car outside the gate and walk in?

(blank stare)...

Hahhahaha...

Toon heads!....wouldn't have it any other way.

roz said...

hahaha, omg, not again!!

Sounds like you had a brilliant time. I remember your last schultz jaunt was the first post I'd ever read on your blog.

=O)

doodlegirl said...

I love that all three of you saw the fun we had in being locked inside Charles Schulz's office gate. Like, we were in a bubble of fun. And, we were. I miss that beautiful man so much.

Rayne said...

Again?? That's too funny.

ValGalArt said...

How cool to meet Dood and Annie and go to Charles Schulz's house! Very wonderful!

Michele Miles said...

Shawn -

I just watched the American Masters documentary of Charles Shultz (Oh, I love that man. I was in tears at the end...anyway) - do you live near his home on Coffee Lane?

Michele Miles said...

Ooooohhh... I just read about you meeting Charles Shulz. (Ooops - I spelled it wrong in my first post.)

What a wonderful, wonderful, kismet-like story, Shawn. I have the feeling you had some connection with him. He could relate to you. He sensed that. I can't imagine how sad you must have been to hear of his death. How very sad. We all lost something.

I voraciously read his Peanut strips and those little pocket sized books. What kid couldn't relate to Charlie Brown? I mean are we even human without having a little of Charlie Brown living inside us?

So I almost didn't want to watch this documentary. I didn't want to have him demystified. But you know what? I just love the guy even more.

It seemed those around him wanted him to be more open, more emotional, more, more, more - but, heck, the guy poured his soul out onto those Peanut characters. He shared his life with the world. And because of him little kids, and adults too, felt a little less odd and lonely.

At the end of the documentary he cried, shook his head and said something like, "And Charlie Brown never did get to kick that football." That made me cry. My husband looked over at me. "You alright?"

I choked and sputtered, "It's just so sad he didn't realize all that he did."

Maybe Charlie Brown didn't kick that football, but Charles Shulz did so much more.

Sorry to blather. But I love your story and I'm still all choked up over that documentary.

doodlegirl said...

Oh Michele! I'm so late in responding to you on this! I saw that documentary, too! I remember when he cried and shook his head and said "And charlie brown never did get to kick that ball.." oh that made my eyes rim up with tears, too. Ya know what part also did? When the "little red hair girl" was talking about their real life courtship and when Charles Schulz asked her if she'd marry him and she said 'no'.. and he drove around for a half-hour and returned and knocked on her door. When she answered he said, bashfully, "I thought maybe you'd change your mind.." That killed me. It shattered my heart in a zillion pieces.

I was happy I attended his memorial service and that I carry his memory in my life. I feel I am richer indeed because of him.