Snoopy Celebrates 65th Birthday, Invites Fans To ‘Snoopy in Love’

Snoopy is turning 65 and his fans around the globe are invited to "Snoopy in Love." The momentous event is the first time for the original pieces drawn by Charles Schulz, the creator of the comic strip "Peanuts", to visit Korea.

Exhibits are ongoing at the World Tower Art Hall, Lotte Avenuel, Eastern Seoul until Sept. 8 and at the Lotte Gallery, Main Branch, Lotte Department Store, Central Seoul until Oct. 4. This special gathering is divided into three sections; "Heartbreak in Peanuts," "Inside Peanuts," and "Giving my heart to Snoopy."

The "Heartbreak in Peanuts" section, highlights the heartbreaking love stories between the main characters; Snoopy, Charlie Brown, Frieda Rich, and Linus Maurer. Snoopy was inspired by Schulz real-life dog Spike. Brown, Rich, and Maurer are said to be Schulz and his peers.

"Inside Peanuts" showcases the process of making the cartoon and its developments. Schulz had a very simple routine that involved using one pen for drawing and one pen for lettering.

"Giving My Heart to Snoopy" is an interactive segment participated by 65 Korean and foreign artists and celebrities. Charles's Schulz wife Jean took part in the activity. The guests designed the heart, held by a Snoopy figure, to express their love for the character.

Among the hearts, sculptor Park Seung-mo's creation, symbolizing Charles and Jean's love was the most touching.  On his work, Park wrote "Sweet Babboo", Jean's nickname for Charles.

Following the event, the 65 Snoopy figures will be auctioned for charity. The profits will be donated to World Vision, Korea JoongAng Daily reported.

The collaboration of international and Korean artists and celebrities is expected to attract a massive audience. Kwon Yoon-Kyung, curator of Lotte Art Hall, said.

For more than 50 years, Schulz's drawings were published serially as a cartoon strip each day. He drew 17,897 "Peanuts" cartoon strips from 1950 up until a day before he died in 2000, Washington Post reported.