피너츠(peanuts)는 "꼬맹이들" 정도로 번역되어야 하겠지만, 사실은 미국의 만화 시리즈 이름이기도 하다. 피너츠 시리즈는 찰스 몬로 슐츠가 1950년 10월 2일부터 그리기 시작하여 그가 죽은 다음날인 2000년 2월 13일까지 연재되었다. 피너츠 시리즈는 짧고 단순한 만화 속에 예술, 문학, 종교, 스포츠에 대한 해학을 담고 있어 선풍적인 인기를 끌었다. 위키피디어에 따르면 한창 때에는 2600개의 신문에 연재되어 75개국에 21개 언어로 소개되었다고 한다.
피너츠 시리즈는 ABC 방송국에서 애니매이션으로도 만들어 졌고(A Charlie Brown Christmas, It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown 등) 에미상을 수상하기도 하였다. 뮤지컬로는 You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown 이 만들어 졌고, 2015년 가을에는 컴퓨터애니매이션이 개봉된다.
찰리 브라운는 소심하고, 연도 날리지 못하고, 야구팀에서는 인원수를 맞추기 위해 들어간 듯한 플레이를 한다. 게다가 루시(작가 찰스 슐츠의 첫부인에서 영감을 얻은 듯?)이 미식축구공을 세워놓으면 뻔히 루시가 공을 뺄 것을 알면서도 매번 달려들어 혼자 넘어진다. 그래도 그는 어른 독자가 보면 삼각관계에 빠지는 듯 하기도 하고,
강아지 스누피는 어떤가? 그는 누구보다도 똑똑하고 지적이지만 혼자말을 한다. 심지어는 자신의 개집 지붕위에서 타자기를 두드리며 글쓰기를 한다. 어떤 에피소드에서는 찰리 브라운이 강아지 콘테스트에 나갈 수가 없다고 하니 스누피는 혼자말로 "우선 데려갈 강아지가 없는데 ..." 이라고 한다. 자신이 강아지인 것을 잊은 것일까?
담요를 들고 손가락을 빠는 라이너스의 모습은 어린애를 키워본 사람이면 누구나 알고 있는 아이들의 독립시기에 느끼는 집착을 연상할 것이다. 그러나 호박귀신에 대한 그의 태도에는 종교와 철학적인 질문이 묻어 있다.
피너츠의 친구들은 아직도 초등학교를 다니고 있지만, 안타깝게도 찰스 슐츠는 2000년 2월 세상을 떠났다. 그가 마지막으로 그린 피너츠 만화에서 그는 멋진 작별인사를 했다.
나같은 사람을 위해서 모든 피너츠 만화를 2년치씩 모으고, 색인까지 한 컴플리트 피너츠 시리즈가 일년에 두 권씩 나오고 있다. <피너츠학>을 전공한 분들에게는 소중한 자료가 될게다.
아마존 링크
http://www.amazon.com/The-Complete-Peanuts-1987-1990-Gift/dp/1606996819/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1400923222&sr=8-3&keywords=complete+peanuts
자, 이제 책장 한 구석에 꽃혀 있는 70,80년에 번역되어 나왔던 스누피 시리즈 만화책들을 다시 꺼내 읽으며 같은 만화라도 나이가 들면 어떻게 읽게 되는지 관찰해 볼 일이다. 아니면 신문 연재만화를 모아 놓은 고코믹스를 이용해도 된다. Good Grief! 그리고 *SIGH*
찰스 슐츠의 뉴욕타임즈 부고 기사에서 피너츠의 여러 주인공에 대한 설명이 나와 있다. 랜덤하게 만화를 보는 사람들에게는 도움이 될 듯.
Charlie Brown
Also known as Blockhead, Good Ol' Charlie Brown, Chuck, Charles and Mr. Sack (which he was briefly called when he wore a sack over his head at camp to cover up a rash that looked like the stitching on a baseball).
First appearance Oct. 2, 1950.
Named for Charles M. Schulz's acquaintance, Charlie Brown. (As Mr. Schulz remembered the namesake, ''He was a very bright young man with a lot of enthusiasm for life. I began to tease him about his love for parties and I used to say, 'Here comes good ol' Charlie Brown, now we can have a good time.' '')
Sister Sally
Unrequited love The Little Red-Haired Girl.
True friends Linus, various pen pals (beginning on Sept. 1, 1958).
Accomplishments Had numerous footballs pulled from under him by Lucy, beginning on Nov. 16, 1952. Managed baseball team that never won. Hit one home run, on March 30, 1993. (''Winning is great, but it isn't funny,'' Mr. Schulz explained.) Lost many kites to vicious trees. Served as camp president when he was known as Mr. Sack.
Traits Round-headed, plain, gentle, decent, optimistic, unpopular, anxious.
Snoopy
Also known as World War I Flying Ace, Sugar Lips (he wished).
First appeared Oct. 4, 1950.
Born Daisy Hill Puppy Farm.
Owner Charlie Brown.
Siblings Spike, Belle, Marbles, Olaf, Andy.
Adopted by NASA, as a promotional stunt in 1968.
Accomplishments Walking on hind feet, thinking thoughts and sleeping on a pitched-roof doghouse, starting in 1960. (''There were other events, but the best thing I ever thought of was Snoopy using his own imagination,'' Mr. Schulz said. ''I don't recall how he got on top of the doghouse, but the first time he fell off, the strip ended with his saying, 'Life is full of rude awakenings.' '') Battled the Red Baron from his Sopwith Camel doghouse, beginning on Oct. 10, 1965, often shouting his fighting words, ''Curse you, Red Baron.''
Occupations Surgeon (in order to wear green booties), artist, lawyer, beagle scout with bird troop, skating coach and, beginning on July 12, 1965, novelist (published ''It Was a Dark and Stormy Night'' in 1971) and more than 100 other roles.
Traits Epicurean, worldly, debonair, confident, fanciful, insistent about supper.
Lucy Van Pelt
Also known as Fussbudget and once called ''Crab grass on the lawn of life'' by Linus.
First appearance March 3, 1952.
Inspiration Mr. Schulz's daughter Meredith. (''We called our oldest daughter, Meredith, a fussbudget when she was very small.'')
Brothers Linus, Rerun
Unrequited love Schroeder (smitten on May 30, 1953).
Accomplishments Pulling numerous footballs out from under Charlie Brown, beginning on Nov. 16, 1952; ran curbside psychiatric clinic for five cents a visit, beginning on March 27, 1959; master of the short psychiatric session.
Famous words spoken to Snoopy on April 25, 1960, ''Happiness is a warm puppy.''
Traits Crabby, vain, loud, bossy, lousy outfielder.
Linus Van Pelt
Also known as Sweet Babboo (by Sally).
First appearance Sept. 19, 1952.
Inspiration ''Linus came from a drawing that I made one day of a face almost like the one he now has,'' Mr. Schulz said. ''I experimented with some wild hair.''
Named for Linus Maurer, a friend of Mr. Schulz's.
Siblings Lucy and Rerun.
Mother Someone who puts strange notes in his lunch box.
Friend Charlie Brown.
Beloved teacher Miss Othmar.Accomplishments Carried his blanket everywhere, starting on Jan 1, 1955. (Mr. Schulz remembered, ''I did not know then that the term 'security blanket' would later become part of the American language.'') Sat in many a pumpkin patch waiting for the Great Pumpkin with no results, starting on Oct. 28, 1959, when he confused Halloween with Christmas. Knew when to quote St. Paul and other religious figures. Patted birds on head. Traits Philosophical, loyal, self-possessed, literate, adept with blanket on ball field.
Peppermint Patty
Also called ''Sir'' (by Marcie), Patricia Reichardt (her real name).
First appearance Aug. 22, 1966.
Inspiration ''A dish of candy that was sitting around the house,'' Mr. Schulz said.
Unrequited love Charlie Brown (Chuck).
True friend Marcie.
Accomplishments Earned many D-minuses; slept in every possible position on desk in front of Marcie in school and dreamed unhelpful dreams; once entered an ice-skating competition (coached by Snoopy) that turned out to be a roller-skating competition.
Traits Unruly hair, good athlete, tomboy.
Schroeder
First appearance May 30, 1951.
Inspiration ''A toy piano which we had bought for our oldest daughter, Meredith, eventually became the piano which Schroeder uses for his daily practicing,'' Mr. Schulz said. Why Beethoven? ''It is funnier that way. My favorite composer is Brahms -- I could listen to him all day -- but Brahms isn't a funny word, Beethoven is.''
Accomplishments Played Beethoven on toy piano with black keys painted on. Fended off Lucy's amorous overtures.
Traits Focused, serious, handsome, single-minded.
Spike
First appearance Aug. 13, 1975.
First mention Aug. 4, 1975.
Named for Mr. Schulz's first dog. BrotherSnoopy.
Residence Lonely desert.
Nearest town Needles, Calif.
Friends Cactuses.
Accomplishments Lying on rocks; snuggling with tumbleweeds; brief stint in infantry.
Traits Tired eyes, droopy mustache, bored, blase.
Woodstock
First appearance April 4, 1967.
Named June 22, 1970. ''For some time, a flock of birds had hung around Snoopy's house,'' Mr. Schulz said. ''One of them, particularly scatterbrained and clumsy, finally eclipsed the others.''
Friend Snoopy and various birds.
Accomplishments Birdbath hockey; camping; hiking; marshmallow roasts. TraitsCommunicating in tick marks, which Snoopy could understand.
Rerun
First appearance March 26, 1973.
First mention May 23, 1972.
Named May 31, 1972.
Siblings Lucy and Linus.
Accomplishments Softening Lucy's temper and surviving many rides in his mother's dangerous bicycle seat. ''His only fear is being the passenger on one of his mother's bicycle-riding errands,'' Mr. Schulz said. ''Somehow, Rerun is the only witness to her riding into grates and potholes.''
Traits Often mistaken for Linus, but wore overalls and was more skeptical; longed for a dog of his own and occasionally borrowed Snoopy.
Marcie
First appearance June 18, 1968, when she met Peppermint Patty at camp.
Best friend Peppermint Patty, whom she called Sir ''out of admiration and misguided manners,'' Mr. Schulz said.
Accomplishments Sat behind Peppermint Patty at school and shared homework and test answers with her.
True love Charles (Charlie Brown).
Traits Glasses, brainy, naive, not sportive.
Little Red-Haired Girl
First mention Nov. 11, 1963.
First appearance Never. Once seen in silhouette on May 25, 1998.
Inspiration Mr. Schulz's ''real-life love for red-haired Donna Johnson, whom I courted when I was a young man in Saint Paul. She chose someone else as I was about to propose to her, and that broke my heart.''
Accomplishments Winning Charlie Brown's heart.
Traits Never seen, often missed, cute.
Franklin
First appearance July 31, 1968; he met Charlie Brown at the beach. (''They'd never met before because they went to different schools,'' Mr. Schulz said of Franklin, an African-American character, ''but they had fun playing ball so Charlie Brown invited Franklin to visit him.''
Accomplishments Center fielder on baseball team. Quoted the Old Testament and talked about his grandfather.
Traits No anxieties or obsessions.
Sally
First appearance Aug. 23, 1959.
Born May 26, 1959.
Named June 2, 1959.
Brother Charlie Brown.
Unrequited love Linus (Sweet Babboo).
Traits Romantic; flipped-up hair.
Pigpen
First appearance July 13, 1954.
Accomplishments Remained dirty. Mr. Schulz called Pigpen a '' 'human soil bank' who raises a cloud of dust on a perfectly clean street and passes out gumdrops that are invariably black. . . . Whether in a driving rain or falling snow, Pigpen always leaves a cloud of dust behind him as he walks.''
Traits Awe-inspiring dirtiness.
[참고자료]
고코믹스
http://www.gocomics.com/
