Franklin Armstrong

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Franklin's creation was spurred by a letter from Los Angeles schoolteacher Harriet Glickman to Schulz on April 15, 1968, 11 days after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., urging him to introduce a black character. Schulz initially feared 'patronizing our Negro friends' but, after correspondence with Glickman, created Franklin. In his first appearance on July 31, 1968, Franklin met Charlie Brown at the beach. Schulz noted, 'They'd never met before because they went to different schools,' but they played ball and Charlie Brown invited Franklin to visit. Franklin's father was a soldier in Vietnam, to which Charlie Brown replied, 'My dad's a barber... he was in a war too, but I don't know which one.' Franklin later found some of Charlie Brown's other friends to be quite odd. His last daily strip appearance was on October 2, 1999, and his last Sunday strip appearance was on October 3, 1999, three months before Schulz's death. According to a widely reported anecdote, Schulz chose the surname Armstrong as a nod to African-American cartoonist Robb Armstrong, who later co-wrote the 2024 special *Welcome Home, Franklin*.

In Their Own Story

In his initial appearances, Franklin seemed confused by all the strange things in Charlie Brown's neighborhood, especially Linus and his obsession with the Great Pumpkin. Schulz said of Franklin's first appearance, 'They'd never met before because they went to different schools,' adding, 'but they had fun playing ball so Charlie Brown invited Franklin to visit him.' Franklin quoted the Old Testament and had no anxieties or obsessions. Franklin and Charlie Brown also enjoyed sharing stories about their grandfathers. In the animated films and television specials, Franklin is shown to be a skilled dancer. He leads Marcie in a waltz in *Race for Your Life, Charlie Brown*, performs an elaborate break-dancing routine in *It's Flashbeagle, Charlie Brown*, and performs another break-dancing number (while also rapping) in *It's Spring Training, Charlie Brown*. Franklin also seems to possess some musical ability; in *Happy New Year, Charlie Brown!*, he is shown playing the guitar at Peppermint Patty's New Year's party.

Reader's Guide

Franklin is a permanent character of the comic strip and a frequent character in the animated *Peanuts* television specials and movies. He did not appear in animation until the 1970s, with his debut being a silent role in the 1972 movie *Snoopy Come Home* at Snoopy's farewell party. His first speaking role is in the 1973 special *There's No Time for Love, Charlie Brown*, in which he is voiced by Todd Barbee. In the 1994 animated television special *You're in the Super Bowl, Charlie Brown*, Franklin's full name is given as Franklin Armstrong. According to Robb Armstrong, Schulz called him during the special's production and asked if he could make 'Armstrong' Franklin's last name, and Robb Armstrong, considering it a 'tremendous honor,' gave his permission. Since this surname is never mentioned in the comic strip (nor in any other special for three decades), it is generally considered to be outside of *Peanuts* canon. Franklin reappeared as a supporting character in 2015's *The Peanuts Movie*. In February 2024, *Snoopy Presents: Welcome Home, Franklin*, a special revolving around Franklin's introduction to Charlie Brown and his friends, was released. Robb Armstrong continued his contributions to Franklin's legacy by co-writing the special, which again gives his surname as Armstrong.

Did You Know?

• Franklin was the first black character in the *Peanuts* comic strip, introduced on July 31, 1968.
• His creation was prompted by a letter from schoolteacher Harriet Glickman to Charles Schulz, written 11 days after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.
• Franklin's father was a soldier in Vietnam, as revealed in his first appearance.
• According to a widely reported anecdote, his surname Armstrong was chosen by Schulz as a nod to African-American cartoonist Robb Armstrong, who later co-wrote the 2024 special *Welcome Home, Franklin*.
• Franklin's last daily strip appearance was on October 2, 1999, and his last Sunday strip appearance was on October 3, 1999.