As a eminent shoal fourth-year in St. Paul , Minnesota , Charles Schulz knew he wanted to be a cartoonist . He also knew he did n’t need to go to college or follow any stately artistry education , afraid of being tell he could n’t abridge it . alternatively , Schulz asked his father for $ 169 to enrol in Art Instruction Schools , a Minneapolis - based symmetricalness track that promised students they could become skilful in any number of esthetic pursuit by adopt a 12 - step deterrent example via the mail .
Since the 1920s , they ’d been running ads in newsprint and magazines like this one :
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While cranky the Turtle was probably the most recognisable name , it ’s not cognize which theatrical role Schulz drew and submitted . It could have been Winky the Deer , or Reggie the Raccoon , or Spunky the Donkey . It also really did n’t matter if he could do it well ; applier to the schoolhouse were take so long as their check authorise .
Despite the exorbitant cost to his father during the Great Depression , Schulzenrolled . Thanks to the debut of hisPeanutsstrip in 1950 , he remain their most famous alumnus .
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AIS ’s swelled competition for that business was Famous Artists School , which countedNorman Rockwellamong its famous person endorsees — although he rarely evaluated submissions . At its crown in the fifties and 1960s , Famous Artists had40,000doodlers taking the course . Once a drawing “ test ” was mailed in , the company would sometimes dispatch door - to - door salesmen to convince budding endowment they had what it took to pursue a formal training in the arts and boasted accreditation by the Distance Education and Training Council .
Both AIS and FAS are still in surgical operation today , although it ’s difficult to estimate how many of their pupil have pass away on to have calling in illustration ; some of their critic have head out that fine art is very much a hands - on learning experience . Schulz , however , wasenamored enoughwith AIS to transmigrate to their Minneapolis headquarters after a stretch in the Army , becoming an teacher in the late 1940s . While there , he struck up several friendships with fellow teachers andaskedif he could use their name for a slip he was planning to submit to newspaper syndicates . BothLinus Maurerand Charlie Brown said yes .
