Review of It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

One of the first specials I watched in Color at my Cousin Rose's house in New Jersey. Charlie Brown just wants to fit in with the Peanuts gang as he prepares his Ghost Costume complete with plenty of holes. Lucy wants to win at the apple dunking contest but Snoopy splits the winnings with her. Linus sways impressionable Sally Brown to the Pumpkin Patch to wait up for the "GREAT PUMPKIN" to appear in all his glory giving presents and goody to all. This marks the last episode of the peanuts character Violet who is a dead ringer for Lucy except Violet has her hair in a bun. Charlie Brown's night of Trick or treating is a bust as he collects a bag full of rocks instead of candy. Linus doesn't fair any better as the night wains on with no Great Pumpkin in sight as a livid Sally gives him the business. Just as close to real life as it gets. Will Rachel Maddow get her scoop on Donald Trump's Russian collusion or will the government admit there are aliens from outer space among us? That's why these cartoons are so connected to the average person's taste where as situations happen beyond your control. Sometimes the best laid plans don't always work out but we take these set backs as life lessons to learn from as did illustrator Charles M. Shulz. Mr. Shulz the creator,cartoonist of the Peanuts comic strip was featured in all the national daily papers across the U.S. . Then in the mid 1960's, holiday themed stories/cartoons were produced on the CBS Television network and the popularity of the Peanuts product grew even larger. The hook and appeal was that Shulz insisted that children should provide the voice overs in the cartoons for authenticity. These animations crossed into the advertising world as well with products from Ice cream to Insurance using the Peanuts brand . By viewing these cartoons I found a personal bond with these holiday programs cause when it comes to failures there's a little Charlie Brown in all of us . Childhood can be cruel but Mr. Shulz made these adventures of the Peanuts gang enlightening our senses and reminding us despite our failures in early life we will endure with time and exposure. With failures there's hope and maybe next Halloween The Great Pumpkin will show up?