| Franklin | |
|---|---|
| Peanuts character | |
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| First appearance | July 31, 1968 |
| Last appearance | November 5, 1999 (Peanuts comic strip) |
| Voiced by | Various voice actors See below |
| In-universe information | |
| Gender | Male |
Franklin is a fictional character in the comic strip Peanuts, created by Charles M. Schulz. Introduced on July 31, 1968, Franklin was the first black character in the strip.[1] He goes to school with Peppermint Patty and Marcie.
In his first appearance, he met Charlie Brown when they were both at the beach.[2] Franklin's father was a soldier fighting 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 paid Charlie Brown a visit and found some of Charlie Brown's other friends to be quite odd. His last appearance in the Peanuts comic strip was on November 5, 1999, three months before Schulz's death.[3]
While his surname is never confirmed in the comic strip, some animated specials, beginning with You're in the Super Bowl, Charlie Brown, give his full name as Franklin Armstrong. Schulz chose the surname as a nod to African-American cartoonist Robb Armstrong, who would later contribute to Welcome Home, Franklin, a direct-to-Internet special based around the character.
- ^ Wells, John (2014). American Comic Book Chronicles: 1965-1969. TwoMorrows Publishing. p. 195. ISBN 978-1605490557.
- ^ Lee, Peter W.Y. (2019). "To Hell with Franklin: Spilling Ink on the Color Line". Peanuts and American Culture: Essays on Charles M. Schulz's Iconic Comic Strip. McFarland & Co. ISBN 978-1476671444.
- ^ Dominguez, Noah (March 27, 2020). "Peanuts: Harriet Glickman, Who Inspired Franklin's Creation, Passes Away". CBR.com. Archived from the original on March 28, 2020.