Comic Strip Characters

By the mid-1950s, Charles Schulz was hitting his stride as a cartoonist, and "Peanuts" was evolving rapidly. It began modestly in 1950 as an expanded version of "Li'l Folks," the strip he drew for the St. Paul Pioneer. "Li'l Folks" consisted of spot cartoons about small children with improbably sophisticated vocabularies -- a popular theme in '40s magazine cartoons. By 1955, the precocious kids had become real characters with distinct personalities.

It was during the peak of another punishing cold and flu season of years past ? this one in January 1929 ? when one of the most recognizable heroes in comics was born in a Santa Monica artist's studio. The flash of inspiration responsible for this American pop icon almost perished in the epidemic. As the artist's assistant would later tell it, cartoonist E.C. Segar was suffering a bad cold that day and considered staying in bed. Impelled by an austere work ethic that had served him well in life, Segar instead drove to his office at 4th and Broadway (the building is long gone)

He wears a green suit and red gloves. His eyes are white to reflect truth and purity. And he carries books under his arm because education is his weapon. A thin, Zorro-like mustache stands out on his partially masked face, and his chest bears an Aztec shield to battle evil in the name of achievement.

Director Stephen Frears has known graphic novelist Posy Simmonds long enough to forget exactly how they met, only that it was about three decades ago. For years, he had followed her quirky comic musings on rural English life, fame and the general discontent of writers in her popular British newspaper comic strip, "Tamara Drewe. " But adapting the comic into a film? That he never saw coming. "It never crossed my mind that you could make a film with it until I got the script," Frears said on a recent swing through Los Angeles on his way to Telluride and then the Toronto International Film Festival, where the film played over the weekend.

Re "Comic Strip Characters Have Needs Too" (March 3): For the first time in about 25 years, I have found myself eagerly turning to the comic strip "Rex Morgan, M.D." to find out what is happening. It seems he and nurse June Gale have actually fallen in love and are engaged to be married. How fortunate they have not grown fat, flabby, gray or wrinkled like so many of the rest of us. It is truly amazing. GWYNN BOYER Altadena

Director Stephen Frears has known graphic novelist Posy Simmonds long enough to forget exactly how they met, only that it was about three decades ago. For years, he had followed her quirky comic musings on rural English life, fame and the general discontent of writers in her popular British newspaper comic strip, "Tamara Drewe. " But adapting the comic into a film? That he never saw coming. "It never crossed my mind that you could make a film with it until I got the script," Frears said on a recent swing through Los Angeles on his way to Telluride and then the Toronto International Film Festival, where the film played over the weekend.

Rex Morgan, M.D., to wed?!? Astonishing but true, the Warren Beatty of the comics pages is finally giving in. For 46 years, the eligible doctor with the Brylcreem wave and earnest worry line slashed above the brow seemed married to the Hippocratic oath. Until now. Over a candle-lit dinner full of pregnant pauses, Rex has been slowly (and by that we mean for weeks) warming toward Saturday's question. The object of his affection? His long-dedicated, infinitely patient assistant, June Gale.

It was during the peak of another punishing cold and flu season of years past ? this one in January 1929 ? when one of the most recognizable heroes in comics was born in a Santa Monica artist's studio. The flash of inspiration responsible for this American pop icon almost perished in the epidemic. As the artist's assistant would later tell it, cartoonist E.C. Segar was suffering a bad cold that day and considered staying in bed. Impelled by an austere work ethic that had served him well in life, Segar instead drove to his office at 4th and Broadway (the building is long gone)

First Lady Nancy Reagan will participate Thursday in a "Just Say No" picnic with children and adults in Harpers Ferry, W.Va., her office announced Friday. Before the anti-drug rally, Mrs. Reagan will greet "Defenders of the Earth" comic strip characters who are taking part in a coast-to-coast tour to fight drug abuse.

Charles Dupuis, 84, whose family printing house was behind the success of comic-strip characters including the Smurfs, died Thursday of unstated causes in his hometown of Marcinelle, Belgium. In 1938, Dupuis' publisher father, Jean, created a comic book called Spirou to compete throughout Belgium with such Disney imports as Mickey Mouse translated into French.

By the mid-1950s, Charles Schulz was hitting his stride as a cartoonist, and "Peanuts" was evolving rapidly. It began modestly in 1950 as an expanded version of "Li'l Folks," the strip he drew for the St. Paul Pioneer. "Li'l Folks" consisted of spot cartoons about small children with improbably sophisticated vocabularies -- a popular theme in '40s magazine cartoons. By 1955, the precocious kids had become real characters with distinct personalities.

Re "Comic Strip Characters Have Needs Too" (March 3): For the first time in about 25 years, I have found myself eagerly turning to the comic strip "Rex Morgan, M.D." to find out what is happening. It seems he and nurse June Gale have actually fallen in love and are engaged to be married. How fortunate they have not grown fat, flabby, gray or wrinkled like so many of the rest of us. It is truly amazing. GWYNN BOYER Altadena

Rex Morgan, M.D., to wed?!? Astonishing but true, the Warren Beatty of the comics pages is finally giving in. For 46 years, the eligible doctor with the Brylcreem wave and earnest worry line slashed above the brow seemed married to the Hippocratic oath. Until now. Over a candle-lit dinner full of pregnant pauses, Rex has been slowly (and by that we mean for weeks) warming toward Saturday's question. The object of his affection? His long-dedicated, infinitely patient assistant, June Gale.

He wears a green suit and red gloves. His eyes are white to reflect truth and purity. And he carries books under his arm because education is his weapon. A thin, Zorro-like mustache stands out on his partially masked face, and his chest bears an Aztec shield to battle evil in the name of achievement.

Haunt Turns Happy: Knott's Berry Farm has had so much success with its annual Halloween Haunt that it's planning to apply some of the same ideas to Easter. The Buena Park attraction will present "Easter EggMazeMent" from April 8 to 23, a series of adventure mazes like those usually seen during the October event. This time, the mazes aren't designed to spook, but rather to delight.