In addition to the CGI movie scheduled for a November 6 release, the series featuring perpetual loser Charlie Brown and his dreamer dog Snoopy has another video adaptation rolling out; a set of 500(!) animated shorts, to be written, produced and broadcast only in France (at first). The first of them aired in November 14 of last year, using a very traditional 2D style of animation instead of the movie's 3D. They've reached other nations, but no English-speaking ones yet Peanuts has long appealed to French sensibilities due to its wry wit and interest in psychology. Its creator, Charles Schulz, was a fan of French culture too. While the language choice is a curious strategy for an international market still dominated by English, it has already generated some interest in the States. Anticipation Level: Surprisingly strong. It has been some time since new Peanuts material was making a big splash in the marketplace, and French audiences seem to be enjoying the shorts. English-speaking fans of the strip will no doubt be intrigued by something they allegedly "can't have," and it seems only a matter of time before translations, official or otherwise, appear online.
T Campbell has written quite a few online comics series and selected work for Marvel, Archie and Tokyopop. His longest-running works are Fans, Penny and Aggie-- and his current project with co-writer Phil Kahn, Guilded Age.
