CAMP SNOOPY renewed for season 2, but PEANUTS animation almost didn’t happen at all

by Gabriel Neeb & Gem M

At the “History of Peanuts Animation” panel at the San Diego Comic-Con 2024, moderator Damian Holbrook of TVGuide Magazine announced that the Peanuts animated series Camp Snoopy has been renewed for a second season—but if things had gone differently once upon a time, Peanuts animation never would have happened.

Assembled in Room 5AB were a number of performers and production team members who had worked on Peanuts shows and specials over the past 50 years. Jason Mendelson (Lee Mendelson Productions), Todd Barbee (voice of Charlie Brown), Paige Braddock (EP on Apple TV+ Peanuts content), Stephanie Betts (EP, Apple TV+), Rob “Boots” Boutilier (Camp Snoopy showrunner), and Caleb Bellavance (voice of Franklin) gathered to share stories about the Peanuts specials they worked on.

The history of Peanuts animation is a bit strange, because creator Charles M. Schulz didn’t want to make his comic into an animation at all. Mendelson said Schulz got tricked into doing it. His father, Lee Mendelson, worked on a documentary about the Peanuts strip, but no one wanted to purchase it. CBS asked for an animation treatment, which Schulz agreed to do only under his direction. Lee, Schulz, and Bill Melendez spent the weekend writing the proposal and secured backing for A Charlie Brown Christmas.

When it was finished, CBS executives didn’t get it and complaints ranged from “My sister didn’t like it” to “The characters weren’t drawn in a way they could move.” However, once the special aired… and aired… and aired over the next few decades, all these unique design choices became a hallmark of Peanuts animation specials. That includes the jazz music, which—according to CBS execs—didn’t belong in a children’s show.

Moderator Holbrook said he believes the “OG dream team” of the animation was Schulz, Melendez, and Lee Mendelson. He added, “The alchemy of those three guys was magical.” He believes that’s why the Peanuts animated adaptation of the original comic strip is still so popular.

The panel turned then to the voice actors. Todd Barbee recollected his time as Charlie Brown from 1973 to 1974, starting with A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving under direction of Melendez. Barbee noted that the signature “Argh!” oft expressed by Charlie Brown wasn’t his voice. After 26 takes, Melendez stopped and substituted his own “Argh!” for Barbee’s. However, Barbee said Charlie Brown’s line, “I can’t believe it. She must think I’m the most stupidest person alive”—said as he is about to kick the football only to have it moved by Lucy—is one of his key contributions to the Peanuts mythos.

Barbee said Melendez was one of the reasons why hee and others got the voice acting done right. Melendez was the one who got it all together. He was a “kindhearted and spirited” man, who was also the voice of Snoopy.

On the other side of the timeline is Caleb Bellavance, who voiced the titular character in Welcome Home Franklin. Bellavance auditioned for the role when he was 13, recording Franklin’s lines in a basement shoe closet in 2020. Showrunner Rob Boutilier appreciated the “pleasant quality” of Bellavance’s voice and used the moment to highlight that Franklin “sees through the eccentricities of the other characters.”

Much like any property where young voice actors are involved, some Peanuts character actors were replaced over time as they got older and their voices changed. This was Melendez’s decision. And it was Melendez who maintained the style of Peanuts animation over the decades.

Apple TV+ executive producer Paige Braddock said that when the team works on Peanuts animations, they hear their fans, since their opinions matter. The hope with new Peanuts content is to introduce a new generation while still maintaining the classic charm for adults who love the original cartoon specials.

The most significant event related to modern Peanuts animation was the premiere of The Peanuts Movie in 2015. The visual look evolved from the conventional 2D of years previous. Apple TV+ executive producer Stephanie Betts recalled many discussions about details that never mattered for Peanuts in 2D but were vitally important in the 3D animation utilized by the movie—like how Charlie Brown’s hair should look.

To conclude the panel, attendees were treated to a sneak peek at Camp Snoopy Season 2, in which Snoopy and Woodstock learn the basics of tying a rope. Apple has not yet announced the release date for the new season.

Stay tuned for more SDCC ’24 coverage from The Beat.

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