Linus Van Pelt and the answer to life

April 7, 2009 1:02 PM

Help me find the Peanuts cartoon in which Linus says "The way I see it, as soon as a baby is born he should be issued a banjo!"

I've actually found it here (the post from JohnGP on 10/29/2008) but it's very poor quality.

There's another strip posted in that thread, with Charlie Brown saying a similar line. That's not the one I'm looking for, but I'll take that if you can find it.

I have all the books, from 1950 up until the currently released one (1971), but for some reason it's eluded me so far.

All the strips are on-line here but a search of "banjo" turns up nothing.

A google book search of "issued a banjo linus" turns up some references to it, but not the strip itself.

According to the thread I linked to, the strip was reprinted in a Pete Seeger book from 1962, so I can only assume it appeared in newspapers before that date. If you can find me the date the strip was published I can then go back to my Peanuts books to dig it up.

I've been learning the banjo recently and when people ask me why I wanted to learn the banjo, that Peanuts strip I read as a kid is the reason. Ever since reading it I've seen the banjo as an instrument that promotes happiness. I'd love to find a copy.

Given AskMe's history of "Help me find..." threads I expect there will be an answer in about six seconds. So thanks in advance, hive mind.

posted by bondcliff to media & arts (8 comments total)

See the first post here:

http://www.banjohangout.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=130136

Looks like Charlie Brown rather than Linus.
posted by ryanshepard at 1:10 PM on April 7

Ah - looking further down the thread, there's a strip where Linus also says this.
posted by ryanshepard at 1:14 PM on April 7

Here you go.
posted by Bernt Pancreas at 1:15 PM on April 7

Thanks for your attempt at helping, ryanshepard, but perhaps you could also read further down my own post.
posted by bondcliff at 1:15 PM on April 7

Yep, and that post also says where to find it: 1962, red cover, 3rd edition.
posted by Skot at 1:15 PM on April 7

Awesome, Bernt Pancreas! Thanks!

I'd still like to know the date of publication, if possible.
posted by bondcliff at 1:16 PM on April 7

Jan 4, 1960
posted by Someone has just shot your horse! at 1:45 PM on April 7 [7 favorites]

ya know.... this just makes me smile... thanks for the question and the answers!~
posted by HuronBob at 4:49 PM on April 7 [1 favorite]