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Frieda (Peanuts)
Encyclopedia
Frieda is a character in the comic strip
Peanuts
by Charles Schulz. According to Schulz, Frieda's character was inspired by his longtime friend Frieda Rich, a local artist whom he met while taking classes at the Art Instruction Schools
in Minneapolis, Minnesota
. She was a regular in Peanuts throughout the 1960s, but as newer characters were phased in towards the end of the decade, she began appearing less often, and she ceased to be a featured character after 1975, making only cameo appearances since then in various television specials. Today she is best remembered as the Peanuts character with naturally curly hair, of which she is extremely proud.
introduced her to Charlie Brown
. She was the eleventh permanent character to join the cast, and the first since Sally was born in 1959. She was initially presented, in both the advance press release and the first few strips, as Linus' schoolmate. She sat behind him in class, and although he considered her a friend, he also confessed that she was such a chatterbox, he hadn't heard a word their teacher said the whole semester. Her most prominent feature is her "naturally curly hair," which she manages to work into every conversation, to the dismay of those around her. This self-love about her hair leads people to believe that she is rather vain. In turn, Frieda herself believes that the other girls are jealous of her hair (and often becomes disappointed or depressed when the other girls tell her that they're not jealous of her hair), and also that "people expect more of her" because she has it. Nevertheless, enough people in the neighborhood like her that she got thirty valentines one year. Journalist Christopher Caldwell
described her as, "A fetching, kind and charming girl, who throws her deeper goodness away because she wants to be admired for such superficialities as 'being a good conversationalist." She admitted that she used to be an avid reader until she started getting too busy.
Frieda Rich, the character's namesake, was once asked whether she bore any character resemblances to her cartoon counterpart. She replied, "I recognize myself," adding as an example that while talking to Schulz once about Universalists
and Congregationalists
, she had jokingly called herself a "conversationalist," and Schulz borrowed that for the strip.
than most of the other girls in the neighborhood. Unlike Lucy, Patty
, and Violet
, she seemed to be mindful of his feelings and never teased him or put him down to his face (except for rare moments in the Peanuts specials), though she did get mad at him a few times. She eventually joined Charlie Brown's baseball
team as an outfielder, but refused to wear a baseball cap
because it would hide her naturally curly hair. She seemed to be one of the few characters that Charlie Brown felt confident enough to stand up to, as he did once when she was badgering Snoopy
about chasing rabbits and he told her to mind her own business.
was the first character in the series that Frieda met. She sat behind him in school, and after they became friends he took her around and introduced her to some of the other kids in the neighborhood. Not much is shown of their friendship beyond those strips that introduce her, but even that early in their relationship they seemed to look out for each other. Linus tried to protect her the first time she unintentionally upset Lucy (see below), and she in turn was one of the few kids who didn't see his need for a security blanket as a bad thing, for which he was so grateful that he kissed her hand.
got off to a rocky start when Frieda, as usual, brought up her naturally curly hair almost as soon as they were introduced. Lucy became visibly offended by this, to the point where Linus (performing the introductions) felt it necessary to beg Lucy not to slug her. Despite Frieda's faux pas the two girls eventually became friends, and when they played baseball for Charlie Brown's team they often spent their time in the outfield chatting instead of paying attention to the game.
's piano. Schroeder seemed to dislike her as much as he did Lucy when she didn't know who Beethoven was (and after Frieda claimed that she was hanging around Schroeder because she was a music lover). In The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show
, Frieda commented to Lucy that Schroeder wasn't very friendly. When Frieda was about to kiss Schroeder while he was playing his piano, she was surprised when she found she had kissed Snoopy on the lips. On another occasion, Lucy (with encouragement from Snoopy) actually got into a physical altercation with Frieda.
, whom she frequently accuses of being "lazy" and "useless." She has strong pre-conceived notions of what a beagle
should be doing with its time; she wants Snoopy to be a working dog and a hunter (especially a hunter of rabbits), and not spend so much time sleeping on top of his doghouse. She often comes over and tries to goad Snoopy into chasing rabbits with her, either by threat or persuasion, which he is always reluctant to do. If he does consent to "hunt," he'll either sandbag
it and only pretend to look for the rabbits, or if he does find rabbits he'll frolic and play with them once he's out of Frieda's sight. Once, in a fit of frustration, she reported Snoopy's behavior to the "Head Beagle," which led to him being found guilty of not meeting his rabbit quota and left the neighborhood kids mad at her for turning him in.
before he goes out into the "big leagues". The comic strip itself never revealed whether or not Frieda has any siblings.
included Charlie Brown, Linus, and even Snoopy getting trapped into holding Faron while Frieda ran her errands.
Faron was named for country music singer Faron Young
, whom Schulz "admired very much," but he only made a few appearances in the strip. Schulz was not satisfied with his own drawing of a cat; also, he wanted to continue exploring Snoopy's fantasy life, and felt like having a cat in the strip brought Snoopy back to being too much of a real dog. Schulz didn't even draw Faron for his last appearance, in which the cat got stuck in a tree.
Faron once spoke English to Snoopy in a thought balloon, making him one of the few non-human or non-dog animals to do so.
, even being mentioned in the lyrics of the latter's theme song. She is also featured as an unseen character
in the musical You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown
, being mentioned several times, and yelled to at one point after Lucy heard one of Charlie Brown's secrets. Also in this show, her characteristic fondness for hunting rabbits is assumed by Sally. Frieda appeared in 150 comics and appeared for the last time on November 22, 1985.
Comic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
Peanuts
Peanuts
Peanuts is a syndicated daily and Sunday American comic strip written and illustrated by Charles M. Schulz, which ran from October 2, 1950, to February 13, 2000, continuing in reruns afterward...
by Charles Schulz. According to Schulz, Frieda's character was inspired by his longtime friend Frieda Rich, a local artist whom he met while taking classes at the Art Instruction Schools
Art Instruction Schools
Art Instruction Schools, better known to many as Art Instruction, Inc., is a home study correspondence course providing training in cartooning and illustration...
in Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
. She was a regular in Peanuts throughout the 1960s, but as newer characters were phased in towards the end of the decade, she began appearing less often, and she ceased to be a featured character after 1975, making only cameo appearances since then in various television specials. Today she is best remembered as the Peanuts character with naturally curly hair, of which she is extremely proud.
Appearance
Frieda has red naturally curly hair, of which she is quite proud. She was the only girl on Charlie Brown's baseball team to not wear a cap because it would cover up her naturally curly hair. She often wears dresses, usually purple. She also wears tennis shoes and has an upturned nose.Personality and characteristics
Frieda made her debut on March 6, 1961, when LinusLinus van Pelt
Linus van Pelt is a character in Charles M. Schulz's comic strip Peanuts. The best friend of Charlie Brown, Linus is also the younger brother of Lucy van Pelt and older brother of Rerun van Pelt. He first appeared on September 19, 1952; however, he was not mentioned by name until three days later....
introduced her to Charlie Brown
Charlie Brown
Charles "Charlie" Brown is the protagonist in the comic strip Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz.Charlie Brown and his creator have a common connection in that they are both the sons of barbers, but whereas Schulz's work is described as the "most shining example of the American success story", Charlie...
. She was the eleventh permanent character to join the cast, and the first since Sally was born in 1959. She was initially presented, in both the advance press release and the first few strips, as Linus' schoolmate. She sat behind him in class, and although he considered her a friend, he also confessed that she was such a chatterbox, he hadn't heard a word their teacher said the whole semester. Her most prominent feature is her "naturally curly hair," which she manages to work into every conversation, to the dismay of those around her. This self-love about her hair leads people to believe that she is rather vain. In turn, Frieda herself believes that the other girls are jealous of her hair (and often becomes disappointed or depressed when the other girls tell her that they're not jealous of her hair), and also that "people expect more of her" because she has it. Nevertheless, enough people in the neighborhood like her that she got thirty valentines one year. Journalist Christopher Caldwell
Christopher Caldwell
Christopher Caldwell is an American journalist and senior editor at The Weekly Standard, as well as a regular contributor to the Financial Times and Slate. His writing also frequently appears in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, where he is a contributing editor to the paper's magazine,...
described her as, "A fetching, kind and charming girl, who throws her deeper goodness away because she wants to be admired for such superficialities as 'being a good conversationalist." She admitted that she used to be an avid reader until she started getting too busy.
Frieda Rich, the character's namesake, was once asked whether she bore any character resemblances to her cartoon counterpart. She replied, "I recognize myself," adding as an example that while talking to Schulz once about Universalists
Unitarian Universalism
Unitarian Universalism is a religion characterized by support for a "free and responsible search for truth and meaning". Unitarian Universalists do not share a creed; rather, they are unified by their shared search for spiritual growth and by the understanding that an individual's theology is a...
and Congregationalists
Congregational church
Congregational churches are Protestant Christian churches practicing Congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its own affairs....
, she had jokingly called herself a "conversationalist," and Schulz borrowed that for the strip.
Charlie Brown
Frieda was usually nicer to Charlie BrownCharlie Brown
Charles "Charlie" Brown is the protagonist in the comic strip Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz.Charlie Brown and his creator have a common connection in that they are both the sons of barbers, but whereas Schulz's work is described as the "most shining example of the American success story", Charlie...
than most of the other girls in the neighborhood. Unlike Lucy, Patty
Patty (Peanuts)
Patty is a character in the comic strip Peanuts, created by Charles M. Schulz . Her closest friend is Violet...
, and Violet
Violet (Peanuts)
Violet Gray is a fictional character in the comic strip Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz.Violet has shoulder-length dark hair, and she frequently wears green dresses...
, she seemed to be mindful of his feelings and never teased him or put him down to his face (except for rare moments in the Peanuts specials), though she did get mad at him a few times. She eventually joined Charlie Brown's baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
team as an outfielder, but refused to wear a baseball cap
Baseball cap
A baseball cap is a type of soft cap with a rounded stiff brim. The front of the cap typically contains designs or logos of sports teams ,...
because it would hide her naturally curly hair. She seemed to be one of the few characters that Charlie Brown felt confident enough to stand up to, as he did once when she was badgering Snoopy
Snoopy
Snoopy is an fictional character in the long-running comic strip Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz. He is Charlie Brown's pet beagle. Snoopy began his life in the strip as a fairly conventional dog, but eventually evolved into perhaps the strip's most dynamic character—and among the most recognizable...
about chasing rabbits and he told her to mind her own business.
Linus van Pelt
LinusLinus van Pelt
Linus van Pelt is a character in Charles M. Schulz's comic strip Peanuts. The best friend of Charlie Brown, Linus is also the younger brother of Lucy van Pelt and older brother of Rerun van Pelt. He first appeared on September 19, 1952; however, he was not mentioned by name until three days later....
was the first character in the series that Frieda met. She sat behind him in school, and after they became friends he took her around and introduced her to some of the other kids in the neighborhood. Not much is shown of their friendship beyond those strips that introduce her, but even that early in their relationship they seemed to look out for each other. Linus tried to protect her the first time she unintentionally upset Lucy (see below), and she in turn was one of the few kids who didn't see his need for a security blanket as a bad thing, for which he was so grateful that he kissed her hand.
Lucy van Pelt
Frieda's relationship with LucyLucy van Pelt
Lucille "Lucy" van Pelt is a fictional character in the syndicated comic strip :Peanuts, written and drawn by Charles Schulz. She is the main bully and the older sister of Linus and Rerun. Lucy is a crabby and cynical eight-year old girl, and often bullies the other characters in the strip,...
got off to a rocky start when Frieda, as usual, brought up her naturally curly hair almost as soon as they were introduced. Lucy became visibly offended by this, to the point where Linus (performing the introductions) felt it necessary to beg Lucy not to slug her. Despite Frieda's faux pas the two girls eventually became friends, and when they played baseball for Charlie Brown's team they often spent their time in the outfield chatting instead of paying attention to the game.
Schroeder
Frieda has made Lucy jealous by leaning on SchroederSchroeder (Peanuts)
Schroeder is a fictional character in the long-running comic strip Peanuts, created by Charles M. Schulz. He is distinguished by his precocious skill at playing the toy piano, as well as by his love of classical music and the composer Ludwig van Beethoven in particular...
's piano. Schroeder seemed to dislike her as much as he did Lucy when she didn't know who Beethoven was (and after Frieda claimed that she was hanging around Schroeder because she was a music lover). In The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show
The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show
The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show is an animated television series featuring characters and storylines from the Charles M. Schulz comic strip Peanuts. It aired Saturday mornings on the CBS network from 1983 to 1985. It re-aired on The Disney Channel and Nickelodeon in the 1990s...
, Frieda commented to Lucy that Schroeder wasn't very friendly. When Frieda was about to kiss Schroeder while he was playing his piano, she was surprised when she found she had kissed Snoopy on the lips. On another occasion, Lucy (with encouragement from Snoopy) actually got into a physical altercation with Frieda.
Snoopy
Out of all the characters, Frieda has the most trouble getting along with SnoopySnoopy
Snoopy is an fictional character in the long-running comic strip Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz. He is Charlie Brown's pet beagle. Snoopy began his life in the strip as a fairly conventional dog, but eventually evolved into perhaps the strip's most dynamic character—and among the most recognizable...
, whom she frequently accuses of being "lazy" and "useless." She has strong pre-conceived notions of what a beagle
Beagle
The Beagle is a breed of small to medium-sized dog. A member of the Hound Group, it is similar in appearance to the Foxhound, but smaller, with shorter legs and longer, softer ears. Beagles are scent hounds, developed primarily for tracking hare, rabbit, and other game...
should be doing with its time; she wants Snoopy to be a working dog and a hunter (especially a hunter of rabbits), and not spend so much time sleeping on top of his doghouse. She often comes over and tries to goad Snoopy into chasing rabbits with her, either by threat or persuasion, which he is always reluctant to do. If he does consent to "hunt," he'll either sandbag
Sandbagging
Sandbagging, hiding the strength, skill or difficulty of something or someone early in an engagement, may refer to: in billiards and other games, deliberately playing below one's actual ability in order to fool opponents into accepting higher stakes bets, or to lower one's competitive rating in...
it and only pretend to look for the rabbits, or if he does find rabbits he'll frolic and play with them once he's out of Frieda's sight. Once, in a fit of frustration, she reported Snoopy's behavior to the "Head Beagle," which led to him being found guilty of not meeting his rabbit quota and left the neighborhood kids mad at her for turning him in.
Leland
Leland and Frieda are shown as brother and sister in the TV special It's Spring Training, Charlie BrownIt's Spring Training, Charlie Brown
It's Spring Training, Charlie Brown is the 35th prime-time animated TV specials based upon the popular comic strip Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz. It was originally slated to air on CBS in Spring of 1992, but was cancelled until eventual release on video.-Plot:The special follows the spring training...
before he goes out into the "big leagues". The comic strip itself never revealed whether or not Frieda has any siblings.
Faron
Faron is a male cat that Frieda's mother bought for her. Frieda believed Snoopy was too smug for his own good, and decided that having a cat in the neighborhood would take him down a few notches. Her choice of cat ended up being more comical than intimidating; Faron is seemingly boneless, and she carries him everywhere, draped over her arms. He seemed to be as unpopular with the other neighborhood kids as he was with Snoopy; Frieda tried to find someone to hold Faron for her whenever she needed to go somewhere like the library that wouldn't allow cats inside, but she usually had a lot of trouble finding a willing volunteer. A running gagRunning gag
A running gag, or running joke, is a literary device that takes the form of an amusing joke or a comical reference and appears repeatedly throughout a work of literature or other form of storytelling....
included Charlie Brown, Linus, and even Snoopy getting trapped into holding Faron while Frieda ran her errands.
Faron was named for country music singer Faron Young
Faron Young
Faron Young was an American country music singer and songwriter from the early 1950s into the mid-1980s and one of its most successful and colorful stars...
, whom Schulz "admired very much," but he only made a few appearances in the strip. Schulz was not satisfied with his own drawing of a cat; also, he wanted to continue exploring Snoopy's fantasy life, and felt like having a cat in the strip brought Snoopy back to being too much of a real dog. Schulz didn't even draw Faron for his last appearance, in which the cat got stuck in a tree.
Faron once spoke English to Snoopy in a thought balloon, making him one of the few non-human or non-dog animals to do so.
Last appearance
Frieda's last official appearance in the strip was on March 20, 1975, although she (or other, unnamed girls who resemble her) would occasionally pop up in later years. Frieda also continued to make appearances in the animated Peanuts specials and the Saturday morning series The Charlie Brown and Snoopy ShowThe Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show
The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show is an animated television series featuring characters and storylines from the Charles M. Schulz comic strip Peanuts. It aired Saturday mornings on the CBS network from 1983 to 1985. It re-aired on The Disney Channel and Nickelodeon in the 1990s...
, even being mentioned in the lyrics of the latter's theme song. She is also featured as an unseen character
Unseen character
In fiction, an unseen character is a character that is never directly observed by the audience but is only described by other characters. They are a common device in drama and have been called "triumphs of theatrical invention". They are continuing characters — characters who are currently in...
in the musical You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown
You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown
You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown is a 1967 musical comedy with music and lyrics by Clark Gesner, based on the characters created by cartoonist Charles M. Schulz in his comic strip Peanuts...
, being mentioned several times, and yelled to at one point after Lucy heard one of Charlie Brown's secrets. Also in this show, her characteristic fondness for hunting rabbits is assumed by Sally. Frieda appeared in 150 comics and appeared for the last time on November 22, 1985.