Tribute to 'Peanuts' cartoonist to feature Linus statues

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- St. Paul's fourth summer-long tribute honoring cartoonist Charles Schulz will feature statues of Linus -- including one painted by the man Schulz named the character after.

Linus Van Pelt -- Lucy's philosophical, blanket-toting younger brother -- is named after cartoonist Linus Maurer, who lives in Kenwood, Calif. Schulz and Maurer taught cartooning together at Art Instruction Schools in Minneapolis more than 50 years ago.

"My nature is to be levelheaded, look for the good in things, like Linus in the strip. It's an honor to have him named after me," Maurer said.

Linus Van Pelt became one of the main characters in the "Peanuts" comic strip, which at its peak ran in more than 2,600 newspapers worldwide.

In late 1999, Schulz announced that he was retiring because of cancer. He died Feb. 13, 2000, the eve of the publication of the last Sunday "Peanuts" strip he drew.

After his death, Schulz, who grew up in St. Paul, was honored by his hometown with a summer-long civic event. The 2000 "Peanuts on Parade" celebration included more than 100 Snoopy statues scattered throughout the city. Subsequent summers featured statues of Charlie Brown and Lucy Van Pelt.

This year, organizers expect about 90 statues of Linus.