\Franklin met Charlie Brown at the beach in 1968. They'dnever met before because they went to differentschools, but they had fun playing ball so Charlie Browninvited Franklin to visit him at his house across townfor another play session. Later, Franklin turned up as center-fielder on Peppermint Patty's baseball team andsits in front of her at school. Franklin is thoughtful andcan quote the Old Testament as effectively as Linus. Incontrast with the other characters, Franklin has thefewest anxieties and obsessions. He and Charlie Brownspend quite a bit of time talking about their respectivegrandfathers. When Franklin first appeared in the late60s, his noticeably darker skin set some readers insearch of a political meaning. However, the remarkablebecomes unremarkable when readers learn that Schulzsimply introduced Franklin as another character, not apolitical statement.

Great Moments in peanuts History:

July 31, 1968 Franklin's debut.

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