regnad_kcin (regnad_kcin) wrote in binky_betsy,
regnad_kcin
regnad_kcin
binky_betsy

Lynn and her BFF "Sparky"

I just finished David Michaelis's acclaimed biography Schulz and Peanuts, a fascinating volume that suggests that, in terms of creative neuroses, Schulz was the cartooning world's answer to Woody Allen...including a scandal or two in his personal life involving much younger women.  On that subject, there's quite a bit about Lynn, including that she was Schulz's "latest light romance," with the clear implication that they had what would now be termed an "emotional affair" (i.e. unconsummated but pretty heavy), but that they had a major falling-out when she "killed off" Farley.  (On the latter, I knew he had been against it, but it wasn't clear before reading this book how very upset he got about the whole thing, declaring afterwards, "I'll never forgive her for that" -- although the relationship between them apparently healed enough for her to visit him several times during the last few months of his life.)

I was well aware that Schulz's family was very upset with the biography, although whether because of delibrate skewing of the material by Michaelis, or anger at seeing one's husband or father depicted in anything other than a hagiographic manner, I can't determine.  But what I did find interesting was one of Monte Schulz's reactions to the book, as published on the "Cartoon Brew" web site:

 
But what about voices who weren’t heard? Well, for example, he only spoke to my sister Jill once over a lunch and that was that. He did interview Cathy Guisewite, but then called back to ask her, if you can believe it, whether or not my dad “came on to her.” Is he joking? Cathy knew Dad for more than twenty years, and except for one or two lines, David left her out of the book in favor of Lynn Johnston who provided much more provocative information, much of which (particularly in the first draft) is silly and self-serving.

Somehow, I'd sure love to know what was in that first draft...
 
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