To say that Charlie Brown and his fellow travelers — Linus, Lucy the sadist, Snoopy the dog, Peppermint Patty, Pigpen and the remaining pint-sized players in Charles M. Schulz’s picture of small-town America — are “huge” is an understatement of the most grievous kind. Because Peanuts, the comic strip that was their universe, was revolutionary in many ways, not the least of which was the fact that these wised-up, but not smarmy, cartoon kids grappled with depression, alienation, unrequited love and failure. In the most amusing ways possible, of course.

Whether his immortal characters serve as advertising shills or holiday special stars, or are merely perennially in print, Schulz’s genial but decidedly downbeat take remains as knowing and affirming as it was the moment he first put pen to paper until he died of colon cancer, 15 years ago. 

And yeah: Even he regretted not letting Charlie Brown get a piece of that football.