SNOOPIFIED

WASILLA — Exhausted, hungry and battered, the World War I Flying Ace scrambles behind enemy lines. He dodges bullets and crawls under barbed wire before finding a neutral French café, where the barmaids are as cold as the root beer.

Such is the fantasy life of Charles Schulz’s Snoopy, Charlie Brown’s best friend and one of the most iconic American comic strip characters. Peanuts has entertained generations since its 1950 debut, and fans of the strip would argue there are four certainties in life: death, taxes, Charlie Brown will never kick that football and the World War I Flying Ace will never shoot down the Red Baron.

This imaginary struggle against the Red Baron is explored in a new exhibit at the Dorothy G. Page Museum in downtown Wasilla, “Snoopy as the World War I Flying Ace.” The exhibit features some of Schulz’s most recognizable panels with Snoopy in his trademark aviator goggles and scarf perched atop his doghouse, aka his Sopwith Camel.

“I adore Snoopy and love the Peanuts comic strip,” said Pat Park-Fisher, who was among the crowd at the museum Saturday to open the exhibit. “I think cartoons are underrated as an art form. I think you have to be a pretty talented artist to do cartoons.”

Park-Fisher was in college by the time Snoopy made his debut and she’s been a fan since the beginning. She can’t suppress the laughter looking at the strips in the exhibit.

There’s the one where Charlie Brown relates that his teacher wants Snoopy to stop telling lies, that he could never have been a World War I flying ace.

“Bring her out and show her the bullet holes,” Snoopy thinks.

Something as benign as an overnight stay at the veterinarian’s office turns into the World War I Flying Ace caged in an enemy prison cell.

Then there are the historical references, like Snoopy proclaiming himself the “Lone Beagle,” a play on Charles Lindbergh’s nickname as the “Lone Eagle.”

Those historical references Schulz peppered throughout his work are becoming a lost art, said Bethany Buckingham, curator of the museum.

“He did this during the Vietnam War, and it was interesting how he dealt with that conflict, but still kept Snoopy relevant to the present day,” she said.

Most of all, she’s a huge fan. When she saw the exhibit was on the museum’s schedule, “I was so excited,” she said.

“He’s too close to my heart,” Buckingham said of Snoopy. “I’m an Air Force brat, so I love aircraft and Snoopy just goes right along with that. Unfortunately, he gets shot down by the Red Baron, he gets shot down by all the girls he tries to meet, but I think that’s us in real life anyway. We all get shot down, but we come back.”

In researching Schulz and Snoopy, Buckingham learned that at one time, Schulz wanted to draw an action hero. But Peanuts was too successful.

The powers that be “were like, ‘no, you’re doing too well with the Peanuts characters,’” she said. “So when he got the chance to put Snoopy in as the World War I Flying Ace, that was his action hero.”

Noah Ruble, an 11-year-old Wasilla resident, has had plenty of exposure to action heroes, but admires Peanuts and Snoopy more. An artist himself, Ruble aspires to be a cartoonist and viewed the exhibit with a thoughtful eye.

“Peanuts is probably my favorite comic strip,” he said. “The illustrations are really fun to look at and Charles Schulz has a really good sense of humor. I laugh at it all the time.”

The World War I Flying Ace may be stuck in a time warp in his never-ending battle with the Red Baron, but his contributions to aviation are admired by the experts.

Tech. Sgt. Dennis Pack was at the museum Saturday as lead guitarist for the U.S. Air Force rock band Top Cover, which performed for the exhibit opening. As a member of the Air Force, he considers Snoopy “one of the innovators” of aviation.

“You don’t see anyone flying on tops of doghouses, so for him to do that is inspirational,” he said.

Although the Flying Ace usually comes out on the short end in his encounters with the Red Baron, “perhaps he represents the challenges we all face,” Pack said. “You have to keep pushing against them.”

The Red Baron may have won again, but he can’t ground the Flying Ace’s spirit, even on a dark and stormy night.

Contact Greg Johnson at greg.johnson@frontiersman.com or 352-2269.