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			{{Short description\|Peanuts comic strip character}}{{About\|the Peanuts (Charlie Brown) character}}{{distinguish\|Giant Pumpkin}}{{Use mdy dates\|date=July 2014}}
	]		]
			The '''Great Pumpkin''' is an ] in the ] '']'' by ].<ref name="peanuts">{{cite web\|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/comic-riffs/post/its-the-great-pumpkin-charlie-brown-7-things-you-dont-know-about-tonights-peanuts-special/2011/10/26/gIQAQPZhKM_blog.html\|title='It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown': 7 Things You Don't Know About Tonight's 'Peanuts' Special\|publisher=The Washington Post blogs \|last=Cavna\|first=Michael\|date=October 27, 2011\|accessdate=November 20, 2014}}</ref> According to ], the Great Pumpkin is a legendary personality who rises from the ] on ] carrying a large ]. Linus continues to maintain faith in the Great Pumpkin, despite his friends' mockery and disbelief.<ref name="Album">{{cite book \|last1=Farago \|first1=Andrew \|title=The Complete Peanuts Family Album: The Ultimate Guide to Charles M. Schulz's Classic Characters \|date=2017 \|publisher=Weldon Owen \|isbn=978-1681882925 \|page=100}}</ref>

			The Great Pumpkin was first introduced in the strip dated October 26, 1959,<ref>{{Cite web\|url=https://www.gocomics.com/peanuts/1959/10/26\|title=October 26, 1959 strip\|last=Schulz\|first=Charles\|date=1972-05-31\|website=GoComics\|language=en\|access-date=2019-02-22}}</ref> and Schulz subsequently reworked the premise many times throughout the run of ''Peanuts'', notably inspiring the 1966 animated television special '']''.
	'''The Great Pumpkin''' is an ] in the ] '']'' by ].

			While Schulz usually avoided outright politics, he enjoyed his Great Pumpkin strips and incorporating religious references in many comics and animated cartoons.<ref name="Lind, Stephen 2015">Lind, Stephen (2015). ''A Charlie Brown Religion'' (Jackson: University Press of Mississippi.<!--ISSN/ISBN, page(s) needed--></ref>
	The Great Pumpkin is supposed to be a ]-like being that seems to exist only in the imagination of ]. Every year, Linus sits in a ] patch on ] night waiting for the Great Pumpkin to appear. According to Linus, the Great Pumpkin rises out of the pumpkin patch he finds to be most "]". ("Look around you! Nothing but sincerity as far as the eye can see!") The Great Pumpkin then ] through the air to deliver ]s to all the good little children in the world. In one strip, Linus claims that the Great Pumpkin has in fact been seen by people other than himself in pumpkin patches across the country, if not the world, indicating that if the Great Pumpkin is indeed imaginary, his existence is at least believed in by people other than (and even more suggestible than) Linus. The fact that Linus is, aside from his pumpkin faith, one of the most sober-minded characters in the strip seems to be a point in his favor.

			==Premise==
	Invariably, the Great Pumpkin fails to appear, and a humiliated but undefeated Linus vows to wait for him again the following Halloween.
			Each year Linus awaits the arrival of the Great Pumpkin in a pumpkin patch deemed most sincere and lacking in hypocrisy. The following morning, each year, an embarrassed yet undefeated Linus vows to wait for the Great Pumpkin again next Halloween. Linus acknowledges the similarities between the Great Pumpkin and ] (in the television special, Linus writes to the Great Pumpkin that Santa Claus has better publicity). Charlie Brown attributes Linus's belief in the Great Pumpkin to "] differences."

			In the comic strip dated October 25, 1961, Linus explains: "There are three things I have learned never to discuss with people: religion, politics, and the Great Pumpkin."<ref>Schulz, Charles (1961). , gocomics.com, October 25, 1961.</ref> A few days later, Linus claims previously reported official sightings of the Great Pumpkin in Connecticut and Texas,<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Schulz \|first=Charles \|date=1961-10-29 \|title=Peanuts by Charles Schulz for October 29, 1961 {{!}} GoComics.com \|url=https://www.gocomics.com/peanuts/1961/10/29 \|access-date=2023-12-28 \|website=GoComics \|language=en}}</ref> and Charlie Brown hears of a sighting in New Jersey.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Schulz \|first=Charles \|date=1961-11-01 \|title=Peanuts by Charles Schulz for November 01, 1961 {{!}} GoComics.com \|url=https://www.gocomics.com/peanuts/1961/11/01 \|access-date=2023-12-28 \|website=GoComics \|language=en}}</ref>
	The strip's other characters generally do not believe in the Great Pumpkin. Linus's sister ], in particular, is embarrassed at his behavior each Halloween.

			Linus remains faithful to the Great Pumpkin, even devising a Great Pumpkin Newsletter in comic strips dated October 1998.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Schulz \|first=Charles \|date=1998-10-20 \|title=Peanuts by Charles Schulz for October 20, 1998 {{!}} GoComics.com \|url=https://www.gocomics.com/peanuts/1998/10/20 \|access-date=2023-12-28 \|website=GoComics \|language=en}}</ref>
	Occasionally, Linus will convince another character (such as ], ], or ]) to wait with him for the Great Pumpkin, but this never goes well either. The ] ] '']'' depicts one such Halloween, with Sally joining Linus in the pumpkin patch. Someone did arise from the pumpkin patch that night -- ], in his World War I flying ace outfit. Sally then screamed outrage over missing trick-or-treating and candy.

			==Religious metaphors==
	Linus takes his mission to inform the public of the Great Pumpkin's existence very seriously, and once jeopardized his campaign for student body president by mentioning him in a campaign speech (a storyline adapted as the animated special '']''). He regularly goes from door to door to spread the word of the Great Pumpkin. Invariably, the person to whom he is speaking slams the door in his face. Stressing the importance of ] in the Great Pumpkin, Linus states that one must never say "''If'' the Great Pumpkin comes", but rather, "''When'' the Great Pumpkin comes"; a lack of sufficient faith, he avers, might cause the Great Pumpkin to pass one by at the critical time.
			The Great Pumpkin has been cited as a symbol of strong faith and foolish faith, leading to vastly different interpretations of creator Charles Schulz's own faith. As described in the book on Schulz's religious views, ''A Charlie Brown Religion'', Schulz's views were very personal and often misinterpreted.<ref name="Lind, Stephen 2015"/> Linus' seemingly unshakable belief in the Great Pumpkin, and his desire to foster the same belief in others, has been interpreted as a parody of Christian ] by some observers. Others have seen Linus' belief in the Great Pumpkin as symbolic of the struggles faced by anyone with beliefs or practices that are not shared by the majority.<ref>{{cite web\|url=http://blog.sundancenow.com/weekend-watch/viva-mabuse-10-oh-great-pumpkin-where-are-you\|title=Viva Mabuse! #10: Oh, Great Pumpkin, Where Are You?\|last=Atkinson\|first=Michael\|publisher=blog.sundancenow.com\|date=October 18, 2012\|url-status=dead\|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141109065524/http://blog.sundancenow.com/weekend-watch/viva-mabuse-10-oh-great-pumpkin-where-are-you\|archivedate=November 9, 2014\|df=mdy-all}}</ref> Still others view Linus' lonely vigils, in the service of a being that may or may not exist and which never makes its presence known in any case, as a metaphor for mankind's basic ] dilemmas.<ref>{{cite journal\|url=http://www.reverseshot.com/archive/entry/206/its_the_great_pumpkin_charlie_brown\|title=It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown: The Book of Linus\|last=Koresky\|first=Michael\|journal=Reverse Shot\|date=February 19, 2004}}</ref>

			Schulz himself, however, claimed no motivation beyond the humor of having one of his young characters confuse Halloween with Christmas. In the 1959 sequence of strips in which the Great Pumpkin is first mentioned, for instance, Schulz also has Linus suggest that he and the other kids "go out and sing pumpkin ]s",<ref>Schulz, Charles (1959). dated October 28, 1959.</ref> something which he also asks the trick-or-treating kids in the special itself.
	]In a skit from '']'', Linus summons the Great Pumpkin through what seems to be Black Magic (he is seen lighting an animal on fire inside a pentacle). The Great Pumpkin then proceeds to kill off all of the children except for Charlie Brown, who is saved when the Great Pumpkin is eaten by the ].

			==In animated adaptations==
	In the strip published on ], ], Charlie Brown stated that he had heard on the radio that the Great Pumpkin had appeared in a pumpkin patch owned by someone named Freeman in ]. This is one of the few occasions where the Great Pumpkin is perceived to be "real".
			{{Main\|It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown}}
			After the Great Pumpkin formed the ], later television specials would also reference the character. These included '']'' (1972) when Linus almost blows his chances in a school election; '']'' (1974) in which Sally cites her previous experience with the non-appearance of the Great Pumpkin; and '']'' (1975), wherein Linus enters the pumpkin patch with Charlie Brown, who gets teased as being the Great Pumpkin. '']'' (2015) also namedrops the character, when Linus says he hopes the new kid in town (later revealed as the ]) might be willing to believe in the Great Pumpkin.

			==Licensed use in ''Poptropica''==
	Schulz stated that he never intended for the Great Pumpkin to be regarded as real by ''Peanuts'' readers; he simply thought it would be funny if one of the characters got Halloween confused with ]. Linus's seemingly unshakable belief in the Great Pumpkin, and his desire to foster the same belief in others, has been interpreted as a ] of ] ] by some critics. Others have seen Linus's belief in the Great Pumpkin as symbolic of the struggles that anyone in a non-conventional faith has to face in an environment dominated by a specific faith. As noted, Schulz never claimed any motivation beyond simple humor.
			In October 2010, forty-four years after the initial airing of ''It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown'', the Great Pumpkin was the topic of a licensed use by the online game '']''. The site's 15th island is Great Pumpkin Island, and features several of the ''Peanuts'' characters interacting with players.<ref>{{dead link\|date=January 2018 \|bot=InternetArchiveBot \|fix-attempted=yes }}, virtualworlddigest.com; accessed March 3, 2016.</ref> As the island follows the same plot as the original TV special, the Great Pumpkin does not appear, and turns out to be Snoopy with a pumpkin on his head.

			==See also==
			* ]
			* ]
			* "]" ("]")
			* ]

			==References==
			{{Reflist\|30em}}

	<br>
	{{Peanuts}}		{{Peanuts}}
			{{Halloween}}
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Latest revision as of 18:28, 16 October 2024

Peanuts comic strip characterThis article is about the Peanuts (Charlie Brown) character. For other uses, see Great Pumpkin (disambiguation).Not to be confused with Giant Pumpkin.

The Great Pumpkin is an unseen character in the comic strip Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz. According to Linus van Pelt, the Great Pumpkin is a legendary personality who rises from the pumpkin patch on Halloween carrying a large bag of toys to deliver to believing children. Linus continues to maintain faith in the Great Pumpkin, despite his friends' mockery and disbelief.

The Great Pumpkin was first introduced in the strip dated October 26, 1959, and Schulz subsequently reworked the premise many times throughout the run of Peanuts, notably inspiring the 1966 animated television special It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.

While Schulz usually avoided outright politics, he enjoyed his Great Pumpkin strips and incorporating religious references in many comics and animated cartoons.

Premise

Each year Linus awaits the arrival of the Great Pumpkin in a pumpkin patch deemed most sincere and lacking in hypocrisy. The following morning, each year, an embarrassed yet undefeated Linus vows to wait for the Great Pumpkin again next Halloween. Linus acknowledges the similarities between the Great Pumpkin and Santa Claus (in the television special, Linus writes to the Great Pumpkin that Santa Claus has better publicity). Charlie Brown attributes Linus's belief in the Great Pumpkin to "denominational differences."

In the comic strip dated October 25, 1961, Linus explains: "There are three things I have learned never to discuss with people: religion, politics, and the Great Pumpkin." A few days later, Linus claims previously reported official sightings of the Great Pumpkin in Connecticut and Texas, and Charlie Brown hears of a sighting in New Jersey.

Linus remains faithful to the Great Pumpkin, even devising a Great Pumpkin Newsletter in comic strips dated October 1998.

Religious metaphors

The Great Pumpkin has been cited as a symbol of strong faith and foolish faith, leading to vastly different interpretations of creator Charles Schulz's own faith. As described in the book on Schulz's religious views, A Charlie Brown Religion, Schulz's views were very personal and often misinterpreted. Linus' seemingly unshakable belief in the Great Pumpkin, and his desire to foster the same belief in others, has been interpreted as a parody of Christian evangelism by some observers. Others have seen Linus' belief in the Great Pumpkin as symbolic of the struggles faced by anyone with beliefs or practices that are not shared by the majority. Still others view Linus' lonely vigils, in the service of a being that may or may not exist and which never makes its presence known in any case, as a metaphor for mankind's basic existential dilemmas.

Schulz himself, however, claimed no motivation beyond the humor of having one of his young characters confuse Halloween with Christmas. In the 1959 sequence of strips in which the Great Pumpkin is first mentioned, for instance, Schulz also has Linus suggest that he and the other kids "go out and sing pumpkin carols", something which he also asks the trick-or-treating kids in the special itself.

In animated adaptations

Main article: It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

After the Great Pumpkin formed the central premise of the 1966 television special, later television specials would also reference the character. These included You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown (1972) when Linus almost blows his chances in a school election; It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown (1974) in which Sally cites her previous experience with the non-appearance of the Great Pumpkin; and You're a Good Sport, Charlie Brown (1975), wherein Linus enters the pumpkin patch with Charlie Brown, who gets teased as being the Great Pumpkin. The Peanuts Movie (2015) also namedrops the character, when Linus says he hopes the new kid in town (later revealed as the Little Red-Haired Girl) might be willing to believe in the Great Pumpkin.

Licensed use in Poptropica

In October 2010, forty-four years after the initial airing of It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, the Great Pumpkin was the topic of a licensed use by the online game Poptropica. The site's 15th island is Great Pumpkin Island, and features several of the Peanuts characters interacting with players. As the island follows the same plot as the original TV special, the Great Pumpkin does not appear, and turns out to be Snoopy with a pumpkin on his head.

References

Cavna, Michael (October 27, 2011). "'It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown': 7 Things You Don't Know About Tonight's 'Peanuts' Special". The Washington Post blogs. Retrieved November 20, 2014.
Farago, Andrew (2017). The Complete Peanuts Family Album: The Ultimate Guide to Charles M. Schulz's Classic Characters. Weldon Owen. p. 100. ISBN 978-1681882925.
Schulz, Charles (May 31, 1972). "October 26, 1959 strip". GoComics. Retrieved February 22, 2019.
^ Lind, Stephen (2015). A Charlie Brown Religion (Jackson: University Press of Mississippi.
Schulz, Charles (1961). Peanuts comic strip details, gocomics.com, October 25, 1961.
Schulz, Charles (October 29, 1961). "Peanuts by Charles Schulz for October 29, 1961 | GoComics.com". GoComics. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
Schulz, Charles (November 1, 1961). "Peanuts by Charles Schulz for November 01, 1961 | GoComics.com". GoComics. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
Schulz, Charles (October 20, 1998). "Peanuts by Charles Schulz for October 20, 1998 | GoComics.com". GoComics. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
Atkinson, Michael (October 18, 2012). "Viva Mabuse! #10: Oh, Great Pumpkin, Where Are You?". blog.sundancenow.com. Archived from the original on November 9, 2014.
Koresky, Michael (February 19, 2004). "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown: The Book of Linus". Reverse Shot.
Schulz, Charles (1959). Peanuts comic strip dated October 28, 1959.
Peanuts characters interacting with the avatars of Poptropica players, virtualworlddigest.com; accessed March 3, 2016.

v t e Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz
Characters	Charlie Brown Sally Brown Franklin Frieda Great Pumpkin Kite-Eating Tree Little Red-Haired Girl Marcie Patty Peppermint Patty Pig-Pen Schroeder Shermy Snoopy Linus Van Pelt Lucy Van Pelt Rerun Van Pelt Violet Woodstock
Albums	Jazz Impressions of A Boy Named Charlie Brown A Charlie Brown Christmas (soundtrack) Oh Good Grief! A Boy Named Charlie Brown (soundtrack) Happy Anniversary, Charlie Brown Joe Cool's Blues Linus and Lucy: The Music of Vince Guaraldi Charlie Brown's Holiday Hits Here's to You, Charlie Brown: 50 Great Years! The Charlie Brown Suite & Other Favorites 40 Years: A Charlie Brown Christmas Vince Guaraldi and the Lost Cues from the Charlie Brown Television Specials Vince Guaraldi and the Lost Cues from the Charlie Brown Television Specials, Volume 2 Jazz for Peanuts Love Will Come: The Music of Vince Guaraldi, Volume 2 Peanuts Portraits Peanuts Greatest Hits The Peanuts Movie (soundtrack) It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (soundtrack) A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (soundtrack) It Was a Short Summer, Charlie Brown (soundtrack) You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown (soundtrack) Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown (soundtrack)
Songs	"Linus and Lucy" "Christmas Time Is Here" "Snoopy vs. the Red Baron" "Little Known Facts" "Snoopy's Christmas" "Better When I'm Dancin'"
Book series	Charlie Brown's Super Book of Questions and Answers The Complete Peanuts
Other Schulz comics	It's Only a Game Li'l Folks Young Pillars
Video games	Snoopy and the Red Baron Snoopy's Magic Show Snoopy's Silly Sports Spectacular Snoopy Concert Snoopy Tennis Snoopy vs. the Red Baron Snoopy DS: Let's Go Meet Snoopy and His Friends! Snoopy Flying Ace Snoopy's Street Fair Snoopy Coaster The Peanuts Movie: Snoopy's Grand Adventure
Related	Filmography Peanuts Gallery Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center Snoopy Museum Tokyo Bring Me the Head of Charlie Brown (1986) Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead Weapon Brown Camp Snoopy Planet Snoopy
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