''Dear friends<br />I have been fortunate to draw [[Charlie Brown]] and his friends for almost 50 years. It has been the fulfillment of my childhood ambition.<br />Unfortunately, I am no longer able to maintain the schedule demanded by a daily comic strip. My family does not wish Peanuts to be continued by anyone else, therefore I am announcing my retirement.<br />I have been grateful over the years for the loyalty of our editors and the wonderful support and love expressed to me by fans to the comic strip <br />[[Charlie Brown]], [[#Snoopy|Snoopy]], Linus, Lucy... How can I ever forget them ?'' -Charles M. Schulz
