Growing up watching the animated TV holiday specials featuring Charlie Brown and the Peanuts Gang remains a gift cherished by generations from the 1960s through the decades of today, all bestowed by the late newspaper cartoonist Charles M. Schulz.
This month, we all have the opportunity to meet the distinct voice behind the animated universe’s original “mean girl,” boisterous, blue dress-garbed Lucy van Pelt, when she meets and greets fans in Valparaiso at the Porter County Expo Center June 13-14.
But which former child star is appearing in our backyard in the long line of Lucy vocalists? First, it’s important to know the ladies behind that sneaky guise, the one who so often pulled the football from out and under poor Charlie Brown’s kicking toe these past six decades.
“A Charlie Brown Christmas,” first aired in 1965, launched the franchise of various holiday TV specials dreamed up by Schulz until his passing at age 77 in 2000.
Casting child star vocal talents to bring his line drawings to life for the characters surrounding Charlie Brown (and his endless dilemmas of life story plots) wasn’t an easy feat for Schulz, since, after all, children grow up, and their vocals mature. For example, child star Tracy Stratford voiced Charlie Brown’s bossy “pal” Lucy Van Pelt for just the Christmas TV special before being replaced.
It was the late child star Peter Robbins who voiced Charlie Brown for the original Christmas TV special as well as “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown,” four other 30-minute animated TV specials, and the 1969 feature film “A Boy Named Charlie Brown.” Robbins’ familiar pipes starred opposite the brash young vocals provided by Sally Dryer as Lucy for the “Great Pumpkin” animated special, as well as three other Charlie Brown TV specials in the late 1960s.
Dryer’s versatile vocals for producing snooty female voices gained her casting as Lucy’s equally unkind gal pals in the guises of ponytail-wearing Violet and Patty with a plaid bow in her hair, always adorned in a plaid dress and not to be confused with Peppermint Patty, the gruff gal character introduced a decade later.
Since Dryer had double duty as these two to complete Lucy’s terrible toughing trio for the feature film “A Boy Named Charlie Brown,” Schulz cast child star Pamelyn Ferdin, among the most famous of all of the Lucy voice alter-egos, as Lucy in the feature film and also the first TV special of the new decade of the 1970s. (Ferdin is familiar to many for playing the daughter of fussy Felix Unger for “The Odd Couple” TV series and voicing the young girl named Fern in the 1973 feature film “Charlotte’s Web.”)
This brings us to the Kohn Sisters, Robin and Melanie, and the reveal of the “Lucy lady” who will be meeting fans in Valparaiso at the Porter County Expo Center June 13-14. Melanie Kohn, 62, of San Francisco, will be flying in to sign memorabilia and pose for photos at the event VC4 Crusader Con billed as “the largest comic, cards and collectibles convention in Northwest Indiana.” Show hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days, and the full schedule includes other noted celebrity guests, panels, shopping, gaming and tournaments. Admission is $25 for a weekend ticket, $20 for Saturday admission, or $10 for the Sunday ticket. Anyone age 10 or younger is admitted free. Visit www.normalblockentertainment.com for the full schedule and to purchase tickets.
Following Ferdin’s tenure as Lucy, it was Melanie who took over voicing the noted comic strip “Fuss Budget” and the older sister of blanket-toting Linus. Melanie provided the voice of Lucy for TV specials “It’s a Mystery, Charlie Brown” (1974), “It’s the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown” (1974), “Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown” (1975), “You’re a Good Sport, Charlie Brown” (1975) and the feature film “Race for Your Life, Charlie Brown” (1977).
Melanie’s older sister Robin, 64, shared earlier animated Lucy vocal duties starting with the feature film “Snoopy Come Home” (1972), “You’re Not Elected, Charlie Brown” (1972), “There’s No Time for Love, Charlie Brown” (1973) and “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving” (1973).
GOODBYE JELLYBEAN
A favorite clown’s smile at parades, library events and parties around Northwest Indiana will be missed with the passing of Janet “JellyBean” Tucker. Tucker, 83, died May 19. Born and raised in Pittsburgh, on Jan. 14, 1967, she married Larry Tucker (who preceded her in death), and the couple moved to Hammond to raise their two sons and a daughter, all of whom survive. In addition to her family at her side, her children are grateful to Tim and Kylee of Elevate Hospice for the compassionate care they provided.
A graduate of Thiel College in Greenville, Pennsylvania, she majored in business with minors in art and psychology to secure her earlier career for U.S. Steel, as well as Nalco Chemical and Thermark Division of Avery International, before leaving the corporate world to pursue what she described as “her calling” to the identity of “JellyBean the Clown,” entertaining audiences in 37 states and five countries.
JellyBean served as President of the World Clown Association and also led local clown alleys, including Calumet Clown Alley and Michiana Clowns. She taught the Art of Clowning at Purdue University and instructed at Clown Camp at UW–La Crosse. She authored training books, which her family said were “used worldwide to teach clowning and clown ministry.” In the early 1980s, JellyBean was a Saturday morning staple each week at Shakey’s Pizza Restaurant in Valparaiso, passing out birthday party balloons and trinket toys. She could easily be spotted along parade routes with her cheery VW Beetle covered with retro colorful flower stickers from front to back.
“If you have the opportunity to pick a career of your choice, pick something you love to do,” JellyBean once advised me.
“I’m very shy in real life, but being a clown helped me be more outgoing. My favorite book to read is the Bible.”
A Celebration of Life service will be held for JellyBean from 2-5 p.m. Saturday, June 6, at Life Point Church Highland Campus, 9414 Kennedy Ave. in Highland. Songs and memories will be shared at 2:30 p.m., and in honor of JellyBean, red noses are encouraged. In place of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the American Cancer Society or Life Point Church. Cremation and interment services are being handled by Chapel Lawn Funeral Home and Memorial Gardens.
Philip Potempa is a journalist, published author and weekly radio host on WJOB 1230 AM. He can be reached at philpotempa@gmail.com.
