A Boy Named "Sparky"
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For Sparky, school was all but impossible. He failed every subject
in the eighth grade. He flunked physics in high school, getting a grade
of zero. Sparky also flunked Latin, algebra and English. He didn't
do much better in sports. Although he did manage to make the school's
golf team, he lost the only important match of the season. There was a
consolation match which he lost, too.
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Throughout his youth Sparky was awkward socially. He was not actually
disliked by the other students; no one cared that much. He was
surprised if a classmate ever said hello to him outside of school hours.
There's no way to tell how he might have done at dating. Sparky never
once asked a girl to go out in high school. He was too afraid of being
turned down.
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Sparky was a loser. He, his classmates...everyone knew it. So he
rolled with it. Sparky had made up his mind early in life that if things
were meant to work out, they would. Otherwise he would content
himself with what appeared to be his inevitable mediocrity.
.
However, one thing was important to Sparky - drawing. He was
proud of his artwork. Of course, no one else appreciated it. In his
senior year of high school, he submitted some cartoons to the editors
of the yearbook. The cartoons were turned down. Despite this
rejection, Sparky was so convinced of his ability that he decided to
become a professional artist.
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After completing high school, he wrote a letter to Walt Disney
Studios. He was told to send some samples of his artwork, and
the subject for a cartoon was suggested. Sparky drew the proposed
cartoon. He spent a great deal of time on it and on all the other
drawings he submitted. Finally, the reply came from Disney Studios.
He had been rejected once again. Another loss for the loser.
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So Sparky decided to write his own autobiography in cartoons.
He described his childhood self - a little boy loser and chronic
underachiever. For Sparky, the boy who had such a lack of
success in school and whose work was rejected again and again,
was Charles Schultz.
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Although his little cartoon alter ego, Charlie Brown, has never
been able to get his kite to fly or has succeeded in kicking a
football, "Sparky" Schultz long ago dropped his loser image
through Charlie Brown's extraordinary successful cartoon
home, "Peanuts."
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                                                                Sandy Pofahl