"When I was a little kid reading 'Peanuts,' in the newspaper, it was the only comic strip that seemed truly modern, and the only one that was more or less realistic in its depitction of the human condition," says host Kurt Andersen.  

"I read it religiously, along with about 350 million other people around the world.  and I even still like catching bits of the 'Peanuts' TV specials, which still make me choke up a little."

David Michaelis has written a biography of Charles Schulz, who died in 2000.  He says the artist was a very shy, complicated kid growing up in small-town Minnesota.

Watch "A Day in the Life of Charles Schulz" from the 1963 documentary "A Boy Named Charlie Brown" (Video courtesy of United Media)

PRI's Peabody Award-winning "Studio 360 with Kurt Andersen" from WNYC is public radio's smart and surprising guide to what's happening in pop culture and the arts. Each week, Kurt Andersen introduces you to the people who are creating and shaping our culture. Life is busy — so let "Studio 360" steer you to the must-see movie this weekend, the next book for your nightstand, or the song that will change your life.