Franklin

Illustration of Peanuts character, Franklin facing right with a blue and purple background.​

First introduced in the July 31, 1968 edition of Peanuts, Franklin Armstrong is a friend of Charlie Brown and is the first African-American character to appear in the comic strip. Franklin's creation came when Harriet Glickman, a Los Angeles schoolteacher wrote to the comics creator, Charles Schulz, and asked him to include African-American characters into the comic. Though initially hesitant, Schulz continued to stay in contact with Glickman over the next few months and eventually, Schulz agreed to include an African-American child into the story. Upon his introduction, Franklin was presented as a classmate to Peppermint Patty and Marcie. First introduced to each other on a beach, Franklin immediately strikes up a friendship with Charlie Brown and from there remained a permanent addition to the Peanuts cast. Though the comic ended in 1999, Franklin, like the rest of the Peanuts characters, has continued to be seen in other media, such as animated specials and movies. ​