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UPI Focus;NEWLN:'Peanuts' creator has cancer

SANTA ROSA, Calif., Nov. 21 -- Charles Schulz, who has delighted newspaper readers for half a century by chronicling the life of Charlie Brown, Snoopy and their friends, has colon cancer.

The Santa Rosa (Calif.)

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Press Democrat reported Sunday that Schulz, who will turn 77 Friday, underwent emergency surgery last Tuesday when doctors cleared an aortal blockage.

Schulz made the images of Charlie Brown, his friends Linus and Lucy, and Snoopy's avian friend Woodstock world-wide icons. It is unknown how his illness will affect the comic strip. Schulz has usually worked about five weeks ahead of publication dates.

Family members told the newspaper that Schulz worked about a half a day Tuesday before complaining of not feeling well. He was taken to a hospital by ambulance where surgery was performed.

Jean Schulz, the comic strip writer's wife, said doctors have not yet decided on a course of treatment, which usually involves surgery, radiation treatments and chemotherapy.

$?'Peanuts' is distributed by Universal Feature Syndicate to some 2, 600 newspapers in 75 countries. In 1950, the syndicate agreed to carry Schulz's new$?'Peanuts' strip, which began with seven newspapers. The first$?'Peanuts' book was published in 1952, the same year the strip went from a daily to all-week feature.

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Two stage shows were inspired by Schulz's characters.$?'You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown' debuted off-Broadway in 1967 and$?'Snoopy' was staged on Broadway in 1983.

The first animated$?'Peanuts' special,$?'A Charlie Brown Christmas,' aired in 1965.

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