BRING ME THE HEAD OF CHARLIE BROWN-A Jim Reardon thesis turned masterpiece of macabre and humor now has reached it's 40th Anniversary

I should have touched on this subject back in 2023, the year I started this blog.

But I waited.

This is the 1986 CALARTS Thesis film made by SIMPSONS Director JIM REARDON.

It's a film that in his own take, depicts the ever unlucky CHARLIE BROWN as having had enough of all the crap thrown at him

and he totally snaps.

The short is known for making Serious use of MACRABE satire to show off how gory the product is. 

And while the short looks unfinished as it's nothing but pencil animation, it's main advantage is that the animation is all fluid compared to the other PEANUTS media which purposely are limited in the movement due to the charm that's used since 1965's A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS.

I was so enthralled with BRING ME THE HEAD OF CHARLIE BROWN that I considered my own take but with DOUG FUNNIE in it and it would be loosely inspired by JOHN CARPENTER's THE THING from 1982...(think THE ABNORMAL)

But I never got around to doing said fan animation...

Not because I'd get in trouble with both DISNEY and JIM JINKINS over the use of characters but because I knew my own ideas for a collaborative project would get turned down with my fellow students so instead, I ended up working on CATTITUDE which I'll embed the video link to:

CATTITUDE-A LASALLE STUDENT FILM

Here's an interesting take:

JIM REARDON actually showed this thesis film to CHARLES M. SCHULZ just to get his opinion on the film. 

What REARDON got was SCHULZ actually liking the film for it's hilarious merits but at the same time, warning him not to do something like this again.

Anyway, JIM REARDON, if you are reading my BLOGPOST about your CALARTS thesis film, just for the record, HAPPY 40TH ANNIVERSARY to your little thesis that put your career on the map. 

You've earned this special day and hope for the best in the coming years.

And for those who want to watch this student film, here's the YOUTUBE Link:

Be warned about the sheer macabre and don't complain if this pierces your childhood because this ain't for the faint of heart.

But if Legacy Characters going Postal is your thing, then enjoy all the goodness to offer.