Linus van Pelt

Linus van Pelt is one of the characters in Charles M. Schulz's comic strip Peanuts. Probably the best friend of Charlie Brown, Linus is also the younger brother of Lucy Van Pelt and older brother of Rerun van Pelt. He first appeared on September 19, 1952; however, he was not mentioned by name until three days later. He was first referenced two months earlier, on July 14. On the various specials, Christopher Shea first voiced Linus Van Pelt in 1965. His younger brother, Stephen, voiced Linus from 1971 until 1975. Various actors (among them Jeremy Miller of Growing Pains fame) have played Linus since then. Though young, Linus is unusually smart, and he acts as the strip's philosopher and theologian, often quoting the Gospels. He also invented his own quasi-religious being, who (like Santa Claus) mysteriously appears every year, bringing presents. The Great Pumpkin, however, appears on Halloween and only at the most sincere pumpkin patch, which Linus invariably believes is his own....