One character that many comic readers might remember is Pig Pen. This character was a friend of Charlie Brown's who was known for being covered in dirt and dust, even minutes after getting clean.

Charlie Brown is perhaps the most hapless character in all of fiction, as Peanuts never misses an opportunity to put the kid through the wringer. Even the most casual Peanuts fans are aware of this.

I was able to meet Charles Schulz, the creator of the famed Peanuts cartoon back in the ’90s. Being from St. Paul it was natural that he build an ice arena in his longtime adopted home of ...