Michael Cavna on “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown”

Michael Cavna, who covers comics, graphic novels, and animation for the Washington Post writes about Peanuts’ classic Halloween special, “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!” The family favorite celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.

Cavna writes:

Their swift narrative certainty for “Great Pumpkin” freed Melendez (who also voiced Snoopy) and his crew — including gifted animator Bill Littlejohn — to create stunning watercolor skies and rich autumn hues that provide every scene with its own mood, apart from the characters. Melendez brilliantly painted both motion and emotion.

“It is by far the most colorful of the shows,” Mendelson says, “as Bill and his team captured the vibrancy of the fall season.”

And the camera, often so static in “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” zooms in for facial close-ups in the follow-up that provide the viewer with a poignant intimacy.