Roost In Peace, Joe Motocross

ROOST IN PEACE, JOE MOTOCROSS

There's nothing like leaving a posthumous legacy. And, thankfully for his readers, that's exactly what "Peanuts" creator Charles Schulz did. Although the 77-year-old died of complications from colon cancer last February, his humorous and ofttimes wry comic strip lives on.

While everyone knows and loves stalwarts Charlie Brown, Lucy and Linus, the strip’s undeniable star is the multifaceted Snoopy. The enthusiastic, self-absorbed beagle defended the nation as the World War I Flying Ace, stalked unsuspecting prey as The Vulture and was nonchalance in shades as Joe Cool.

Most memorable to motorcyclists, however, was Snoopy’s stint as Joe Motocross. In several mid-1970s strips and a video titled, You’re A Good Sport Charlie Brown, the precocious pup donned off-road gear and headed for the local MX track.

Schulz, it seems, was inspired by his son Craig. Now 47, Craig started racing motocross in the early 1970s as a teenager. “My dad went to a couple of races, and he’d hang out with me and my friends and talk with us about riding. And that’s when he got the idea for Joe Motocross,” he explains.

The younger Schulz admits that he got a kick out of the character, and he’s not alone. As a child, CW Executive Editor Brian Catterson tacked the above strip to his bedroom wall. Even a former national motocross champion benefited from Snoopy’s antics. Explains Craig, “When David Bailey got paralyzed, I sent him one of those strips. He told me later that he’s still got it hanging in his hallway at home.”

So long, Joe Motocross. May you always get the holeshot in that great MX race in the sky. -Wendy F. Black