SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Before he officially retires, Charles Schulz plans to draw one more "Peanuts" strip, his editor says.
But whether Charlie Brown wins the love of the little red-haired girl, defeats the kite-eating tree or finally connects with Lucy's football remains to be seen."I haven't seen it yet; I can't tell you," his editor, Amy Lago said Wednesday. Then she thought a minute. "Knowing Schulz, probably not."
Lago said she was unsure whether Schulz will draw the strip or put together a collage of characters Schulz has already drawn, but added she would not disclose the final strip or its story line before it is published Jan. 3.
On Tuesday, Schulz announced that he planned to retire his 49-year-old strip.
He had drawn daily strips for use through Jan. 1 and Sunday strips for use through Feb. 13 before undergoing emergency surgery last month.
Doctors diagnosed him with colon cancer at that time, and the 77-year-old cartoonist, who took pride in meeting deadlines, decided to retire when he realized that he did not know when he would be well enough to withstand the pressure of daily deadlines.
He also suffered a series of small strokes during his surgery and now has trouble with his vision while drawing, Lago said.
"You wouldn't know it to see him. He recognizes people and faces," she said, and he is able to draw, but something "clicks in the brain" making it difficult.
He is expected to recover, she said.