November 22, 1999
Web posted at: 9:27 p.m. EST (0227 GMT)

SANTA ROSA, California (CNN) -- Comic strip artist Charles M. Schulz, whose "Peanuts" characters are admired by millions worldwide, has been diagnosed with colon cancer and is undergoing treatment by doctors, his publisher said.

The cancer was discovered early last week after Schultz was taken to a Santa Rosa hospital complaining of "numbness to his legs," said Sonoma County ambulance dispatcher Dawn Bagnonas.

"Mr. Schulz is here and he remains in stable condition," said Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital spokeswoman Joanna Barns.

A statement issued by United Media, the distributor of the "Peanuts" comic strip, said that Schulz "has worked ahead so that his daily strips are completed for this year, and Sunday strips are completed through February 14, 2000.

"United Feature Syndicate hopes and expects that Mr. Schulz will be able to produce new material for the new year. If he does not choose to do so, classic "Peanuts" strips, commencing with strips from 1994, will be substituted," the statement read.

Schulz, 76, created some of the world's most popular cartoon characters, including Charlie Brown, his sister Sally, Snoopy, friends Lucy, Linus, Schroeder, Peppermint Patty, Marcie and the bird Woodstock.

In 1948, the "Saturday Evening Post" published the first of his comic-strip characters, known as "Li'l Folks." In 1950, the United Features Syndicate bought the rights and distributed his work under the title "Peanuts."

The series appears in more than 2,600 newspapers and translated into more than two dozen languages in 75 countries worldwide. His animated television specials won five Emmy Awards and a Peabody. Schulz has produced more than 1,400 books.

Schulz keeps a low profile and is known as a workaholic around Sonoma County, where he moved from his native Minnesota 40 years ago.

He underwent quadruple coronary bypass surgery in 1981.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.