Connie Boucher

Connie Boucher (15 July 1923 – 20 December 1995) was an American businesswoman and pioneer in character merchandising, known for her work with the Peanuts comic strip. She also inspired the best-selling book Happiness Is a Warm Puppy (1962). Boucher founded Determined Productions, a company focused on character merchandising.^[1][2][3][4]

Connie Boucher
Born	(1923-07-15)15 July 1923
Died	20 December 1995(1995-12-20) (aged 72) San Francisco, California
Occupations	Merchandising Business

Early life

Born on 15 July 1923 in Seattle, Washington, D.C. and attended the Chouinard Art School in Los Angeles. In 1961, she established Determined Productions in San Francisco.^[5][6]

Career

Boucher founded Determined Productions, a company focused on character merchandising, in the mid-20th century. She collaborated with Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz, suggesting the concept for Happiness Is a Warm Puppy after seeing a strip where Charlie Brown says, “Happiness is a warm puppy.^[7][8]

Her company facilitated the licensing of Peanuts characters for toys, gifts, and other products, revolutionising character merchandising.^[6]

In 1990, Determined Productions underwrote a Louvre exhibition celebrating 40 years of Snoopy, highlighting Boucher's influence in elevating Peanuts to a global brand.^[7]

Personal life

Boucher was married to Jim Young and had two sons, Douglas Boucher of Belvedere and Theodore Boucher of Davis, as well as a sister, June Dutton of Sausalito.^[5]

Death

Connie Boucher died on 20 December 1995 in San Francisco, California, at the age of 72, due to complications following heart surgery.^[5][7]