Charles Forbell was born in Brooklyn, New York, and attended the Pratt Institute, before joining the art staff of the New York World. Around 1910, he began contributing cartoons to magazines like Life and Judge, doing cartoon series like 'In Ye Goode Old Days' (Life) and 'In Ancient Times' and 'Ancient Sources of Modern Inventions' (Judge) throughout the 1910s, 1920s and 1930s. He also created the shortlived newspaper comic 'Naughty Pete' in 1913.

Apart from doing newspaper comics, Charles Forbell did much commercial work. One of his most prominent productions was 'Mr Peanut', the Planters Peanut Symbol that is familiar around the world (although he did not create it, he was asked to do the design on it). For a Pea soup company, he designed two little elves, called Happy and Peawee, who are shown cutting a pea in half to make the famous soup. These figures were displayed in all restaurants owned by the company. A few months prior to his death, Forbell suffered a stroke, which left him without the use of his right hand. Loving his work, he was very sad that he could not continue it.

'Ancient Sources of Modern Inventions'
by Charles Forbell, circa 1928-1931 for 'Judge' magazine,
graciously provided by Margrett Forbell