Much like golf and baseball are always present sports in PeanutsTennis is also a mainstay that made many appearances throughout the classic comic strip’s run. From tennis-centric characters like “Molly Wally” and “Cribbaby Grandma” – what names! – to storylines that revolved around the beloved riot sport, Peanuts Embrace tennis as a narrative driver and inspiration for new characters.
In fact, one tennis storyline, in which Snoopy tried to travel to Wimbledon, actually led to the character of Bell, Snoopy’s sister, being introduced to readers.
As a result, while baseball may have overshadowed tennis in Peanuts Comic strips, the sport is still meaningful to the characters and their stories. Tennis also brought out the flow of some of the characters in a new and refreshing way like Linus wanting to run away when Sally calls him her boyfriend or Snoopy’s competitiveness.
10
“It was the strip in the middle that confused him…”
First published: June 4, 1975
In a particularly intense game of tennis, beloved beagle Snoopy finds his match interrupted by a bug that crosses the court—not just once, but twice. In the previous day’s strip, from June 3, 1975, the bug made its debut, only to be yelled at by Snoopy for interfering.
Then the next day, as he was lost once more, the bug wanders back onto the tennis court after mistaking the tennis court for a highway, Which prompts Snoopy to give the bug some much-needed information about how a highway looks like a tennis court. It turns out that the whole time the bug was confused from the strip down into the middle of the tennis court, thinking that it was the same lines that are on the highway. When everything is gigantic to a bug, it’s easy to see how it could make this mistake.
9
“I think dogs are allowed to kick people” – the introduction of Crybaby Bobbie
First published: March 4, 1997
A minor Peanuts Character, Crybaby Boobie was typically seen in tennis-centered comic strips, where she would constantly complain and whine. Unfortunately for Snoopy, Crybaby Boobie is often his rival, and predictably gives him a hard time with almost everything. For example, in the comic strip, After hearing Crybaby Boobie do what she does best, Snoopy’s patience almost hits its limit, as he continues to kick her.
While Snoopy does not kick in the comic, he eventually would; Later in March 1997, he kicked her after she won their tennis match. Here, Snoopy is left to consider kicking his little girl rival, which does not put the beagle in the best light, even if Crybaby Boobie is highly annoying to him and almost everyone around her.
8
“Out!”
First published: January 12, 1975
This super-sized Peanuts Cartoon features the more aggressive side of Snoopy, as he was eager to explain various shots of his opponent – only to get a taste of his own medicine, When his own service is given an “out” designation, prompting him to explain: “He lives by the bad calls, he dies by the bad calls.”
Snoopy, as much as he likes to imagine himself as a cool, laid-back beatnik, is quite the competitive hot-headed beagle. He resorts to some excessively bad calls to hurt the score of the opposing player here, overall acting very serious about it all. On the other hand, when the call happens to him, he is definitely less passionate about it, obviously deflated. For Snoopy, who likes to imagine himself as a world-famous tennis player, he does not engage in the most professional or sportsman-like behavior.
7
“I’ve heard of mixed doubles, but that’s ridiculous”
First published: May 9, 1977
Snoopy isn’t exactly a stellar tennis player, so it’s always helpful for him to have a partner. His first partner was the garage, a welcome partner in Snoopy’s imagination. However, the pup gets an upgrade when he gets a real human doubles partner in the comic, a girl with the very appropriate name for a tennis player, Molly Wally. A bit of a John McEnroe on the tennis courts, Molly Wally can be a hothead and a very competitive player, just like Snoopy – and in real life, just like Peanuts Creator Charles Schultz.
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Her initial reaction to finding Snoopy is that her partner is not enthusiastic, though, As she suggests, a team-up between a dog and a human gives a whole new meaning to “Mixed doubles.” As readers would find out about Molly Wally, she didn’t like to lose, and didn’t have much hope when she saw that Snoopy was her partner, and for good reason.
6
“I hate playing guys like that. They keep hitting the ball back!”
First published: June 10, 1976
In June 1970, Snoopy first crafted his world famous tennis player alternate persona. Despite his confident demeanor when it comes to playing tennis, he’s actually pretty bad at the game. Even considering his lack of tennis skills, Snoopy has a June 1976 storyline that revolves around him deciding to go to Wimbledon and play against the greats. He even lent to the cat next door that he was going to Wimbledon.
Charlie Brown tries to talk some necessary sense into Snoopy including telling him that Wimbledon is in England, not Kansas City, as Snoopy previously thought, and reminding Snoopy that he will be playing against players like Bjorn Borg, a Grand Slam titleholder. In this comic strip, Snoopy thinks about how he hates playing against “The kind of players“- meaning those who are genuinely talented and will hit his serves.
5
“That’s the only trouble with tennis, you can’t play it alone”
First published: July 18, 1971
Adoring her sweet Babu, Sally always jumps at the chance to spend time with Linus. When he asks you to play tennis with him, Simply because it’s a game he can’t play alone, she takes the opportunity to yell at the older kids who take up the tennis court to get off the court so she can play with her “boyfriend.” Hilariously, after she uses the word boyfriend, Linus is depicted as having disappeared faster than she can comprehend.
So the tennis courts may be open, but now Sally is stuck with no one else to play tennis with. Linus can usually stay pretty straight about things, but when his security blanket is threatened with being taken away or if Sally tries to call him her boyfriend, he completely loses it.
4
“I haven’t had this much fun since I had bypass surgery”
First published: July 29, 1984
Snoopy may have larger-than-life aspirations, but his real-life abilities rarely meet those sky-high expectations. For example, his own position of world famous tennis player fails to match his actual tennis playing, which is truly abysmal. In one particular comic strip, readers see Snoopy flying all over the place during a tennis match and even getting caught in the net.
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When Charlie Brown, being the thoughtful, round-headed kid that he is, Asked how Snoopy’s game was, he replies somewhat dramatically (and very sarcastically) that his game was on par with receiving bypass surgery. Comparing anything to surgery is a bad sign, so it’s safe to assume that Snoopy won’t be chomping at the bit to get back on the tennis courts so soon after this cartoon.
3
“Put it away, partner!”
First published: April 26, 1982
Mali Valley takes tennis incredibly seriously. Snoopy also takes the game seriously, but his abilities are much less impressive than the skills of his double partner. The gap in their respective tennis-playing talent is on full display in this one Peanuts pass, showing that Molly is a good doubles partner by cheering Snoopy on, Who volleys the ball back so terribly that it stunts all on the court.
The worst part of it is that it was the match point that Snoopy’s snafu occurred, basically ruining the team’s chances of winning. Molly Valley is prone to temperamental outbursts on the tennis courts, so she won’t take this loss lightly. As hard as Snoopy tried to volley that little green ball, it wasn’t enough, just landing on the net in a strange and frustrating display for the Snoopy-Molly Valley team.
2
“That’s nice, but it’s not exactly what I meant”
First published: May 20, 1983
In tennis, service means a shot to start a point. On the other hand, Snoopy takes a very different meaning of the word. During a tennis match, Charlie Brown, being the adept player that he is, Serve calls and Snoopy takes it as a command to bring Charlie Brown an ice-cold drink on a tray. While Charlie Brown can appreciate his dog doing something for him for a change, he can’t help but be surprised by Snoopy’s misunderstanding.
The fact that Snoopy pretends to be a famous tennis player, but doesn’t even know what service means in tennis, says all anyone needs to know about his playing skills. Snoopy not knowing the meaning of service in tennis is far the only mix-up he has related to the sport during peanuts Run, with him also thinking Wimbledon was in Kansas City, for some unknown reason.
1
“Joe Choke”
First published: June 11, 1977
Snoopy may think he’s a stellar tennis player, but reality tends to contrast with his fantasies of athletic prowess. When he makes a serve that turns out to be a bad double fault, Snoopy makes the comment that he is Joe Choke, rather than his typical alter ego, Joe Cool. For those who are unaware of what it means to choke in sports, it means to fail to act in the intended way.
Obviously, Snoopy meant to perform an exceptional serve and gain some advantage in the match. However, he chokes and makes a crammy serve instead. Snoopy’s hilarious (not to him, though) spin on his alter ego’s name to reflect his current mood and feelings shows that while Snoopy may keep his head in the clouds, he has several feet on the ground, even if it only occurs when he is dragged back down by reality in this perfect Peanuts funny.