Peanut never fails to put its iconic characters like Charlie Brown, Linus, and Snoopy in hilarious situations, resulting in memorable gags and gags that are as funny today as they were when they were published. While there is certainly no shortage of examples, probably the most iconic racing joke in Peanut the story is Charlie Brown trying to kick the football.
Whether in comic books, holiday specials, and animated films, Charlie Brown has been trying to kick the ball for decades, but Lucy is determined to prevent this from happening as she always moves the ball at the last second. No matter how many times he is tricked, Charlie Brown will never learn, and that’s what makes this joke so funny. And, in a harvest of 10 Hilarious Peanut comics that just turned 30readers get a new take on the iconic ‘football gag’.
10
Linus and Snoopy squash their long-standing rivalry
Peanut – October 8, 1994
Linus is sitting on the grass with his blanket when Snoopy comes sniffing around, sneakily crawling on his belly toward Linus’ blanket. Linus tells the sneaky little dog to back off and that if he gets any closer he’ll regret it. However, in the very next panel, Snoopy is seen lying on Linus’ lap, commenting on how people always say things they don’t mean. And, interestingly, Linus doesn’t seem to mind.
Linus and Snoopy have been at odds for some time Peanut canon, and there’s only one reason for that: Linus’ blanket. Snoopy is always trying to steal the blanket, which happens to be Linus’ prized possession.so he doesn’t want it to be torn up and dirty by Snoopy. But here, it looks like these two have managed to end their long-standing rivalry (at least in the comic books).
9
Snoopy Writes a Truly Hilarious Scene in His Great American Novel
Peanut – October 26, 1994
For years, Snoopy has been working on his ‘Great American Novel,’ and of all the excerpts fans have been able to read over that time, this is easily the funniest thing he’s ever written. Snoopy is writing a scene involving a man leaving a woman, and this is his dialogue as he is leaving: “Toodle-oo, caribou!“,”Soon, crocodile!“,”Stay loose, mongoose!“,”It was cool, budgie!“. And the woman’s response? “Please. Just leave“.
This dialogue alone gives readers a series of hilarious scenarios involving the two people Snoopy is writing about, including one where they are a couple, and she can’t stand his awkward humor for a moment longer, even when he is walking out the door. But, No matter what’s actually going on in Snoopy’s story, this bit is totally hysterical in and of itself..
8
Peanuts turns a local bird bath into an ice rink
Peanut – October 29, 1994
Snoopy is near a water fountain in his backyard when four birds fly in to land at the water fountain. However, the water in the birdbath is frozen and the birds immediately slip out. Snoopy then looks at them and says, “It got cold last night, didn’t it?“, both to chat lightly about the weather and to point out that the birds weren’t paying enough attention to where they were flying.
Peanut Turns a local birdbath into an ice rinkand Snoopy is there to witness it. This comic could also be an extension of Snoopy’s ongoing joke ‘Beagle Scouts’ where he puts a group of birds through survival training. This would explain why he called them that, because these ‘Beagle Scouts’ were certainly not paying enough attention to their surroundings.
7
Snoopy wasn’t made for the life of an outside dog
Peanut – October 13, 1994
During a football game that all of the Peanuts gang are participating in (including Snoopy), Snoopy suddenly regrets every one of his life choices that have led to this moment. It’s pouring rain and it looks like he was in a pile of dogs. That’s why Snoopy thinks to himself, “Some dogs lie down on a soft rug in front of the fireplace and eat cookies…“.
What Snoopy wants in this comic is the life of an indoor dog. Unfortunately for him, Snoopy is and always has been an outside dogcomplete with a dog house where he lives full time, as well as his active participation in all of the Peanuts gang’s outdoor activities. And now, It looks like Snoopy just realized this is a life he wasn’t made for.
6
Even when he’d rather be somewhere else, Snoopy is happy to feel included
Peanut – October 14, 1994
During the same football game, Marcie comes across Snoopy, and they are both so covered in mud that at first Marcie has no idea who she is talking to. However, after she asks Snoopy who he is, he responds with a “wow“, Marcie knows he’s a dog covered in mud. Snoopy then thinks to himself, “It’s better than nothing“, which hilariously reverses its sentiment in the previous Peanut comic.
Snoopy’s comic book history indicates that he doesn’t mind being covered in mud, or that Marcie doesn’t even seem to know him by name, Snoopy is happy to be included. It seems that Snoopy may have been too quick to wish for the life of an indoor dog, as he certainly wouldn’t have been included in this football if he had been one.
5
Snoopy’s intelligence hilariously exceeds Charlie Brown’s expectations
Peanut – October 17, 1994
Linus and Charlie Brown are sitting together on a park bench while Snoopy is under a nearby tree, reading a book. Linus asks Charlie Brown: “How do you know if a dog is intelligent?“to which Charlie Brown responds:”Probably if he seems to be curious about things“. Right after Charlie Brown answers Linus’ question, Snoopy says to himself: “I always wondered what Anna Karenina saw in Count Vronsky…“.
When Charlie Brown answered Linus’ question, it’s a safe bet that what he meant by “dog curiosity” was the desire to explore one’s surroundings and other things of that nature indicative of the curious behavior of a normal dog. What he certainly didn’t mean was what Snoopy was doing, how the puppy wasn’t just reading Anna KareninaSnoopy had opinions about the characters in the novelthus hilariously exceeding Charlie Brown’s expectations.
4
Charlie Brown’s dark thoughts are incessant, even when he is happy
Peanut – October 3, 1994
As Charlie Brown lies in his bed, he comments on how good he is and how he often thinks about all the positive things in his life. But then, Charlie Brown says that – whenever these positive thoughts flood his mind – he is hit with dark thoughts that are even more powerful. In this comic strip, Charlie Brown reveals the ‘dark voices’ in his head, saying: “we appreciate your attitude“, as if telling him that his optimism is admirable, despite his ever-present despair.
Peanut Fans have known for years that Charlie Brown is depressed, as he has displayed every symptom throughout his decades-long history. But to hear him describe it this way, that Charlie Brown can’t even think a positive thought without dark thoughts flooding his mindis truly tragic and funny in only the darkest of ways.
3
Linus and Snoopy go door to door, spreading the ‘Good Word’ of the Great Pumpkin
Peanut – October 30, 1994
The day before Halloween, Snoopy and Linus go door to door, spreading the ‘good word’ of the Great Pumpkin (as if they represented a legitimate organized religion). When asked by the people they talk to why they should believe in the Great Pumpkin, Linus says it will bring them peace and comfort, and he even points to Snoopy as a prime example of what a true believer looks like. Hilariously, Snoopy chooses this moment to take a quick nap, as if he’s so at peace with himself that he could pass out anytime, anywhere.
Of course, Snoopy was just along for the ride after somehow getting involved in Linus’ annual Halloween tradition, as he put in as little effort as he could in spreading the Great Pumpkin’s “good word” – in fact, Snoopy could until you remember the Great Pumpkin name.
2
Snoopy joins Linus on Halloween to wait for the big pumpkin
Peanut – October 31, 1994
After spending the day before Halloween knocking on people’s doors telling them about the Great Pumpkin, Snoopy and Linus find themselves sitting in their local pumpkin patch on Halloween night, awaiting the arrival of the Great Pumpkin.. Just like during the campaign, Linus needs to keep Snoopy focused on his mission. Instead of using his binoculars to look for the Great Pumpkin, Snoopy used them to stargaze and eventually to observe “a stupid boy sitting in the pumpkin patch“.
It’s always a pleasure to read a Peanut comic book revolving around the Great Pumpkin. The special holiday, It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, is easily one of (if not the) biggest Peanut animations, and this comic – and any other about the Great Pumpkin – is just an expansion of that iconic story.
Peanut – October 16, 1994
Peanut has done the ‘Charlie Brown football gag’ so many times throughout comic book history, but in October 1994, Charle M. Schulz decided to give Peanut fans another perspective on the classic joke: their own. When Lucy knocks on Charlie Brown’s door to see if he wants to kick the football, Sally answers and says that Charlie Brown would have to be an idiot to fall for that again. So the comic lingers on Sally, allowing readers to observe her reaction to the joke—a reaction that mirrors their own.
Just like the fans who read this strip, Sally can’t believe that Charlie Brown would fall for Lucy’s football trick after all these years, only to be proven wrong once again. It’s a hilariously different take on a classic joke, which is why this is one of the 10 funniest Peanut comics that just turned 30 years old.