Snoopy has several siblings who randomly appeared throughout Peanut comic. From Belle to Marbles, Charlie Brown’s iconic dog has no shortage of family members who would love to stop by for a special evening. And one of his siblings particularly stands out, not only as perhaps the most recognizable of Snoopy’s siblings, but also because he has a shockingly tragic backstory.
IN Peanut In the comic by Charles M. Schulz, published on September 18, 1994, readers are transported to the desert where Snoopy’s brother, Spike, wanders all alone. Spike talks to himself, breaking the fourth wall by addressing the reader. He begins by posing the question: “Why do I live alone here in the desert?”, and the answer is absolutely heartbreaking.
Spike was once a hunting hound, and his owner ordered him to chase a rabbit. Spike didn’t want to, but he also wanted to please his master, so he did as he was told. Although Spike was not fast enough to catch the rabbit, he did chase it down the road, where the rabbit was hit by a car. Spike was traumatized by watching a rabbit get killed right in front of him, and he hated himself for causing it. So Spike ran away from his master and went to live in the desert.”where again I couldn’t harm anything“
Snoopy’s brother Spike is traumatized after seeing death
Spike’s origin story is decidedly dark Peanut
Peanut is famous for its lightheartedness: even serious topics are nothing more than universal problems that children face. Even when Charlie Brown tells someone about his depression, he usually just expresses his anxiety about the future, questioning his place in the world (which many children experience). In other words, even the most serious topics usually do not involve issues of life and death or the long-term effects of trauma. But that all changed with Spike’s origin story, which dealt with both of these heavy topics.
Spike’s origins become even more tragic when you consider the nature of the animals in Peanut Universe. Like Snoopy, Woodstock, and even Spike himself, this rabbit that Spike saw die was most likely anthropomorphic to a certain extent. This wasn’t just another animal for the beagle to hunt (like in real life), this bunny was essentially human, just like the other Peanuts animal characters. And Spike saw this “man” die right before his eyes, and it was his fault – something decidedly grim for Peanut comic.
Snoopy helped his brother heal from his trauma in Peanuts
Snoopy tries his best to turn on Spike whenever he can.
Snoopy doesn’t always get the chance to spend time with his family, but whenever he does, he’s always excited to see them, including and especially Spike. Whenever Spike comes to visit, Snoopy always makes him feel at home and even includes his brother in his imaginary games, such as World War I Flying Ace (where Spike is a member of the notional infantry). Essentially, Snoopy is letting Spike know that he doesn’t have to live alone in the desert, he is accepted and loved for who he is, his family and the entire Peanuts gang community – traumas and all.
Connected
While Snoopy makes Spike feel accepted and loved whenever he is in town, Snoopy also doesn’t make him move out of the desert, he just gives him the opportunity to come to a place where he is always welcome. But the decision to leave the desert is made only by Spike, and by the time this comic is published Snoopyhis brother still feels like he belongs here, and it’s all because of his shockingly tragic backstory in Peanut canon.