Often regarded as the Golden Age of Peanuts, the ’60s were a very important time for the comic strip brand. Not only was the popularity of Peanuts booming in the 1960s, but the first Peanuts TV special aired in 1965 as well. One example of how massive Peanuts became in the ’60s is that NASA named their command and lunar modules after Charlie Brown and Snoopy for the Apollo 10 mission.

However, to longtime fans the year was particularly special because it debuted the idea of Snoopy’s many siblings, with May 1965 seeing the black and white pooch reconnecting with his puppy farm family. Without the May 1965 family reunion storyline, readers would have never got the chance to know Spike, Olaf, Andy, Marbles, and Belle. Here are the ten funniest comics from this pivotal month, including the entire saga of Snoopy welcoming his siblings back into his life (and Peanuts canon.)

10

“What in the World”

May 26, 1965

Lucy and Snoopy have butted heads countless times, bordering on the ridiculous. While they love each other underneath it all, and sometimes share a hug, they can’t resist getting into fights. Their fights are a bit unorthodox, however, with Snoopy going for dog kisses instead of the more usual punch. It may seem at first glance that Snoopy is trying to mend fences by giving her doggie kisses, but he is actually more calculated than meets the eye. Lucy completely abhors dog germs, which Snoopy threatens her with through his kisses. Consequently, Snoopy makes for a surprisingly ruthless opponent, a hilarious contrast to his usual adorable and lackadaisical self.

9

“A Little Walk”

May 3, 1965

Dogs love nothing more than going for a walk, so it should make sense that Snoopy takes Linus up on his offer. However, it turns out that Snoopy’s enthusiasm is a result of him avoiding walking by himself because he’s afraid of being robbed. While it may seem ridiculous for Snoopy to fear getting mugged, other comics suggest a mugger might be lucky to target him. Snoopy’s doghouse is filled with many treasures, including an original Van Gogh painting and a chandelier. There’s an irony to Snoopy using Linus to safeguard himself from theft, given the number of times he’s stolen the poor kid’s security blanket.

8

“A Pretty Face”

May 18, 1965

Try as hard as she might, Lucy always ends up with an L when it comes to her unrequited love for Schroeder. Yet, that does not stop her from coming back for more, continuing to interrupt his piano playing sessions. Usually, Schroeder tolerates her interruptions while he is trying to play, able to ignore her. However, in this comic, he has come to his breaking point, exclaiming that he can’t practice his playing while she is there any longer. Lucy comes up with an interesting reason for his refusal to play in front of her; he’s embarrassed to play in front of someone with as pretty a face as hers. Refusing to take it personally, she chooses to instead protect her ego – a classic Lucy move that has kept her bugging Schroeder for decades of Peanuts comics.

7

Sunflowers

May 19, 1965

In this strip, Charlie’s little sister Sally Brown makes the loving gesture to plant flowers around Snoopy’s doghouse. Sadly for the beagle, the flowers turn out to be sunflowers, essentially hiding him from view. It’s a fun visual, and Snoopy’s nonplussed reaction is perfect. The protection may also help him keep his various treasures safe, creating a perfect one-two security system when complemented by hanging out with Linus.

6

“You Should Have Called Her”

May 9, 1965

While Charlie Brown may be Snoopy’s closest family, the dog actually has biological family members like his mom and his siblings that have appeared in the comics as well. Snoopy is not always attentive to his family, however, as evidenced by this comic. When Snoopy receives a call, it is revealed that it is his mom yelling at him because he did not call her for Mother’s Day. Fans might have expected a dog to be less interested in hearing from her son, but Snoopy’s reaction confirms he knew he should have made the call. Not only does Snoopy get scolded by his mom but also by Charlie Brown, and rightfully so. It’s a rare occurrence when Snoopy, and not Charlie Brown, is on the receiving end of an angry reproach.

5

“I Wonder What Happened to All My Brothers and Sisters…”

May 4 to May 15

In May 1965, Snoopy attended a family reunion after beginning to wonder about his siblings. While Snoopy had long been in contact with his parents (the only adults depicted in Peanuts), his siblings from the puppt farm were unknown to fans. The comic shows Snoopy going to a family reunion and – despite his initial excitement – getting very little from it. Fans might have though this was a one-time storyline, especially because they didn’t actually get to see the other pups, but it was actually the beginning of Snoopy’s many, many family members getting bigger and bigger roles in Peanuts.

Snoopy’s siblings, especially his brother Spike, would play a bigger part in the comic strips in the ensuing decades, with the 1965 storyline being the catalyst to some fan-favorite characters. Spike, Olaf, Andy, Marbles and Belle all have their own personalities and bizarre obsessions, and their inclusion in Peanuts ‘lore’ all started here.

4

“What a Blockhead I Am”

May 2, 1965

Charlie Brown is one lovestruck kid when it comes to his crush, the Little Red Haired Girl. His love goes unrequited, however, with a major reason being due to the fact that he is always too scared to talk to her. Snoopy gets stuck in the middle of Charlie Brown’s whirlwind of thoughts, unaware of what is going on.

Schulz made Charlie Brown uniquely relatable for generations of fans, showing how negative thoughts can get on top of us. However, Charlie’s maudlin personality only makes Snoopy’s confused response all the funnier, showing that while Charlie may be going through something, a lot of his biggest problems take place entirely within his own worldview, leaving others bewildered by his downbeat attitude.

3

“I Feel Mean!”

May 24, 1965

Lucy is the queen of crabby, with the adjective being what most associate with her. When she is in a bad mood, she has no qualms about showing it. It is good for her that she doesn’t bottle things up, but bad for everyone else who ends up caught in her warpath. While most would think staying out of her way when she is in a mean mood would be a good idea, Snoopy has other ideas. When Lucy yells that nobody better get in her way, Snoopy takes it as a personal challenge, unable to pass on such a proposition. Snoopy is generally seen as a laidback character, but as his interactions with Lucy in this list show, he’s got a mischievous side when it comes to the irascible kid.

2

“Spitting Out Bones”

May 31, 1965

Charlie Brown has a long and complicated history with the Kite-Eating Tree. As much as he pleads, begs, yells, and even kicks the Kite-Eating Tree, it gobbles up his kites without fail. Linus is a witness in this mid-sixties comic strip where Charlie Brown introduces him to the Kite-Eating Tree.

This shows an interesting detail about Peanuts, where the kids (and Snoopy) can bring others into situations that readers might have assumed they’re imagining. Interestingly enough, Linus would not be the only one of his siblings to see firsthand the ravaging effects of the mean Kite-Eating Tree, with Rerun also seeing Charlie Brown’s kite get eaten without a second thought.

1

“There Are Followers”

May 22, 1965

Charlie Brown cannot seem to escape someone berating him or putting him down. Lucy is one of the biggest culprits, here going into a tirade about how Charlie Brown is forever doomed to be a follower, before then making her main point about her theory that babies are born in squads. One of the funniest parts of Charlie Brown’s constant suffering at the hands of his friends is how it’s rarely their main concern – Lucy’s point isn’t that Charlie is a follower, it’s just an assumption that’s part of her adorable theory about babies. Charlie Brown is one of the most beaten down characters in pop culture, and this Peanuts comic shows how casually his friends drop truth-bombs on his head – a detail that’s even funnier when it’s propping up a bizarrely incorrect theory about human biology.