It’s been a whooping 70 years since the Peanuts comics of 1954 were published, marking a big milestone! It is amazing to think that comic strips read in 1954 are still being read in 2024, 70 years later. Just like how things in 2024 are vastly different from the way things were in 1954, the Peanuts comics would change in many ways in the seven decades from its debut until its end in 2000.

The looks of the characters changed a lot from the ’50s to the later comics, especially that of Snoopy. Likewise, new characters would be added to the comics in the ensuing years as well, like Franklin and Snoopy’s many siblings. While many things may have changed for Peanuts since 1954, its wholesome sense of humor and its dedication to its characters remained constant from the beginning and lasted all the way until the very end.

10

“Listening To The Ocean Roar”

May 4, 1954

For as long as Peanuts has been associated with baseball, Charlie Brown’s team has been associated with abysmal records. They have always had the reputation of being a clunker of a team. Likewise, even as far back as the strip’s early days, Lucy has been shown as the weakest player.

This comic is pure evidence of her lack of baseball skills, with her choosing to put her mitt to her ear to hear the sounds of the ocean, rather than, you know, actually play baseball during an ongoing game. Not spending her time wisely no doubt causes the team to lose. Then again, the team almost always loses, so no harm, no foul, when everything is said and done. A rare time when Charlie Brown yells at Lucy instead of the reverse, the strip marks a unique occasion.

9

“Jack-In-The-Box”

May 29, 1954

Linus becomes intrigued by a jack-in-the-box, excitedly turning the crank and expectantly waiting for the jack to pop out. However, the little guy is in for a surprise when the entire box jumps up because it is upside-down. He gets visibly shaken by the box popping up, jolting him to the point of making him jump. Anyone who has seen a jack-in-the-box can attest that waiting for the figure to come out of the box can cause some irrational anxiousness.

Ironically, Linus looks happy for the box to pop, only to be taken off guard by the opposite reaction to what he envisioned. It does not seem likely that the jack-in-the-box will be the toy of choice for Linus moving forward. No wonder he always needs a security blanket.

8

“Something A Little More Sturdy”

May 22, 1954

Given that things tend to go wrong for Charlie Brown, he has understandably become overly cautious. When he sees Lucy’s balloon, he tries to look out for her, like any good friend, and suggests she get a sturdier string so that her balloon doesn’t float away from her. Charlie Brown’s idea of a sturdier string is a full-on rope, being a cumbersome addition to Lucy’s balloon.

When Charlie Brown first offers to help, Lucy likely does not picture that his solution will be a bulky rope. His intentions are good, but ultimately, not a great decision. Lucy’s attitude surely goes from happy to crabby. Although, it usually does not take much for Lucy to become crabby anyway. At least Charlie Brown tries to be a caring and helpful friend, even if the results are not the best for Lucy… or the balloon, for that matter.

7

“More Strength”

May 5, 1954

Snoopy is a small dog, and while he’s certainly adorable, he’s not exactly the most brawny dog ever. Charlie Brown finds out about Snoopy’s lack of physical strength the hard way. While trying to teach Snoopy a trick, he finds that one small piece of candy is too heavy for the pup, and it causes him to sink down until he can finally rest his head on the floor.

A piece of candy would not be something that people think of as heavy. However, when one is as small as Snoopy, what counts as heavy broadens widely. Charlie Brown, correctly, deduces that the trick may have to wait until Snoopy has gotten stronger. While this earlier Peanuts strip shows Snoopy being very typically dog-like, doing tricks and not having a thought bubble, Snoopy would go on to have a huge personality and take on more anthropomorphic qualities.

6

“You Don’t Like Coconut, Do You?”

May 31, 1954

Lucy can be boastful at best, and just plain obnoxious at worst. This 1950s comic is a perfect example of this less-than-stellar quality of Lucy’s. When Lucy keeps insisting that Charlie Brown does not like coconut, which Charlie Brown agrees with, she eats a candy that makes the reader and Charlie Brown think she is eating coconut and not offering any to him as a result.

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However, at the end, it is revealed that she isn’t even eating coconut, she is eating chocolate creams! She could have been a nice friend and offered him a piece of candy all along. This is something that Charlie Brown notices himself, as evidenced by the look on his face in the last panel of the strip. The reader can commiserate with Charlie Brown, feeling like they too are missing out on some delicious chocolate creams.

5

“It’ll Never Hit The Ground”

May 26, 1954

Anyone who has had a dog can attest to the fact that anytime there is food being handled, the pets are in close proximity, hoping with all hope that so much as a crumb will fall so they can eat some yummy people food. Charlie Brown is fully aware of this fact of dog owners thanks to Snoopy, who proves the point to bystander Violet.

When Charlie Brown accidentally drops a potato chip, he is confident that it will never even touch the floor. He is proven correct as Snoopy zooms by and eats up the chip right before it has a chance to land on the grass. For a dog who loves food as much as Snoopy, it is his lucky day that Charlie Brown lets a chip slip out of his fingers.

4

“Thump”

May 12, 1954

Nothing can ever seem to go Charlie Brown’s way, even something as simple as swinging on a swing set. What should be a moment of simple, pure childhood joy instead becomes a moment of pure slapstick for good ol’ Charlie Brown. Since the actual action of Charlie Brown falling off the swing set is not shown to the reader, one can only guess how he ricocheted himself off the swing. When it comes to Charlie Brown, anything is possible.

In typical Charlie Brown fashion, he ends up getting the short end of the stick, even when he is all by himself. Unfortunately for him, even a normal day on the swing cannot go right for him. As a result, the comic is a perfect example of how things tend to go for the character of Charlie Brown.

3

“Lucy And Snoopy”

May 21, 1954

Much like her brother, Lucy has an unexpected experience with a jack-in-the-box. However, unlike Linus, Lucy intentionally uses the jack-in-the-box in an unorthodox way. She uses it to mess with Snoopy and make him jump. She aims the jack to pop out to the side, scaring poor Snoopy, the same way Linus is scared by the reverse jumping jack-in-the-box.

As early as the ’50s, Lucy and Snoopy would mess with each other, with this comic being a prime piece of evidence. While Lucy is seen as the aggressor in this strip, Snoopy would have his moments where he would intentionally do things for the sole purpose of getting under her skin or starting a fight. Some people (and dogs) just like conflict at the end of the day.

2

“Get Your Money Back”

May 20, 1954

Schroeder’s whole life revolves around music, especially classical music. He is a skilled piano player and focuses solely on music the majority of the time. Lucy, on the other hand, despite having a massive crush on him, does not share Schroeder’s love of classical music. In fact, she really does not know much at all about it.

When Schroeder proudly shows off his new Chopin record, he happily explains that it has a dirge in it, which means a slow song, kind of like a ballad. Lucy, however, thinks that a dirge means that something is wrong with the record. She offers Schroeder a solution by suggesting he take it back to get his money returned to him. Unfortunately for her, she couldn’t be more wrong. As a result, she doesn’t improve in making any strides with gaining Schroeder’s favor.

1

“Hit One!”

May 11, 1954

Charlie Brown has the worst baseball team in the league. Consequently, he is the last one who should be engaging in trash talk. Yet, his crummy baseball team’s performance does not stop him from talking some smack to his opponents. He yells out to the batter that they aren’t hitting balls out to him because they lack the ability and are weak, walking closer to the batter to taunt them.

A moment later, Charlie Brown eats some crow when a ball soars over his head, surely embarrassing him after he’s just talked such a big game. It is not a common occurrence to see Charlie Brown yell or insult anyone. Ironically, the few times he does always end up backfiring on him, like this case. A lesson is learned by Charlie Brown on this day, with future Peanuts baseball comic strips showing a more peaceful Charlie Brown.