An homage from Bill Amend in his comic strip FoxTrot calls back to Charlie Brown’s infamous football fiasco in Peanuts. Featuring two of the Fox siblings, both Charlie Brown and Lucy are referenced in a delightfully perfect way. If someone is going to kick a football, their approach to the task is very important.
On Twitter, Bill Amend, creator of FoxTrot, shared a strip from the week of October 8, 2023. The strip shows the youngest brother, Jason Fox, with his older brother, Peter. Beginning as an innocent inquiry for a sibling’s help, the strip quickly shifts into the perfect homage.
What seemed like a simple request could quickly turn into a major sibling feud. Prepared to change his attire to channel Lucy Van Pelt, Jason is poised to make his brother’s life miserable. Kicking a football seems simple enough, but disaster lies ahead for Peter should he continue trying to get assistance from his younger brother.
10 Funniest Peanuts Comics Where Charlie Brown Takes On The Kite-Eating Tree
Charlie Brown tries his best to reason (and argue) with the relentless Kite-Eating Tree in these side-splitting Peanuts comics, to no avail.
FoxTrot Channels the Best of Peanuts With Football Homage
FoxTrot began in 1988, while Peanuts began syndication in 1950. The influence of Charles M. Schulz’s iconic comic strip can’t be understated, playing a large role in pop culture and comic history. Both are humorous strips, featuring young characters, though FoxTrot additionally shines a spotlight on the parents in the Fox family. Centered on the families adventures, it hasn’t been unheard of to see assorted conflicts and troublemaking between the three Fox siblings: Peter, Paige, and Jason.
Charlie Brown’s attempts to kick a football did not include Lucy at first. The first Peanuts strip featuring a kick attempt was released in November 1951. Violet was the girl holding the football, but she changed her mind at the last moment, resulting in the strip’s hero landing on his back. Lucy would take over the gag a year later, in November 1952. Since then, it has become a recurring event and one of the most well-known in comics, especially after its inclusion in the animated holiday special, It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966).
Peanuts: 10 Funniest Lucy’s Psychiatry Booth Moments Featuring Characters Other Than Charlie Brown
From little-known Frieda to the world’s most famous beagle, Lucy has given psychiatric help to more Peanuts characters than just Charlie Brown.
FoxTrot Delivers The Best Elements of Comic Strip Humor
Amend’s nod to Schulz’s iconic football gag in Peanuts brings back a classic comic gag in the best way. It presents a familiar situation, with a different twist, leading to a highly humorous exchange. It pays homage to one of the most influential comics in history and creates a new humorous path without a single football being kicked. It also channels sibling relationships masterfully, highlighting the trouble-making potential between brothers over simple activities. FoxTrot has a long tradition of humorously portraying suburban family life and continues to do so while using a blend of classic humor, like that seen with Charlie Brown in Peanuts with modern influences.
FoxTrot is available to read on the official FoxTrot website.
