Peanuts: 10 Classic Comics We Know You've Never Seen Before

Feb 2, 2025 - 15:00

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Peanuts

Peanuts is one of the most iconic comic strips in history, proven true by the massive success of the franchise as a whole, from animated specials to feature films. The reason this classic comic is so beloved - other than the fact that it’s hilarious - is that Peanuts has been around for seventy-five years. The first Peanuts comic strip debuted in October 1950, and it has been a hit with fans ever since.

One would be hard-pressed to find someone who isn’t familiar with the likes of Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and the entire Peanuts gang. However, since the comic strip has been around for so long, there are bound to be some strips that even the most hardcore fans have never even seen before - especially the earliest ones published. Here are 10 classic Peanuts comic strips that most fans have likely never seen, and that actually set the stage for some of the most iconic aspects of Peanuts lore!

10 Snoopy’s First Appearance

Peanuts - October 4, 1950

Peanuts' Snoopy walking down the street with a flower on his head.

In the third Peanuts comic strip to ever be published, Snoopy is walking down the street on all fours with a flower on his head. He walks by Patty's house right as she is watering her own flowers hanging from her window. Unfortunately, some of the water from Patty's watering can spilled onto Snoopy's flower, making it droopy and getting the pup all wet.

Woodstock stands on Snoopy's stomach atop his doghouse in Peanuts comic art

Peanuts: 15 Most Heartwarming Snoopy & Woodstock Best Friend Moments

Best friends forever, Snoopy and Woodstock have warmed the hearts of Peanuts fans for decades thanks to their loyal and loving friendship.

This comic is kind of sad, and admittedly unspectacular when compared with some of the hilarious gags Peanuts has offered fans over the years. However, it's a major standout because it is the first-ever comic to feature Snoopy, who is now one of the most popular Peanuts characters. Yet, because it's one of the first Peanuts comics ever published, many fans have never seen it - that is, until now.

9 Charlie Brown’s First Interaction with Snoopy

Peanuts - October 10, 1950

Snoopy using Charlie Brown's head as a pillow before Chuck moves.

Charlie Brown was introduced in the first Peanuts comics strip, and Snoopy was introduced soon afterward, but they wouldn't share a panel together for the first time until this one - and it's kind of the opposite of their normal dynamic. Charlie Brown and Snoopy are hanging out inside Chuck's house together. Snoopy is using Charlie Brown's head as a pillow while sitting on a chair, and Charlie Brown is on the foot rest beneath him. That is, until Charlie Brown abruptly moves, letting Snoopy fall to the floor.

Snoopy is usually pulling pranks on and being playfully mean to Charlie Brown, but their first interaction paints a different picture of their relationship.

The more firmly-established dynamic between Charlie Brown and Snoopy is the opposite of this, as Snoopy usually does 'mean' things to Charlie Brown, not the other way around. But, in these early Peanuts comics, it was still finding its footing, which is why it's so fun to go back and read these greatly-forgotten strips.

8 The Original “Peanuts Gang”

Peanuts - October 18, 1950

The Peanuts Gang is the soul of the Peanuts franchise, with iconic members that everyone recognizes, like Linus, Lucy, Schroeder, Pig-Pen, and - of course - Charlie Brown. However, the original Peanuts Gang would be completely unrecognizable to fans of the more mainstream lineup - and they are all featured together for the first time in this comic strip. This Peanuts strip shows Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Patty, and Shermy in their own mini-business stands.

The original Peanuts Gang is unrecognizable compared to what it is today.

A number of Peanuts fans are probably thinking right now: "who are these people?". Obviously, Charlie Brown and Snoopy are familiar. But, Patty and Shermy? They are not as recognizable as Linus, Lucy, Sally, or Schroeder. However, in the early days of Peanuts canon, this was the official Peanuts Gang.

7 Snoopy Gets His Name

Peanuts - November 10, 1950

Patty and Shermy teaching Snoopy a trick in Peanuts.

It seems absurd to consider a time when Snoopy was just some no-name cartoon dog, but that's exactly how it was back when Peanuts was just taking off. In fact, it would take more than a month of Peanuts comic strip syndication before Snoopy even got his name at all. In this comic, Patty tells Shermy that she's trying to teach Snoopy to sit up, and when Shermy tries to show Snoopy how to do it by sitting up himself, Snoopy just laughs in his face.

Peanuts just casually drops Snoopy's name as if fans have always known it, which is kind of cool to see in hindsight, since Snoopy would become a name that everyone knows - even the most casual Peanuts fan in the world. The moment is understated and certainly easy to miss, but this strip is one every Peanuts fan should see.

6 First Appearance of Peanuts’ Iconic Brick Wall

Peanuts - December 25, 1950

Charlie Brown and Shermy walking past the Brick Wall in Peanuts.

Charlie Brown and Shermy are walking outside together on Christmas Day. Shermy says that people used to have to walk through the woods to get to their grandma's house, and Charlie Brown agrees, saying that all he has to do is walk to the apartment above his, as that's where his grandma lives. However, the conversation they're having is nowhere near as interesting as where they are having it: at the iconic brick wall.

The brick wall has been prominently featured across the Peanuts franchise, from comic strips to animated specials and feature films. It's where Charlie Brown has some of his deepest conversations, and acts as something of a central meeting place for the entire Peanuts gang. And this greatly forgotten comic strip is where it was first introduced.

5 Snoopy’s First Alter Ego

Peanuts - August 9, 1951

Snoopy pretending to be a bird sitting in a birdbath in Peanuts.

Snoopy is sitting in a birdbath even though he's been told by Violet a few times already that he's not allowed to be in there. So, she tells Snoopy one last time to get out of the birdbath, explaining to the pup that it is for birds and birds only. After she said that, however, Snoopy extends his ears as if they were a pair of wings, pretending to be a bird to stay in the birdbath.

Peanuts: 10 Best Snoopy Alter Egos - From Joe Cool to the World-Famous Attorney

From an astronaut to the grinning Cheshire Beagle, Snoopy has had many alter egos in Peanuts history, but these remain his most popular.

As many Peanuts fans are well aware of, Snoopy has taken on a number of alter egos over the years, from WWI Flying Ace and the World Famous Tennis Pro to the utterly iconic Joe Cool. But, his first alter ego is just a random bird, which makes its debut in this comic strip.

4 Snoopy Gets His Iconic Doghouse

Peanuts - September 4, 1951

Charlie Brown mowing the grass around Snoopy's doghouse.

Charlie Brown is on the phone (presumably with one of his parents), complaining about having to mow the lawn around his 'neighbor's' house. Charlie Brown says that they should mow their own lawn, saying that this should not be his responsibility. But then, Charlie Brown gets a bit of news that changes his mind. This 'neighbor' isn't a neighbor at all, it's Snoopy, and - since he's a dog - he's physically incapable of mowing his own lawn, so Charlie Brown is happy to do it for him.

Every Peanuts fan knows how iconic Snoopy's doghouse is. More often than not, in a Peanuts comic featuring Snoopy, the pup is shown hanging out on top of his doghouse, doing things like writing, playing pretend, or just sleeping. In essence, Snoopy's doghouse has become almost an extension of himself, and it debuted in this obscure comic strip.

Peanuts - November 14, 1951

Violet pulling the football away before Charlie Brown can kick it.

Violet is holding a football for Charlie Brown to kick, but as Chuck gets closer and closer, Violet begins to lose her nerve. Violent starts getting anxious about Charlie Brown accidentally kicking her instead of the football, and as he ran closer to her, the anxiety only grew. So, right before Charlie Brown kicked the football, Violet couldn't take it anymore and let go of the football, causing Charlie Brown to trip on the ball he was trying to kick.

The 10 Best Charlie Brown & Lucy Football Gags

The football gag is one of the most recognizable jokes in Peanuts. Here are the 10 best times Lucy tricked Charlie Brown into falling on his back.

The 'Charlie Brown Football Gag' is easily one of the funniest and most recognizable gags in Peanuts. While it's true that Lucy is more famously the one holding the ball instead of Violet, this is still the same gag fans know and love, so every fan should see where it got its start.

2 Lucy’s Peanuts Debut

Peanuts - March 3, 1952

Lucy jumping rope next to Charlie Brown in Peanuts.

Charlie Brown is playing with a toy car outside by himself when he hears Lucy approaching him jumping rope. Lucy is saying "one" over and over again, as if she's counting her rope-jumps, but failing to say a number larger than one. Based on her wide eyes, it seems Lucy is too focused on jumping rope to think of another number, so Charlie Brown does it for her by shouting, "Two. Lucy! Two!", at which point, Lucy starts saying "two" over and over again.

Lucy wouldn't adopt her iconic short-fused temper until the Peanuts comic strip published July 18, 1952.

Lucy's debut is pretty funny, and perfectly highlights her intensity. But, what's more significant than how Lucy was introduced is the fact that she was introduced in the first place, as Lucy is one of the most iconic members of the Peanuts Gang - and most Peanuts fans have never even seen her first appearance.

1 Linus’ Peanuts Debut

Peanuts - September 19, 1952

Linus as a baby being propped up with wooden boards in Peanuts.

Lucy excitedly runs up to Charlie Brown to tell him that her little brother, Linus, can sit up. Charlie Brown asks, "all by himself?" to which Lucy replies, "Almost... I only had to prop him up a little bit". Then, when Charlie Brown sees Linus, he also sees what Lucy was talking about, as Linus is being propped up with wooden boards - in other words, more than a 'little bit'.

peanuts comics linus in color but charlie brown in grayscale

10 Funniest Peanuts Comics That Prove Linus Is the Best Character

From his unbreakable attachment to his blanket to his creativity and earnestness, Linus is one of the most enduring and funny Peanuts characters.

While most Peanuts fans will recognize Linus as the blanket-obsessed best friend of Charlie Brown, who is wise beyond his years despite believing in silly things like the Great Pumpkin, that's not how he was introduced. In the early days of Peanuts, Linus was just a baby, and his debut plays on that fact with a hilarious joke that most fans might not have ever seen. But now, this and these other Peanuts comics have been brought back to the forefront of fans' collective attention, as they are absolute classics that every fan should read.

Peanuts

Created by Charles M. Schulz

Cast Christopher Shea, Kathy Steinberg, Bill Melendez, Sally Dryer, Peter Robbins, Noah Schnapp, Hadley Belle Miller, Mariel Sheets, Lisa DeFaria, Venus Omega Schultheis

Character(s) Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy van Pelt, Linus van Pelt, Sally Brown, Pig-Pen, Marcie (Peanuts), Peppermint Patty, Woodstock

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