Why Snoopy is the absolutely best Peanuts comics character?
Where do I begin about Snoopy?
The famed beagle of Peanuts universe who adorned my boarding school’s dormitory wall ― sharing space with Dennis the menace and WWE posters . Every morning kids would flock to read the penultimate pages of English dailies and there he was ― penning love letters atop his dog house, typing the great American novel or playing one of his cool alter egos Joe Cool with equal finesse.
Charles Schulz captured the tender truths of humanity in still frames rendering Peanuts a poetically personal and profound aura. Be it the kids with growing-up angst or the adults caught in the crossfire of loneliness, Peanuts helped inspire the likes of Calvin & Hobbes, and an entire generation of kids (and eventually their own kids) alike.
No other comic character transcended the paper-thin world of comic books to reach the stratosphere of popularity quite like Snoopy. In course of their 50 year run, Snoopy has given many a lessons on life, love and friendship that have come to define his legacy as the go-to dog in pop culture. From the daily archives, here are the strips showcasing the spontaneously infectious Snoopy spell…
The best Peanuts comic strips featuring Snoopy
1. Snoopy, the animal lover!
2. Because we all need sarcasm sometimes…
3. Pride is a foolish thing…
4. Two feet bad, four feet good.
5. And the universe works for Beagles
6. Sleeping is busy.
7. Let people talk, ignore and grin.
8. Why follow the herd?
9. Who needs a school?
10. Disappointment isn’t good for dogs.
11. The art of driving.
Snoopy’s trials and tribulations: Writing the great American novel
“It was a dark and stormy night…”, so began each of Snoopy’s attempts to write the great American novel. Unfortunately, his dreams of getting rich and famous via his words never quite materialized.
12. The beginning of Snoopy’s writing adventures…
13. And we must write to make our voices heard.
14. A little progress?
15. Writer’s block…
16. When nothing goes your way, try sleeping.
17. How we are all shallow inside…
Snoopy on love and heartbreak
In the comic strips that ran in 1977 Snoopy falls heads over heels with an unseen dog character. On the day of the wedding, she does a run-away-bride and elopes with, well…Snoopy’s brother!
18. Snoopy asks Spike to be his best-man.
19. Nothing hurts like heartbreak…
20. Calling truce?
And then there were times when Snoopy would pen love letters…
21. The futility of words…
22. Yes, I love you.
23. All lovers are liars.
One of the best kept secrets of the entire 50 years of Peanut run has been the identity of Charlie Brown’s unrequited love, the little Red-Haired Girl. Schulz never drew her but she breaths through all the frames where Charlie Brown thinks of love.
24. Answer me this…
25. And love is about priorities…
Snoopy philosophy
Snoopy almost always knew how fragile the world we live in actually is. That there’s no safety in dog houses, no permanency in relationships (despite the promises of forever). He knew how everything could come crumbling down, how everyone at the end of the day is all alone, with oneself.
26. Keep dancing
27. Live in the moment..
28. You are alive. Do what you’d do if it were your last day…
29. Maa!
30. Self motivation
31. It matters, the company you keep…
32. Role reversal?
33. Being a dog is a full-time job!
34. And sometimes, you must BITE.
35. Why Oliver Twist, why?
36. Snoopy and the art of self contentment
37. To be or not to be?
38. Life is better with a dog!
39. Dogs > Humans
40. Here today. Gone tomorrow…
41. If only I knew…
42. What if…
43. Every time I get close to someone… they leave 🙁
BONUS: Snoopy’s brother Spike on Loneliness
44. People are STUPID. Never follow the herd.
45. Hah! That desolation…
Snoopy found the elixir to all of life’s ailments — Cookies!
46. Heartbreaks or rejection slips, life doesn’t hurt that bad when you have a can of cookies around
47. Because girls are hard to understand
48. Don’t you know cookies cure loneliness?
Snoopy on the importance of friendship
49. Not all dogs eat home work. Some write it.
50. Happiness is a warm puppy…
51. When all goes wrong, kiss a dog
52. And again…
53. We can’t be that bad if dogs love us…
Snoopy and his wild fantasies
Like Walter Mitty, Snoopy believed in creating a world of his own, one fantasy at a time. He needed no one’s approval to be more than a dog. Heck, he needed none of the other characters. The wildly imaginative beagle could play the street smart Joe Cool with equal suave as the World War I Flying Ace.
54. Joe Cool knows it…
55. Like Laika, Snoopy too reached the outer space…
56. Some times it is OK to give up…
57. The last Peanut comic
If the world of comic books were a giant tree, the Peanuts series would be perched atop the top branch as one of the most beloved cartoons ever. And guess who’d bay at the moon from there… Snoopy.
Originally published at dogwithblog.in on August 20, 2016.
