The best decade in the history of Charles Schulz’s Peanuts was no doubt the 1960s. The comic strip launched in 1950, and for the first decade, Schulz’s work was still evolving. The characters took a little while to develop the personality traits we came to love about them. Schulz’s artwork also shifted from a somewhat generic cuteness to the more distinct (but still quite cute) characters that became icons.
By the 1960s, Schulz hit his sweet spot with well-defined characters and a freshness to the material which would sometimes flag in the decades to come. Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of hilarious, heartwarming, and inspired Peanuts comics from the ‘70s, ‘80s, and ‘90s, but taken as a whole, nothing tops 1960s Peanuts.
The 1960s are also when the characters became superstars. A Charlie Brown Christmas arrived on TV in 1965, and it was quickly followed by more TV specials. Peanuts also debuted on the big screen in the 1960s with the 1969 film A Boy Named Charlie Brown, even if that film isn’t quite as well-remembered today as some of the perennial TV specials that become appointment viewing on various holidays.
Anyway, the point is, you can’t beat Peanuts during this era. So here are six exceptionally good comic strips from that decade which prove that Charles Schulz truly was a genius who was really cooking in the 1960s.
6
A very Lucy welcome
At the beginning of June, 1965, Schulz launched a series of strips in which Charlie Brown goes away to camp for two weeks. While Charlie Brown is lonely at camp, he eventually meets another lonesome kid named Roy, and the two strike up a friendship that is very sweet. While he ends up having a better time at camp than he anticipated, Charlie Brown is still relieved to be home in this comic from June 19, 1965. Of course, as always, it’s Lucy’s job to burst Charlie Brown’s bubble. When he says what a joy it is to be home, her only reply is “Have you been away?”
5
Snoopy’s right
A Charlie Brown Christmas is an utterly perfect TV special. It’s funny and endearing in all the right ways, which is why it was an instant hit upon its release and quickly became a classic thereafter. Because of this, Peanuts as a whole has become synonymous with Christmas, which makes Schulz’s Christmastime comics something special, even if they predate the special itself. Here’s one from Christmas Day 1965, starring Snoopy, where he’s simply observing the snowfall in the first three panels and on the final panel he says, “Actually, they all look alike to me!” It’s a good punchline, but on top of that, there’s something about the quiet nature of this comic which illustrates Schulz’s ability to capture life’s little moments.
4
What a blockhead
Here’s another Christmas Day comic strip which also predated the TV special. Schulz’s comics generally went for something funny or something heartwarming, but on Christmas in 1961 he did both, with Charlie Brown writing a sincere Christmas note, only for his pencil to break. It’s kind of the perfect metaphor for who Charlie Brown is.
3
Rat A Tat Tat Tat Tat Tat Tat!
In this particularly famous comic strip from Oct. 10, 1965, Snoopy is in his fantasy world as his World War I Flying Ace persona when Linus walks up behind him and sees an opportunity. While Linus is a sweet, thoughtful character, he’s still a kid and can’t pass up the opportunity to spook Snoopy.
2
MMMMM!
Here’s another incredibly famous strip that has been reprinted countless times and its key line, “Happiness is a warm puppy,” has been placed on many pieces of Peanuts merchandise. All that product, though, hasn’t cheapened the sweetness and sincerity of this comic’s sentiment. You’d have to be made of stone not to be moved by this.
1
Good night, Snoopy…
A couple of weeks ago, I did a deep dive into Peanuts and decided that this is the best comic strip Schulz ever did, and I still stand by that answer. In 11 little rectangles with minimal words, Schulz tells you everything you ever really need to know about Snoopy and Charlie Brown. Snoopy is a lovable scamp and Charlie Brown is, well, Charlie Brown. He’s the kind of kid whose pencil breaks when he’s writing a Christmas note and who can manage to get kicked out of his own bed by a dog.