The thing that makes Peanuts such a special and timeless comic strip is the characters in the series. While Charlie Brown and Snoopy are the obvious stars of the show (indeed, they’ve literally had Peanuts animated adaptations named after them), practically every character that’s ever been featured in Peanuts brings something amazing and unique to the table – including and especially Linus. In fact, in a comic strip that was published in August 1994, Charles Schulz wrote arguably Linus’ funniest joke.
Upon taking a look back at all the Peanuts comics that were published between 1950 and 2000, one can easily get overwhelmed by the sheer amount of strips to read. However, if fans take it one month at a time, the task becomes much more manageable – and enjoyable. By doing this, readers will find some hidden gems that they’d otherwise miss, including one of Linus’ funniest jokes ever. And right now is the perfect time to look back at the best Peanuts comics published in August 1994, as they had just celebrated their 30th birthday.
10 Sally Officially Takes Her Place as the Absolute Worst ‘Wingman’ Ever
Peanuts – August 2, 1994
Charlie Brown asks Sally to deliver a love-letter to the home of the ‘little red-haired girl’ who he has a crush on. While Sally does what she’s asked, she also does a fair bit more – and none of it is ideal for Charlie Brown. After handing her the letter, Sally tells the little red-haired girl exactly what it contains, outing Charlie Brown for having a crush on her as opposed to allowing the girl to discover it through the letter, the way Charlie Brown wanted her to.
Sally obliterates any chance Charlie Brown had of winning the affection of the little red-haired girl, as she not only outed Charlie Brown’s crush, but she also embarrassed the girl by putting her on the spot, a feeling that will now be associated with Charlie Brown. In other words, Sally is officially the worst ‘wingman’ ever.
9 Snoopy’s Golf Strategy is Decidedly Unhinged
Peanuts – August 6, 1994
When most people play golf, they simply tee-up the ball and whack it toward the closest hole. However, when Snoopy plays golf, he tees-up the ball, walks away from it, turns around to see if the ball is still there, then – if it is – he goes back and hits it. Perhaps it’s because he’s a dog, and his object permanence is a bit lacking. Or, maybe Snoopy has just developed a superstitious ritual that ensures a great golf game.
The reason why Snoopy plays golf like this remains unclear, but what’s crystal clear is the fact that it is utterly unhinged. But, unhinged or not, watching Snoopy play golf in this decidedly unique way is absolutely hilarious, and only reminds Peanuts fans why he’s such an iconic character.
8 Snoopy’s Writing Career Really Can’t Catch a Break
Peanuts – August 8, 1994
Snoopy’s writing career has certainly been put through the wringer throughout the entirety of the Peanuts comic strip, but none of the hurdles he’s had to overcome in pursuit of his dream of being a published author has been more hilarious than this one. In the middle of writing a letter to an editor about sending them his finished novel, Snoopy receives a response from said editor in the mail that flatly reads, “Don’t“.
Snoopy hadn’t even finished writing to the editor in question, let alone send the letter off in the mail. And yet, the editor could somehow sense that Snoopy was about to send them his novel, and decided to be proactive with their rejection. The absurdity of the situation is utterly hilarious, as is the fact that Snoopy’s writing career really can’t catch a break.
7 Charlie Brown Reveals His Secret to Being a Good Listener: Snoopy
Peanuts – August 11, 1994
One night, when Peppermint Patty can’t sleep, she decides to give Charlie Brown a call. She says that Chuck is high on her call list because he’s such a good listener. Charlie Brown just lets her talk without interruption, which is exactly what Peppermint Patty needs during these late-night calls. Charlie Brown’s secret to being a great listener? Snoopy.
While Charlie Brown is the one who answers the phone, this comic strip confirms that he goes right back to sleep on the floor moments after doing so. And that’s where Snoopy comes in, as he picks up the phone and listens to Peppermint Patty when Charlie Brown taps out. And yet, Snoopy gets none of the credit, only contributing to Charlie Brown’s reputation as a great listener.
6 Snoopy Does His Best to Comfort Peppermint Patty in Crisis
Peanuts – August 26, 1994
It seems Snoopy did such a good job listening to Peppermint Patty (despite all the credit going to Charlie Brown), that Peppermint Patty decided to call back for another late-night chat. This time, however, Patty wasn’t satisfied with ‘Charlie Brown’s’ listening skills, she wanted a “kind word” in order to help her get through this trying time. Obviously, Snoopy can’t speak – he is just a dog, after all. However, that doesn’t stop him from giving it his best effort.
Snoopy offers Peppermint Patty a small “woof” upon her request for a kind word, since that’s as close to human language as Snoopy can get. It’s an incredibly nice gesture on Snoopy’s part, as his only goal is to make Peppermint Patty feel better despite being physically incapable of speaking.
5 Marcie Tells Peppermint Patty What She Really Needs to be Ready for School
Peanuts – August 19, 1994
While Peppermint Patty and Marcie are doing some back-to-school shopping, Peppermint Patty asks Marcie what she thinks she’ll need for school. Patty goes over the usual supplies: pencils, paper, pens, binders – but she wants to ensure that she doesn’t forget anything. So, after Patty asks Marcie if she’s covered, Marcie includes the one thing Peppermint Patty really needs for school: a brain.
It’s no secret that Peppermint Patty is not the biggest fan of school, as she naps during class more often than not. Therefore, it would pay to be extra smart, since that would allow one to take all the naps during class they want without falling behind in their studies. Unfortunately, Peppermint Patty isn’t exceptionally smart, and oftentimes falls behind in her studies, meaning Marcie was telling the truth when she said that the one thing Patty needs for school is a brain.
4 Linus Contemplates the Horrifying Outcome of a Particularly Odd ‘Competition’
Peanuts – August 24, 1994
Lucy is reassuring Linus that he has five toes on each foot, as the two sit together counting Linus’ toes just to make sure. Seemingly in an effort to ease her little brother’s anxieties, Lucy shouts, “It’s a tie!“, since both his feet have five toes. Then, as Linus stands up to leave, he says, “If there’s a play-off, I’m in trouble…“.
Following this chain of logic, what Linus is referring to here with his ‘play-off’ comment has some pretty disturbing implications. The ‘competition’ Lucy is talking about is a ‘number of toes’ competition, and since both feet have the same number of toes, it’s a tie. Therefore, if there was a ‘play-off’, that would mean Linus would be losing some of his toes, which is a pretty sick thought, especially given how innocently this conversation started.
3 Even During Summer Vacation, Peppermint Patty Still Slacks Off in School
Peanuts – August 29, 1994
As previously established, school isn’t exactly Peppermint Patty’s forte, something that seems to be the case all year round – including during summer vacation. This becomes apparent when Peppermint Patty is on the phone with Marcie, bragging about how she came up with such a good excuse for why she wasn’t at school that day. Marcie, utterly stunned by Peppermint Patty’s obtuseness, tells her that she didn’t need to come up with an excuse to miss school, because there was no school to miss, because it’s summer.
Peppermint Patty doesn’t care about school so much that she doesn’t even know when she’s not supposed to be there, and the fact that she hadn’t been there in a while was not alarming to her in the slightest. Indeed, even during summer vacation, Peppermint Patty still slacks off in school.
2 Charles Schulz Creates a Two-Part Linus Joke that’s Utterly Hilarious
Peanuts – August 23, 1994
Linus is a mainstay character in Peanuts canon, as he’s arguably Charlie Brown’s best friend who offers a level of intellectual insight into nearly every situation that far exceeds his years. Plus, he’s utterly hilarious, especially in this two-part Peanuts arc that sees Linus doing the one thing he’s never really excelled at: playing sports – specifically, basketball.
Linus is trying to shoot some hoops, but he is way too short to be playing on a standard-sized court. Therefore, he misses every shot he takes, but luckily, Linus isn’t in this alone, as the basketball itself becomes something of a business associate or coworker during this sporting endeavor. After missing a shot, Linus looks down at the ball and says, “Don’t be discouraged.. I’m new at this..“, as if the ball has any stake in Linus’ basketball skills whatsoever.
1 Linus Seeing His Basketball as a Co-Worker is His Funniest Peanuts Joke
Peanuts – August 30, 1994
In part-two of this two-part Peanuts arc, Linus tries yet again to work with his associate (the basketball) to get it in the hoop. Linus takes another shot, but the result is the same: air ball. So, as if speaking with a coworker, Linus looks down at the basketball on the ground and says, “We don’t have to do this, you know“.
It’s like Linus is trying to work with someone to accomplish a mutual goal, and that person just isn’t pulling their weight, so Linus decides to give up on them altogether. Except, that ‘person’ is the basketball, and the ‘mutual goal’ of making a basket is entirely his own. This two-part Peanuts gag is easily one of Linus’ funniest of all time, and is definitely among the top 10 funniest strips that just turned 30!
Peanuts
Created by Charles M. Schulz, Peanuts is a multimedia franchise that began as a comic strip in the 1950s and eventually expanded to include films and a television series. Peanuts follows the daily adventures of the Peanuts gang, with Charlie Brown and his dog Snoopy at the center of them. Aside from the film released in 2015, the franchise also has several Holiday specials that air regularly on U.S. Television during their appropriate seasons.
