At its core, Peanuts is a simple story about a boy who can never catch a break and the kids (and daydreaming dog) who fill up his world. There was no complicated set up, no elaborate scenery. What made the comic great—timeless, universal, legendary—were the characters. Their quirks, their insecurities, their aggravations made it possible for everyone to find a likeminded soul in Peanuts. And while Charlie Brown and Snoopy may get the most attention, every character adds their own unique perspective to this relatable world.
Our Peanuts design challenge is still going strong, so we want to give a little extra love to some of the faces that surround the boy and his beagle.
Sally: “The Entitled Innocent”
You might call Sally Brown the original millennial. A little self-important and a lot naive, Sally speaks with great authority even though she usually has the basic facts wrong. And like any good up-and-comer, she’s perpetually trying to usurp her elders, taking every opportunity to move into Charlie Brown’s room, but still relies on her big brother to get her out of jams.
Pigpen: “The Kid Just Doin’ His Own Thing”
Pigpen is the (filthy) embodiment of the adage love thyself. While kids and adults alike show disgust at Pigpen’s dust, he knows his dirt is just proof of adventure and wouldn’t want to live without it.
Peppermint Patty: “The Tomboy Underachiever”
Peppermint Patty wants what she wants and she’s not going to let a little thing like the truth get in her way. While she’s completely inept in the classroom, this trailblazing tomboy excels at nearly every sport and exhibits the overconfidence of a born jock.
Marcie: “The By-the-Book Pragmatist”
Marcie is the correcter, the truth-teller, always pointing out what other characters, especially Peppermint Patty, don’t want to hear. She is the even-tempered adult of the group, worrying about everything that can go wrong and fruitlessly trying to get other kids to listen to her warnings.
Lucy: “The Boss”
Even though she has little to hold over the other characters’ heads, Lucy is always in charge, seemingly through sheer force of will. But while she can be downright nasty to good ol’ Charlie Brown, she blubbers with lovelorn sweetness in the presence of Schroeder. Put simply, Lucy is a mass of womanly contradictions.
Linus: “The Perpetual Optimist”
Every year, Linus sits out in that pumpkin patch, never wavering in his belief that this will be the year that the Great Pumpkin finally shows up. And every year his hopes are dashed. But 12 months later, he’s back in that same spot, his belief just as strong as it was the year before.
Schroeder: “The Dedicated Artist”
Chances are, if you’re an artist, you most relate to the Peanuts character, Schroeder. Or at least who you strive to relate to him. He’s almost always seen practicing his piano and his concentration is rarely broken—even when Lucy is professing her undying devotion. Wouldn’t we all love to have that sort of dedication to our craft?
Want to get even deeper into the characters of Peanuts? Check out the full cast below. Do you remember Joe Richkid or Tapioca Pudding? Or head over to Peanuts.com for a rundown on your favorite characters.
So which Peanuts character do you most relate to? Let us know in the comments, and even better yet, use your favorite character for inspiration to enter our Peanuts design challenge.
(Me? I’m a Marcie all the way. But I always secretly wished I was a Lucy.)
