8 Peanuts Halloween Comics That Have Aged Like Fine Wine

Published Oct 5, 2026, 3:30 PM EDT Vanessa Piña has been writing as a journalist for over two years. As a senior writer, she focuses on timely coverage of the latest anime releases and popular comic franchises. Sign in to your ScreenRant account More than 70 years have passed since the debut of Peanuts, yet the franchise remains a beloved part of fans' lives whenever Halloween rolls around. That's because Charles M. Schulz created many strips that perfectly captured the essence of the spooky season, stories that are impossible not to revisit year after year, as they still evoke the same laughter they did when first read. Beyond becoming a pop-culture staple with the 1966 special It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, the franchise encompasses many other comic strips that explore a love for the holiday. From Linus’s traditional quest to spot the Great Pumpkin and his unsuccessful efforts to share that belief with others to the comic's unique take on traditions like pumpkin carving and making costumes for trick-or-treating, some of the funniest Peanuts Halloween strips remain as fresh today as when they were published decades ago, making them essential reading every spooky season. 8 Linus’ Halloween Tradition Might Be More Embarrassing Than He Realizes Many of the Peanuts Halloween strips centered on Linus’s tradition of waiting for the Great Pumpkin, who, according to him, would choose the most sincere pumpkin patch and bring gifts to the children. Linus constantly shares this belief, only to face rejection or mockery from others. However, Snoopy was one of the characters who appeared in several strips accompanying Linus as he waited in the pumpkin patch. But true to the playful spirit of Peanuts, unlike Linus, Snoopy’s conviction was pitifully halfhearted. Although Linus tells Lucy that they don't care if she thinks they look crazy, he finds Snoopy trying to camouflage himself among the pumpkin leaves, showing that he isn't actually so indifferent to what others think. Snoopy’s actions amount to telling Linus something along the lines of "speak for yourself," demonstrating the timeless appeal of Peanuts gags: their innate ability to deliver the punchline even without the need for words. It also fits quite well with Halloween, as many readers can relate to not wanting to be judged for doing something embarrassing during the spooky season. 7 Peanuts Shows That Even on Halloween, Sometimes It’s Better Not to Know Much of the charm of Peanuts lay in how the children expressed thoughts far more mature than one would expect for their age. Yet, Halloween was a holiday that truly highlighted the characters' childlike innocence. This is especially true regarding Linus van Pelt’s devotion to the Great Pumpkin and the sort of one-sided rivalry he created with Santa Claus. This Peanuts strip plays with that dynamic, showing Linus writing a letter to the Great Pumpkin just as children customarily do for Santa. Linus is confident that the Great Pumpkin will arrive on Halloween night, yet he also harbors doubts about the figure's existence because everyone tells him it isn't real. The funny thing is that Linus wants to avoid the disappointment of learning the Great Pumpkin doesn't exist, so he writes asking the figure not to tell him, a request that would be impossible to fulfill if the Great Pumpkin didn't exist in the first place. 6 Lucy’s Own Way of Supporting Linus Makes Halloween Even More Special Nothing speaks more about family love than supporting one another, but Lucy van Pelt has a peculiar way of showing she is there for her brother Linus. As Linus spends his traditional Halloween night waiting for the Great Pumpkin, he misses out on trick-or-treating with the other kids. Even so, Lucy tries to ensure her brother doesn't go without candy by asking for a share for him when she visits houses. The downside is that adults ask her where Linus is, something Lucy finds very annoying to explain after a while. Although she eventually loses patience and throws the treats at Linus, the fact that she took the trouble to bring them shows she can be kind to her brother when she puts her mind to it, even if only for a brief moment. What makes the strip special is how it captures the sense of responsibility typical of an older sibling and that love-hate relationship with younger family members, making it both sweet and funny. 5 Linus Finds the Strangest Pumpkin on Halloween Peanuts didn't skip the tradition of carving pumpkins for Halloween, but it put an amusing twist on the classic jack-o'-lantern by incorporating Snoopy. Just as Lucy finishes carving the pumpkin and looks for a candle to finish it off, Snoopy, wanting to take a closer look, ends up with his head inside the jack-o'-lantern, leaving only his feet visible. Linus walks by and starts tickling the beagle, mistaking his feet for the ears of the jack-o'-lantern. Linus’ quirkiness is on full display here. Not only does he mistake furry feet for ears, but he also fails to question the fact that Halloween pumpkins don't typically have ears. Linus has a unique inclination to believe in fantastic things, especially Halloween-related ones, like the Great Pumpkin. Instead of looking closely enough to discover Snoopy, he matter-of-factly accepts the absurd notion that a pumpkin has come to life and can laugh, simply pointing out to Lucy that it's ticklish. It's also hilarious that, upon seeing the pumpkin's "ears," Linus’ instinct is to proceed to tickle them. 4 Peanuts’ Spooky Season Isn’t Complete Without Scary Movies Peanuts strips know how to convey Halloween nostalgia. Many kids have endured the ordeal of watching horror movies during the spooky season, only to end up too terrified to sleep afterward. In this strip, besides giving fans a miniature Snoopy dressed as Frankenstein, Charles M. Schulz shows how Charlie Brown, Linus, and Snoopy can't resist watching scary movies despite knowing they’ll be frightened all night. Curiously, all three end up doing the same thing to get to sleep: turning on a light to banish the darkness. The interesting thing is that Snoopy keeps a nightlight on even out in his doghouse, and he does so even on a full-moon night, when there should be enough natural light. Although Snoopy might not be exactly fearless, as one would expect of a guard dog, he's brave enough to sleep alone outdoors. Furthermore, his expressive personality is what makes Snoopy so beloved by Peanuts fans, showing that it's okay to feel afraid sometimes. 3 Snoopy Knows He Can’t Ruin His Reputation on Halloween While costumes are typical for trick-or-treating, Snoopy also uses them to shield his identity. In this Halloween strip, Snoopy adopts his alter ego, Joe Cool. Sitting in a pumpkin patch, hoping to see the Great Pumpkin, Linus thanks Snoopy for keeping him company while he waits through the night. However, Linus cannot help but ask why Snoopy is wearing dark glasses, while the beagle reveals in his thoughts that he wears them to avoid being recognized. While being there for Linus is a sweet gesture, Snoopy still has a reputation to uphold on Halloween, especially given that the boy is always mocked for his blind faith in the Great Pumpkin. Besides, spending Halloween night in a pumpkin patch isn't exactly what everyone considers "cool." That’s why he ditches the sweater he usually wears when adopting his Joe Cool persona, aiming for that college student look, and uses nothing but his signature dark glasses as a disguise. Of course, the fact that Snoopy wears glasses, like Clark Kent, doesn't mean no one knows who he is. 2 Nothing Can Ruin Charlie Brown’s Halloween Spirit While it is common these days to worry that shipping issues might cause costumes and accessories ordered online to arrive after Halloween, this Peanuts strip set during the holiday addresses another very real issue: when the laundry gets in the way of the fun. However, Charlie Brown's determination is stronger. While Patty is jumping rope, Charlie Brown tries to scare her. She points out that Halloween was the day before, but he explains that his laundry arrived late, preventing him from making his ghost costume (which he fashions from a bedsheet). The funny thing isn't just that Charlie Brown refuses to give up on the Halloween fun, but rather his sheer persistence; despite Patty mocking him, he still tried to scare her three separate times. 1 Peanuts Proves Halloween Matching Costumes Don’t Always Go as Planned Peanuts demonstrates that when planning a group costume, individual creative abilities can significantly impact the final result. Thanks to specials like It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, Charlie Brown’s ghost costume, made with a sheet riddled with holes, has become truly iconic and was even parodied in series like Futurama. However, in the original 1956 Peanuts comic strip by Charles M. Schulz, it was Linus who faced costume mishaps due to his struggles with using scissors. October 2, 1950 – February 13, 2000 · 17,897 Strips How Well Do You Know Peanuts? “Good grief!” ⚾Charlie BrownGood Ol’ Chuck 🐕SnoopyThe Flying Ace 🧣LinusSecurity Blanket 🏈LucyPsychiatric Help 🐥WoodstockBest Friend PLAY BALL → 01 Before Peanuts launched in 1950, Charles M. Schulz drew a weekly cartoon panel for the St. Paul Pioneer Press. What was it called? ALi’l Folks BSmall Fry CThe Sandlot DJust Kids ✓ Correct! Li’l Folks ran from 1947 to 1950. When the syndicate renamed the new strip “Peanuts,” Schulz hated the title for the rest of his life. ✗ Not quite! It was Li’l Folks — and Schulz never forgave United Feature for rechristening his strip “Peanuts.” NEXT → 02 Which member of the gang is almost never seen without his security blanket — and waits every year in the pumpkin patch for the Great Pumpkin? ASchroeder BLinus van Pelt CPig-Pen DShermy ✓ Correct! Linus — Lucy’s little brother, the strip’s resident theologian, and the reason “security blanket” entered the dictionary. ✗ Not quite! It’s Linus van Pelt, whose blanket gave the English language the term “security blanket.” NEXT → 03 Schroeder hammers away at his toy piano in devotion to a single composer — whose bust sits on top of it. Who? AJohann Sebastian Bach BWolfgang Amadeus Mozart CLudwig van Beethoven DFrédéric Chopin ✓ Correct! Beethoven. Schroeder even observes Beethoven’s birthday every December 16 — while ignoring Lucy entirely. ✗ Not quite! It’s Beethoven — the one thing in the world Schroeder loves more than tuning out Lucy. NEXT → 04 When Snoopy climbs onto his doghouse in goggles and a scarf, he becomes the World War I Flying Ace — forever hunting which nemesis? AThe Cat Next Door BThe Head Beagle CThe Great Pumpkin DThe Red Baron ✓ Correct! The Red Baron — and the Sopwith Camel doghouse always goes down in flames, sending the Ace off to curse him in a French café. ✗ Not quite! It’s the Red Baron. Snoopy’s doghouse is a Sopwith Camel, and it never once wins the dogfight. NEXT → 05 Lucy runs a curbside psychiatric help booth out of a lemonade stand. What does she charge per session? A1¢ B5¢ C10¢ D25¢ ✓ Correct! Five cents, please. The nickel never went up in 50 years — and the advice was never once worth it. ✗ Not quite! It’s 5¢ — “The doctor is in.” Lucy held that price for half a century. NEXT → 06 Snoopy’s tiny yellow best friend went unnamed for years before Schulz finally christened him. What was he named after? AA brand of birdseed BSchulz’s hometown in Minnesota CThe 1969 Woodstock music festival DA character from a Beethoven opera ✓ Correct! Woodstock got his name in 1970, borrowed straight from the music festival held the summer before. ✗ Not quite! He’s named for the 1969 Woodstock festival — Schulz gave the bird the name in 1970, years after he first appeared. NEXT → 07 The jazz score for A Charlie Brown Christmas — including the immortal “Linus and Lucy” — was written by which musician? AVince Guaraldi BDave Brubeck CHenry Mancini DDuke Ellington ✓ Correct! Pianist Vince Guaraldi scored the 1965 special, and network executives were sure the jazz soundtrack would sink it. It became a permanent holiday fixture. ✗ Not quite! It’s Vince Guaraldi, whose trio gave Peanuts its unmistakable sound. NEXT → 08 Schulz drew every Peanuts strip himself for nearly 50 years. What made the final original Sunday strip — February 13, 2000 — so haunting? ACharlie Brown finally kicked the football BThe Little Red-Haired Girl was shown at last CIt was the only strip Schulz left unfinished DIt ran the morning after Schulz died ✓ Correct! Schulz died the evening of February 12, 2000 — and his farewell strip, signed off with “Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Linus, Lucy... how can I ever forget them,” appeared in papers the very next morning. ✗ Not quite! Schulz died on February 12, 2000 — hours before his own farewell strip ran in the Sunday papers. SEE YOUR SCORE → The Doctor Is In · Five Cents, Please Your Peanuts Report Card ⚾ / 8 Good grief — or good ol’ Charlie Brown? Either way, the football is still there. Wanna try again? ⤴ ONE MORE KICK In the comic, Lucy arrives in her ghost costume and mentions that Linus is on his way, only to reveal that he accidentally cut far too many eyeholes in his sheet. It is unusual to see a ghost with so many eyes, but it certainly makes for an interesting look. While it didn't help Charlie Brown get many treats in the TV special, since he received nothing but rocks, this Halloween comic laid the groundwork for one of the most famous Peanuts gags. TV Show(s) The Snoopy Show, Peanuts by Schulz First Film The Peanuts Movie Cast Christopher Shea, Kathy Steinberg, Bill Melendez, Sally Dryer, Peter Robbins, Noah Schnapp, Hadley Belle Miller, Mariel Sheets, Lisa DeFaria, Venus Omega Schultheis Created by Charles M. Schulz Movie(s) The Peanuts Movie, A Charlie Brown Christmas, A Boy Named Charlie Brown, Charlie Brown's All Stars!, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown Character(s) Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy van Pelt, Linus van Pelt, Sally Brown, Pig-Pen, Marcie (Peanuts), Peppermint Patty, Woodstock