Peanutsremains renowned for its holiday-themed comic strips –with Halloween in particular being the subject of some of creator Charles Schulz’s most memorable cartoons.While most readers will immediately remember the “Great Pumpkin,” there were more toPeanuts' Halloween comics than that, and those less fondly recalled strips deserve some recognition as well.
Across its five decades in publication,Peanuts' Halloween comics poked fun at the institution of trick-or-treating, highlighted the excitement of Halloween costumes, and had fun with characters frightening each other.
All in all,Peanutswas a celebration of the spooky season as one of the greatest times of childhood, which is sure to make any fan nostalgic. This is something that countless readers will be able to relate to, which is what makes Charles Schulz’s humor so timeless and recognizable, even all these years later.
10"You Can Probably See A Lot Of Strange Things In A Pumpkin Patch"
First Published: July 29, 2025
While Linus is the one who is most commonly associated with the Great Pumpkin, that has not stopped othermembers of thePeanutsGangfrom holding a stakeout for the mystical gourd. Eudora, a lesser known majorPeanutscharacter, and Sally Brown’s best friend, is one such character who decides to wait for the Great Pumpkin, in order to see if it is real.
Though they didn’t see any magical pumpkin characters, the best friends instead remarked that a lot of strange sights can be seen in a pumpkin patch,when Snoopy, almost by cue, pops up ashis Flying Ace persona, looking for the road to Paris.Snoopy is quite the weird pup, prone to vivid flights of fantasy, so it is quite fitting for him to be a strange sight on Halloween night for Sally and Eudora.
9"Your Pumpkin Has Ticklish Ears"
First Published: June 04, 2025
Carving pumpkins is a beloved long-standing Halloween tradition that kids – including the grump Lucy – love to do during the spooky season. With Snoopy as a curious onlooker, the pup decides to mount a closer inspection of Lucy’s jack-o-lantern, only to find himself falling head first into the pumpkin, leaving his feet sticking out. Linus then tickles Snoopy’s feet, which he thinks are the jack-o-lantern’s ears,making the beagle laugh.
Snoopy was always a bit of an oddball, but it’s especially weird to think a jack-o-lantern would have furry ears. Yet it is even stranger that Linus’s first thought upon seeing the jack-o-lantern is to tickle its ears. Then again, part ofwhat makes Linus so lovableis his ability to always authentically be himself and march to the beat of his own drum, even if it is off the beaten path.
8"I’ve Heard About You"
First Published: July 17, 2025
The lore of the Great Pumpkin is basically synonymous with Linus. Everyone associates the little guy with this mythical pumpkin character, with Santa Clause-like qualities. Marcie, being the new(ish) kid in town, is even aware of this, as seen the moment Linus starts harping about his beloved Great Pumpkin,and Marcie responds to his Great Pumpkin monologue with the simple statement: “I’ve heard about you.”
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Marcie is barely familiar with Linus at this point; the two were introduced only two years previously. Still, even she has already had it with his obsession with the Great Pumpkin. Thecloser the date gets to Halloween, the more Linus is incapable of keeping his thoughts about his made-up character to himself. As the comic illustrates, Marcie is not at all convinced about the Great Pumpkin, leaving Linus a lone believer on yet another Halloween.
7"I’d Hate To Have To Make Such A Decision"
First Published: June 27, 2025
After telling everyone about the Great Pumpkin, Linus gets berated and insulted at just about every turn. The only one who keeps his less-than-kind thoughts to himself is Linus’s best buddy,good ol' Charlie Brown. When Linus talks with his friend about whom the Great Pumpkin has visited in the past,Charlie Brown tries to help Linus out by suggesting what the pumpkin patch should have in order to attract the Great Pumpkin.
The Halloween comic strips from October 1961 formed the basis for the seminalPeanutsanimated special,It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.
Linus is not at all convinced, being the one to know that the Great Pumpkin doesn’t care about neatness or size, but instead cares about sincerity. As a result, it is a really complicated decision for the Great Pumpkin to make, something Charlie Brown acknowledges. Linus is the sincerest member of thePeanutsGang, so one can only wonder why the Great Pumpkin has not visited his pumpkin patch.
6"Aaugh!"
First Published: August 20, 2025
Snoopy is not a dog that gets scared easily. The only thing that gives him the goosebumps is icicles hanging over his doghouse and… Charlie Brown, apparently. Seeing all the kids of the neighborhood bedecked in their spooky finest, Snoopy smiles at these scary costumesuntil Charlie Brown, who is not even wearing a costume, strolls up and scares Snoopy to the point of screaming and running away.
That’s a surefire way to torpedo Charlie Brown’s already low confidence level, but it does make the reader laugh. Snoopy always seems to take the air right out of Charlie Brown’s sails, like not laughing at his jokes, or forgetting his own owner’s name andcalling him “round-headed kid”,but Snoopy still loves him, even if Charlie Brown’s appearance scares him more than a goblin’s does.
5"Tonight Is Halloween…All The Pumpkins You See Tonight Are Filled With Ghosts!"
First Published: June 21, 2025
Woodstock is a pretty young bird, so he does not have a vast store of knowledge to draw upon, unlike his pal Snoopy, who has a lot of experience under his belt (at least in his imagination). Unaware of exactly what Halloween is, Snoopy explains the staples of the holiday, telling his impressionable friend that it is a night filled with ghosts and scary looking jack-o-lanterns.
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If Woodstock was already a little spooked by just the jack-o-lantern in the first panel,he is absolutely beside himself when Snoopy tells him of the ghosts that infest pumpkins on Halloween night, leaving him to opt to hide inside his pal’s ear instead, rather than experience the holiday.Snoopy may not be pleased about Woodstock’s holiday plans, but he kind of brought it upon himself, scaring his pal, even if it was unintentional.
4"You Didn’t Tell Me You Were Going To Kill It!"
First Published: June 26, 2025
Linus is a very sensitive soul. At the same time, he is incredibly eccentric, making for an interesting combination of personality characteristics as seen in this Halloween comic strip. When Lucy is carving a pumpkin, as children tend to do for Halloween, Linus is horrified and looks like he is sick to his stomach at the sight.
Lucy, utterly confused, wants to know why he is getting out of sorts,to which Linus charges back with the emotional response that he’s upset because his own sister is killing a poor innocent pumpkin.He cannot seem to fathom the atrocities being committed on Halloween at his own home! Regardless, he’ll find out sooner or later that Lucy is no homicidal maniac and learn that pumpkin carving is a beloved Halloween tradition done in good fun.
3"That’s The Best Treat You’ll Get All Night"
First Published: June 04, 2025
Kids love to trick or treat, with thePeanutsgang being no different.When Lucy swings by Snoopy’sdoghouse in hopes of receiving a treat, Snoopy’s idea of a treat is definitely a big departure from what Lucy had in mind. Rather than some yummy chocolate or even gum, Snoopy’s idea of a treat is a kiss for Lucy. Anyone who knows Lucy knows that a kiss,especially a kiss from a dog that carries dog germs, which Lucy loathes, is not a treat by any stretch of the imagination.
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Snoopy pays no mind to Lucy’s dread of dog kisses, however, and nonchalantly lets her know that the kiss he gave her is the best treat she’ll get all night. Snoopy clearly does not lack confidence, which is something allPeanutsreaders know and love about the beagle, even if it is to Lucy’s annoyance.
2"This Would Be A Terrible Place To Lose A Contact Lens"
First Published: August 24, 2025
Many of thePeanutsgang get tired of Linus’s ramblings about the Great Pumpkin. Yet, as good friends, they attempt to circulate who stays out in the pumpkin patch with him, knowing full well that no Great Pumpkin will be showing up and Linus will again be met with disappointment. Regardless, Snoopy is the one to join Linus in his Great Pumpkin stakeout for October 1970, which Linus is genuinely appreciative of.
It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Browncan be streamed for free from Apple TV+ for select weekends in October annually.
Linus may not be able to know what Snoopy is thinking, but it is probably for the best, as Snoopy’s thoughts are nowhere near the excitement Linus is feeling.Rather, Snoopy is more consumed with the thought that the pumpkin patch they are sitting in would be a horrible place to lose contact;while it may be off-topic for him and Linus, Snoopy does make a good point.
1"How Did You Know It Was Us?"
First Published: July 12, 2025
Spike has quite a unique and sad backstory, exiling himself to the desert after he chased a rabbit into the road (at the behest of his previous owner), causing the bunny to get hit by a car. As a result, he is often alone with only dangerous coyotes and prickly cacti as his friends, who tend to not be the most amiable. Regardless, Spike’s lack of companions is not going to stop him from having some good old-fashioned Halloween fun.
Trying to scare his consistent companion, the cactus, he is met with a lack of surprise, puzzled as to how the cactus could know it was him all along. While Spike may not lack company when he visits his brother Snoopy,out in his home place of the desert, he does what he can to kill the loneliness, even if it means befriending the cacti.
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.
