I was really happy to hear that my nephew Jonah is now into Snoopy and the Peanuts gang. My absolutely favourite thing for most of my childhood was Snoopy and he’s still pretty high on my list of favourite things. I still have two rather weathered Snoopy dolls that would have been carted around pretty much everywhere. Although sadly my original Snoopy was lost when we went on holiday one year and I think you can imagine the tears that followed. How I managed to survive without him I don’t know, I seem to have blocked that trauma from my memory, but I know a replacement soon came along. My Snoopy watch with the flying Woodstock hand is also still going strong. I’m hoping Jonah’s relationship with Snoopy will be as long-lived as mine.

Although I loved the Peanuts gang, my favourite strips were always the ones with Snoopy on his own or with his sidekick Woodstock.

I think I owe Snoopy, and Mr Schultz, alot towards my love of animals and dogs in particular. I grew up constantly associating my own dogs with Snoopy. Buddy in particular was very fond of doing the “vulture” pose.

snoopy vulture

although he never ventured up a tree as far as I know. And how brilliant were his illustrations, just a few lines but it’s all there. With all the incredible 3D computerised stuff of today it’s easy to forget how great a simple line drawing can be. Who can picture Snoopy dancing, just a few lines on a page, and not smile?

So hooray for Jonah and the new generation of Snoopy lovers because as I said to Jeff the other day – Snoopy will never die