Off the top of my head, I can definitely name the four main characters of The Peanuts series, speaking from the peanuts gallery. Alright, there was Snoopy, Charlie Brown, Linus and Lucy. Although these characters made the TV show as memorable as it was, there were also other characters that contributed as well, but didn’t appear in every episode.
Here is a list of the top ten character appearances from The Peanuts. The real Peanuts Gallery!
Charlotte Braun
Charlotte was the female version of Charlie Brown, who, funny enough, looked just like him. She had hair though, and it was curly. She, too, was always being yelled at by her friends, all because she was known to be admittedly loud and obnoxious, Soon after she was introduced back in 1954, Charles Schulz, the Peanuts creator received a letter from Elizabeth Swain who was a young fan of the comic strip. Elizabeth told him to get rid of Braun because she found the that the character was annoying and unfunny.
Truly dedicated to his fans, Schulz wrote Swain a letter back (which is actually now in the Library of Congress) saying that he would “discard” Braun as requested, as soon as possible. Schulz had a rather dark sense of humor. That being said, he jokingly told young Elizabeth Swain that she would “have the death of an innocent child on your conscience. Are you prepared to accept such responsibility?” Next to his signature, Schulz included a rough sketch of Charlotte Braun with an ax stuck in her head. Braun showed in the comic one more time, after this- however she never returned.
Genevieve (Snoopy’s Fiancée)
Snoopy disappears one night, and the next morning he comes back and says that he has met the “beagle of his dreams” followed by the announcement of his engagement with her. But on the day of the wedding, Genevieve runs off with Snoopy’s brother, Spike, who was originally supposed to be the Best Beagle at the wedding. Soon after this tragic moment, a heartbroken Snoopy receives a letter from Spike saying Genevieve ran off with a coyote.
Snoopy’s fiancée was never seen in any of the comic strips. But when the TV special, Snoopy’s Getting Married, Charlie Brown debuted in 1985, she is both seen and she has a name now — Genevieve. A few other changes were made as well in this TV special – instead of a beagle she’s a poodle, now. Oh, and she doesn’t run off with Spike in this, but this time she runs off with a golden retriever.
Tapioca Pudding
When this character debuted in September 1986, she tells Charlie that her daddy said her perfect hair, smile, and her catchy name would make her a million dollars by selling her image for merchandise like t-shirts, lunch boxes, and greeting cards. she carried herself in a really.
Tapioca was written into the storyline, actually, as a kind of a jab towards the many cartoon characters in the 1980’s who were created only to be accredited for merchandising. Her name, as well as other hints distributed throughout the comic strip, kind of suggest that the actual target of Schulz’s jokes was probably Strawberry Shortcake, a character originally featured on a line of greeting cards.
Click “Next” to see more from the Peanuts Gallery