Further establishment of Snoopy's food-crazy personality.
Sometimes a crazy sight gag can stand on its own, and sometimes it needs a reaction frame to set it off. This one, I think, needs the reaction panel.
See also Arkell v. Pressdram
1 hour ago
One of Schulz's great strengths as a comic writer, I think, was knowing when to let a gag stand on its own and when to punctuate it with a reaction. Off-hand I can't think of a single comic of his where I felt he'd gone the wrong way with it.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting to note how many strips from this early period revolve around food and eating. Perhaps Schulz relied on it so much because the characters' personalities had yet to become better defined. Also, eating is a universal human experience, is a subject appropriate for family newspapers... and for some odd reason, is almost always funny.
ReplyDeletenjguy54: Or maybe Schulz was reflecting the fact that he had young children at the time, and young kids always seem to be eating SOMETHING. (Either that, or asking to eat something.)
ReplyDeleteMy wife and I have a black & white Jack Russell named Harry. Suffice it to say that his appetite can best be described as "mid-1950's Snoopyesque."
Chris