The strips I mentioned yesterday as having been missing are back, so let's have a look at them.
February 9, 1954:
A nice inversion of the usual way these Schroeder vs. Charlie Brown strips go, with Schroeder proving to be the one who annoys Charlie Brown. One of Schulz's particular observational gifts appears to be being able to see all sides of a situation. No character is wholly admirable or horrible.
Scribble of ire!
February 10, 1954:
Snoopy vs., not the yard, but the living room. Panel two is weird; it seems obvious that Snoopy is trying to pick the top up, but it's not something we often see Snoopy do. Panel three isn't immediately readable, but thinking about it I think Snoopy is being pushed away by the top's rotational force.
February 11, 1954:
Charlie Brown returns to the idea of perfection. At first he thought he was perfect. Now he aspires to perfection. Soon he'll realize his faults (and those he doesn't see Lucy will be happy to point out) and despair of ever overcoming them. Isn't this how it goes in real life? There is no truth more clearly and bitterly seen than that which comes from disappointing disillusionment.
February 12, 1954:
Fence gags aren't common in Peanuts, but for some reason Schulz decided now was a good time for one. There's another coming soon, with Patty and Lucy.
Sunday, February 14, 1954:
Lucy counting the stars. This is the first one where she seems to be serious about it. Interestingly here, the sky is not represented as solid black; instead the grass in the background is solid. You can only really tell it's night from the characters' words and the moon hanging in the sky.
