June 18, 1953: "And soon I'll know the wonders of the sunken city."

There is an unexplained gap in Comic.com's archives over June 10-17.  I should have a look in Fantagraphic's Peanuts compilations to see if strips are missing or if Peanuts was on hiatus during that period.

This is a vaguely creepy strip.  If the eyes aren't Charlie Brown's, whose are they?  And why is he hanging out in the sewer?  My vote goes to a suburban Deep One. (That's right, Peanuts and the Cthulhu Mythos, baby!)

June 8, 1951: I name thee Laughing Dog

I feel like I'm beating a dead horse here, but again, it's odd to think of a time when the characters didn't know if Snoopy could understand what they're saying.

Other than the laughing post in the first frame, Snoopy is very dog-like here, just blankly staring forward.

June 5, 1951: They start so young

There are three broad categories of Peanuts strips from this time: kids acting like kids, kids acting like adults, and kids displaying precocious knowledge of adulthood. (There are other types, but these seem to be foremost.) This strip falls into the third category, with Violet speculating about later getting a date with a human being who's not yet old enough to talk.  Notice, by the way, Schroeder's dubious look in the second frame.  That expression is not essential to the joke, but Charles Schulz put it in anyway.  This is one of the joys of early Peanuts for me, noticing those little things Schulz just threw in.

Schroeder was an Archetypal Baby in this one.  Enjoy it while it lasts kid; it won't be long at all before you become the Archetypal Musician instead.

June 4, 1951: Man of the earth

Notice the difference in Charlie Brown's mouth when seen in three-quarters' perspective (second panel) and nearly full-on (fourth panel).  On the first we get a relief line, the second just a mouth outline.  If Charlie Brown were seen straight-on, Schulz would have had to figure something to do with his nose, as his U-shaped noses would have to pick a side to be seen from then.

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August 7, 1951: Background detail

Panel two has one of the most detailed backgrounds seen so far. Just look at it. It's almost un-Peanuts-like.

June 1, 1951: Schroeder's third appearance

Schroder's third strip, and with this one we'll stop noting them.  At least in this one he does something other than sit there and smile.

May 31, 1951: More Schroeder

Schroeder's second strip.

May 30, 1951: Schroeder's first appearance

He doesn't have his piano yet, doesn't have his striped shirt, barely has any hair, his personality consists of  blank stare, and can't even talk, but it's the same Schroeder who would later idolise Beethoven and fend off Lucy's advances.

Oh, how much this strip changed over the years.  Most comic strips, those that were ever any good, start off great and trail off over the years, as the need to continue bringing in an income overrode any considerations of quality.  Peanuts went the other way, starting off sharp but gaggy, then gaining profundity.  Its characters changed so much since 1951, they're like different people.  (I had to stop myself from saying "between then and now," it's hard to believe that Charles Schulz has been gone for over nine years.)

May 22, 1951: Suppertime: A love affair begins

Man, that's one irate dog.  Until the magic word is spoken, of course.  This is the first time Snoopy reacts to the word "suppertime."

May 21, 1951: Those were the days

Here's another example of how times changed since Peanuts began.  We haven't had a draft in the U.S. since Vietnam.  (Mind, there was no draft going on at the time this strip saw publication, either.)

Note: Vooodooo84 notes in comments that there was a draft at that time, for the Korean War. My mistake.