November 10, 1952: Charlie Brown is easy to convince

Last strip featured some strife between CB and the girls, here things seem to have been patched up fairly well. Well, at least that's what the girls want him to think.

Note the look on Charlie Brown's face in the first panel! That slanted, straight-mouthed expression. It hasn't been used much up to here, but it'll start getting fairly common in upcoming strips.

November 17, 1951: The Smartest Dog Alive

Snoopy hasn't been appearing for a bit lately. His design is subtly different here; he's wider, his body is thicker, he's less puppy-like, and his ears are rounder. His personality also continues to develop.

The problem, or the continuing battle I should say, of drawing a comic strip for years and years is coming up with new expressive ways to draw the characters. If you don't continue to find new ways to have them express themselves then you might as well be using clip-art. The change in the way Snoopy is drawn between the second and third panels is important, to illustrate his increasing pleasure as being complimented. His uplifted tail, his eyebrows and that aura around his head increase the perception of happiness, so the effect is so much greater in the last panel when it comes crashing down.

June 23, 1951: Patty and Violet like Charlie Brown

These two little girls' opinion of Charlie B. seem to decline over time.  I remember, as a kid reading Peanuts compilations, thinking Patty and Violet often seemed incredibly cruel to him.  This, of course, is before the diabolical Lucy came on the scene....