Peanuts

From Homestar Runner Wiki

The comic strip Peanuts was created in 1950 by Charles Schulz, focusing on the misadventures of "lovable loser" Charlie Brown, his dog Snoopy, and their friends. A profound depiction of society from children's perspective, the comic ran through shortly before Schulz's death in 2000; old strips continue in circulation in many newspapers to this day. Its popularity prompted adaptations into over 40 television cartoons, five movies, and two off-Broadway musicals, among other things.

Being such a huge influence, various aspects of the Peanuts comic strips and television specials have been referenced and parodied by The Brothers Chaps in Homestar Runner cartoons. In particular, holiday specials A Charlie Brown Christmas and It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown are referenced during the holidays of Decemberween and Halloween.

[edit] General References

• In several toons, black smoke emerges from the characters' heads when they get upset, a visual shorthand also used when Peanuts characters get angry.
• Tooty-two is a reference to Sally thinking that "Two times two is tooty-two."
• A. Chimendez is a reference to B. Melendez, the maker of the Peanuts television specials and voice of Snoopy and Woodstock.
• The modern-day stage looks identical to the stage used in A Charlie Brown Christmas.
• Homestar Runner's and Marzipan's houses resemble the ones in which the Peanuts kids live.
• The brick wall is a reference to the wall where the kids would often have conversations.

[edit] Appearances

• Hairstyle Runner — The description for one of the hairstyles is "marcy from peanuts w/soul patch". This refers to Marcie.
• A Holiday Greeting —
  • The page title "Sponsored By Dolly Madison!" refers to the snack cake company that sponsored the Peanuts holiday specials.
  • The screen at the end reading "Copyright 1965 Free Country, USA" is a reference to the year in which A Charlie Brown Christmas debuted.
  • Strong Bad says "Lights, please" in a scene almost identical to when Linus prepares to recite the Christmas story onstage in A Charlie Brown Christmas.
• The Best Decemberween Ever —
  • The "Sponsored by Dolly Madison!" page title and spinning "SPECIAL" logo return.
  • Homestar Runner's hat is similar to the one worn by Charlie Brown in A Charlie Brown Christmas.
  • While Homestar and Strong Sad talk, Strong Sad holds his head in his hand in the same manner Charlie Brown and Linus often did while leaning against the wall.
  • One of Marzipan's signs reads that Decemberween is too commercial, similar to Charlie Brown's Christmas lament that Christmas has gone commercial.
  • The main characters singing a song at the end of the toon is a reference to the end of A Charlie Brown Christmas.
• The House That Gave Sucky Treats —
  • The Poopsmith holds up a sign saying "Give us something good instead". The font used for the sign is called Peanuts, a font made to look like Charles Schulz's lettering used in Peanuts comics.
  • The viewer has the option to give Strong Mad and The Cheat rocks, which Charlie Brown received from every house he visited in It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.
• comic — The album on the far right is A Boy Named Charlie Brown by The Vince Guaraldi Trio.
• Main Page 16 — Rolling the mouse over Downloads will add decorations to The Stick, a reference to A Charlie Brown Christmas. During the special, a tiny twig of a tree is decorated, similar to The Stick.
• kids' book — In the DVD commentary, Matt Chapman says that Beth from the book looks similar to Marcie.
• 3 Times Halloween Funjob — Homestar pronouncing "lbs." (pounds) as "libs" is similar to a March 10, 1966 strip where Lucy discusses learning that "there are 16 ozzes in a lib".
• Peasant's Quest — If you type "look tree" at the bale of hay, it says, It's Arbor Day, Charlie Brown, the title of a 1976 Peanuts TV special.
• old comics — Mushy Chamberpot from the Castlefunnies speaks in commas, similar to how Woodstock's speech is rendered as scratch marks.
• Halloween Fairstival — Marzipan's stall of fruit reading "A Chorus Of Autumnal Vegatables Is In" is a reference to Lucy's psychiatric help booth, which often read "The Doctor Is In".
• Strong Sad's Secret Styles — There is a picture of Strong Sad wearing a shirt identical to Charlie Brown's.
• Bug In Mouth Disease — At one point during the Caleb Rentpayer marathon, the music sounds very similar to the music in It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.
• do over — Coach Zed looks similar to Spike, Snoopy's brother.
• disconnected — Strong Bad's head has a sign that says "THE CAREER ADVISOR IS REAL IN", similar to Lucy's "THE DOCTOR IS REAL IN" sign variation from A Charlie Brown Christmas.
• Happy Hallow-day — At the very beginning, Strong Bad has a witch mask identical to the one worn by Lucy in It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.
• Decemberween Short Shorts — When Strong Sad and Strong Bad write letters, the positioning is similar to scenes where the Peanuts characters are shown writing letters.
• the paper — Lil' Strong Sad wears a shirt identical to Charlie Brown's.
• your edge — Strong Bad says "Geez, Lucy, hold still!" after his attempt to kick The Cheat is foiled by The Cheat moving out of the way. This is a reference to the running gag in which Lucy pulls away her football right before Charlie Brown can kick it.
• Homestar Ruiner — When Strong Bad hides behind the bonsai bush in the King of Town's castle, he says, "It's Arbor Day, Strongly Brown".
• Baddest of the Bands — When Strong Bad toilet papers The Stick, he says, "I never thought it WAS such a bad little The Stick. It's not bad at all, really. Maybe it just needs a little love... and toilet paper. Merry Vandalism, Strongly Brown!", an adaptation of Linus discussing Charlie Brown's tree in Christmas.
• 8-Bit is Enough — When Strong Bad says, "It's starting to knock the husk out of my naturally husky head", this is a reference to Frieda's complaint in Christmas that dust is "taking the curl out of my naturally curly hair!"
• Where U Goin' 2? — The song during the short is similar in style and content to "Little Birdie" from A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, a song about Woodstock, including a scene where The Cheat flies similarly to Woodstock.
• Fan 'Stumes 2021 — A fan wearing a Stinkoman costume in a pumpkin patch inspires an announcer to say, "It's the Halloween Cheatball, Stinkly Brown", and to debate whether to come back after the commercial break.
• Dangeresque Roomisode 2: The Intersection of Doom & Boom — If Dangeresque places the air freshener tree on the green car's antenna, it will droop over dramatically in a homage to Charlie Brown's tree drooping when an ornament is attached to it in A Charlie Brown Christmas.
• Dangeresque Roomisode X: Inspection Certificate on File in Building Office — One of Dangeresque Too's room service requests is "Get hot water, get some disinfectant, get some iodine!", a quote from A Charlie Brown Christmas.