Peanuts Begins by Charles Schulz for June 27, 2015

so that is when he started reading?

Copying “Mr. Peabody”?

Not yet Joe Cool sunglasses.

It was a dark and stormy night

Snoopy wearing glasses long before his Joe Cool portrayals?

I like reading these old strips. I do notice the change in Snoopy, though. Here he has the flat head and pointed snout. Later he has the rounded, shorter snout and tall rounded head. Must be the increase in brain power swelled his head.

I thought I knew when this was until yesterday when I started looking back over the strip through Peanuts itself. I learned this is ’51 and not ’52 as I thought. I also thought I knew the year Lucy was introduced and learned I was two years late on that. Things changed as the strip progressed, not just in terms of artwork but also character development and personality. Snoopy, for one, is just an ordinary dog at this point, although the glasses may signify Schulz is starting to change that.

He’s smarter than the average hound.

You are 100% spot on there!

Back in the ’50s eyeglasses were associated with “bookishness” which in turn somehow bestowed intelligence.