Summary

• Original Peanuts character Patty fell out of favor after the introduction of Peppermint Patty in 1966, who went on to become a beloved character in the series.
• The original Patty served as a prototype for future female Peanuts characters; most notably to fans of the series, she had a speaking role in the 1965 TV special, A Charlie Brown Christmas.
• Peppermint Patty made a significant impact in the series by addressing real-world issues, advocating for women's sports, and challenging gender norms, becoming an LGBTQ symbol in the process.

Peppermint Patty is one of Peanuts most beloved characters. Introduced in 1966, she is a tomboy who loves sports, sleeping in class, and maybe even Charlie Brown, who she calls "Chuck." However, her introduction meant one original Peanuts character – who was in the comic from the very first strip – fell out of favor, ultimately being relegated to a background role.

Interestingly, this character was also named Patty. Though many fans might not know about the first Patty, they've seen her in the comic and even TV specials. In 1965's A Charlie Brown Christmas, Patty even has a speaking role.

Following Peppermint Patty's introduction, original Patty still showed up in backgrounds, or answering the door at her home whenever Charlie Brown sought small neighborhood jobs.

Patty Was The Prototype For All Future Peanuts Girls

The Peanuts Girls Are Sugar And Spice, But Not Always Nice

Named after creator Charles M Schulz's cousin Patricia, the first Patty was the only girl in the comic for roughly the first six months of Peanuts. She was a prototype for many of the female characters to come. After appearing in the first ever Peanuts strip, Patty was the focus of the second, which featured her eciting the classic "sugar, spice, and everything nice," nursery rhyme before punching Charlie Brown in the face as she es. In the early days of the strip, Patty frequently talked about growing up and getting married, though her affections alternated between Charlie Brown and Shermy, who she shared the first Peanuts strip with.

the biography Funny Things, Charles Schulz was served a peppermint patty, and immediately thought that would make a great character name. In August 1966, lonely kid Roy was featured writing Linus a letter; Peppermint Patty butted in and asks to be introduced – and the rest, as is said, is history.

Peppermint Patty Made An Immediate Impact

She Stole Not Just Her Name, But Also The Spotlight

Soon after her initial appearance, upon finding out that Charlie Brown has a baseball team, Peppermint Patty came across town to . Peppermint Patty quickly established herself as an iconic Peanuts character, one who addressed real-world issues. Charles Schulz was friends with tennis icon Billie Jean King and ed Title IX; in the comic, Peppermint Patty would advocate for women's sports, and frequently was as good or better than the boys when they played together. In 1972, she faced off against a new school dress code that would force her to wear a dress. Hiring Snoopy as her "lawyer," she fought back and got to stay in her iconic look.

Despite only being shown attracted to boys, Peppermint Patty's close friendship with Marcie and her rejection of female gender norms, made her an LGBTQ icon, as Peanuts became entrenched in 20th century American pop culture. The original Patty was an important piece of what made Peanuts work in the first place. Her depiction as a cute little girl, with a checkered dress and hair bows, who is as likely to slug the boys as kiss them, made room for Sally's eternal questions, Marcie's quiet sarcasm, and Lucy's crabbiness, greediness, and everything else. Her fading from prominence was no fault of the character's but was merely a byproduct of Peanuts creatively evolving with time.