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This article is about Patty, a character introduced in 1950. You may be looking for Peppermint Patty.
There is nothing funny about a little boy being mean to a little girl. That is simply not funny! But there is something funny about a little girl being able to be mean to a little boy.
~ Charles M. Schulz on Patty and the female bullies Lucy and Violet[1]

Patty is a supporting female character from the Peanuts comic strip by Charles M. Schulz. Her closest friend is Violet, acting sort of like Violet's "partner in crime", which is basically the bread and butter of her character.

Although a major character in the year of the strip's debut and for a few years thereafter, Patty's personality was never fully developed and she lacked characteristics that strongly differentiated her from other characters. By the mid-1960s, Patty had been relegated to the background and, although she made occasional appearances throughout most of the remainder of the strip's run, she had virtually disappeared from Peanuts by the 1970s.

History[]

The prototype version of Charlie Brown, Patty, and Snoopy all appear in the pre-Peanuts strip Li'l Folks. She was named after Schulz's cousin, Patricia Swanson. 

In the early days of the Peanuts comic strip, Patty was one of its major characters. Although she was not named until October 26, 1950, Patty appeared in the very first strip on October 2, 1950, along with Charlie Brown and Shermy. However, since she and Shermy lacked the defining characteristics of such characters as Lucy, Linus, and Schroeder, they became less prominent as years went by.

As the only female in the strip's earliest days, Patty was often portrayed as a sort of "mother-hen" character who looks out for the younger characters; however, she would also set the tone for the strong female characters that would later appear in the Peanuts universe. In her second appearance, Patty is seen walking down the sidewalk reciting, "Little girls are made of sugar and spice and everything nice." She then punches Charlie Brown in the face and, without missing a beat, continues, "That's what little girls are made of!" Patty was apparently the oldest child in the early days of Peanuts, as shown by one strip which revealed that she attends school but Charlie Brown does not. Eventually, she, along with Violet, became best known for their social snobbery and combined cruelty to Charlie Brown. It has once even been noted that she often kicks down his sandcastles whenever he makes one (though this has only been shown once or twice in the strip). Patty is also known for asking "Pig-Pen" why he is constantly so dirty.

Patty's name was first mentioned on October 26, 1950, 24 days after her first appearance. Her surname is never revealed in the comic strips.

Patty's birthday is December 4. She plays outfield on Charlie Brown's baseball team; though on an early occasion she was seen as a catcher before Schroeder was introduced. Interestingly, it was Patty who first introduced Charlie Brown to Schroeder, claiming he lived next-door to her.

Appearance[]

19501003

Patty punching Charlie Brown in the second Peanuts comic strip from October 3, 1950.

Patty is fair-haired. Over the years, she has variously been shown with blonde, red and light brown hair. Although she is a brown-haired brunette in most of the TV specials and movies, she is a blonde in The Peanuts Movie (possibly as this was her first sizable role in decades she would not share the same hair color with the other more prominent Patty) and a black-haired brunette in It Was My Best Birthday Ever, Charlie Brown. Her clothing consists of a checkered dress paired with a matching bow in her hair and (usually black) Mary Jane shoes. Patty's dress and bow are colored orange in the television specials and in the movies A Boy Named Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Come Home, Race for Your Life, Charlie Brown and Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown (And Don't Come Back!!). In The Peanuts Movie onward, her dress and bow are colored light green.

In TV specials, movies, and musicals[]

Patty had a major part in the original version of the stage musical You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown. However, in both the 1985 animated television special You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown and the 1999 Broadway revival of the play, her part was replaced by Charlie Brown's sister, Sally Brown, since she ceased to appear regularly in the strip decades earlier.

Like most Peanuts characters, Patty has appeared in numerous Peanuts television specials throughout the years, as well as all five movies, although she becomes an increasingly minor character after the 1960s.

Patty's TV and film appearances[]

Patty's gradual disappearance[]

Patty was a prominent character in Peanuts until around 1960, after which she began to appear less and less often. Although Patty (or at least unnamed characters who bear a strong physical resemblance to her) would make cameo appearances throughout the run of Peanuts, she had pretty much disappeared as a featured character by 1976. Schulz claimed he drew Patty in a March 1994 strip in which she asks Snoopy to chase rabbits with her, but some fans have stated that the girl in the strip does not resemble Patty. Some have postulated that Patty's doom was sealed by the appearance of the similarly-named Peppermint Patty in 1966, but others say her character was already in decline by then.

Patty's appearances from 1976 until 1999

Trivia[]

Gallery[]

References[]

  1. Charles M. Schulz., & M. Thomas Inge. (2000). "Charles M. Schulz Conversations", p45, University Press of Mississippi

External links[]


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Media

Films:
A Boy Named Charlie Brown | Snoopy, Come Home | Race for Your Life, Charlie Brown | Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown (And Don't Come Back!!) | The Peanuts Movie
Television Shows:
The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show | This Is America, Charlie Brown | Peanuts | Snoopy in Space | The Snoopy Show
Specials:
A Charlie Brown Christmas | Charlie Brown's All-Stars | It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown | You're in Love, Charlie Brown | He's Your Dog, Charlie Brown | It Was a Short Summer, Charlie Brown | Play It Again, Charlie Brown | You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown | There's No Time for Love, Charlie Brown | A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving | It's a Mystery, Charlie Brown | It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown | Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown | You're a Good Sport, Charlie Brown | It's Arbor Day, Charlie Brown | It's Your First Kiss, Charlie Brown | What a Nightmare, Charlie Brown | You're the Greatest, Charlie Brown | She's a Good Skate, Charlie Brown | Life is a Circus, Charlie Brown | It's Magic, Charlie Brown | Someday You'll Find Her, Charlie Brown | A Charlie Brown Celebration | Is This Goodbye, Charlie Brown? | It's an Adventure, Charlie Brown | What Have We Learned, Charlie Brown? | It's Flashbeagle, Charlie Brown | Snoopy's Getting Married, Charlie Brown | You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown | Happy New Year, Charlie Brown! | Snoopy!!! The Musical | It's the Girl in the Red Truck, Charlie Brown | Why, Charlie Brown, Why? | Snoopy's Reunion | It's Spring Training, Charlie Brown | It's Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown | You're in the Super Bowl, Charlie Brown! | It Was My Best Birthday Ever, Charlie Brown |It's the Pied Piper, Charlie Brown | A Charlie Brown Valentine | Charlie Brown's Christmas Tales | Lucy Must Be Traded, Charlie Brown | I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown | He's a Bully, Charlie Brown | Happiness Is a Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown | Snoopy Presents: For Auld Lang Syne | Snoopy Presents: It's the Small Things, Charlie Brown | Snoopy Presents: To Mom (and Dad), With Love
Books:
The Complete Peanuts | Other Peanuts reprint books | Comic books
Music:
The Peanuts Movie (soundtrack)

Characters

Main characters:
Charlie Brown | Patty | Shermy | Snoopy | Violet Gray | Schroeder | Lucy van Pelt | Linus van Pelt | "Pig-Pen" | Sally Brown | Frieda | Woodstock | Peppermint Patty | Franklin | Marcie | Rerun van Pelt | Spike | Eudora | Lydia | Peggy Jean
Minor characters:
Charlotte Braun | Clara | Shirley | Sophie | Cormac | Cat next door | Emily | Ethan | Faron | Floyd | The Goose Eggs | Janice Emmons | Joe Agate | Joe Shlabotnik | José Peterson | Lila | Little Red-Haired Girl | Mary Jo | Maynard | Mimi | Miss Othmar | Molly Volley | Charlie Brown's pen(cil) pal | Poochie | Roy | Royanne | Russell Anderson | "Shut Up and Leave Me Alone" | Tapioca Pudding | Thibault | Truffles | Snoopy's Beagle Scouts | Snoopy's siblings | Snoopy's parents | Kite-Eating Tree | Great Pumpkin | Red Baron | Easter Beagle | Harold Angel

Locations

Ace Obedience School | Brick wall | Brown house | Daisy Hill Puppy Farm | Lucy's garden | Lucy's psychiatry booth | School building | Setting | Schroeder's piano | Snoopy's doghouse | Tree

Recurring themes

Aaugh! | Ace Airlines | Baseball team | Beethoven's birthday | Bubble gum | Bunny Wunny | Football gag | "I got a rock" | Linus' security blanket | Mr. Spaceman | Mrs. van Pelt's pool table | Patting birds | Pawpet Theater | Sally's philosophies | Snoopy's Beagle Scouts | Snoopy's alter egos | Spike's cactus | Suppertime | Sweet Babboo | Unrequited love | World War I

Songs

20th Century Fox Fanfare | Beethoven Day | The Book Report | Bows | Cha Cha Slide | Christmas Time Is Here | The Doctor Is In | Don't Be Anything Less Than Everything You Can Be | Easter Theme | Edgar Allen Poe | Failure Face | Glee Club Rehearsal | Great Pumpkin Waltz | Happiness | Hark! The Herald Angels Sing | Heartburn Waltz | Hurry Up Face | I Know Now | Joe Cool | Just One Person | The Kite | Let's Have a Party | Linus and Lucy | Little Birdie | Little Known Facts | Lucy Says | Musical Chairs | My Blanket and Me | My New Philosophy | Over the River and Through the Woods | Queen Lucy | The Red Baron | Schroeder | She'll Be Coming 'Round the Mountain | Slow, Slow, Quick! Quick! (Doin' the Foxtrot) | Snoopy | Suppertime | Thanksgiving Theme | We're Gonna Have a Party Tonight | You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown | You're in Love, Charlie Brown

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