Play Clothes

April 4 through August 6, 2012
Strip Rotation Gallery

Who would Charlie Brown be without his zigzag shirt, Lucy sans her trademark dress, or Peppermint Patty minus her Birkenstock sandals?  Most cartoonists dress their characters in the same clothing week in and week out and Charles Schulz was no exception. A character’s clothing helps a reader to establish the character’s identity. Thus many readers believe that Charlie Brown’s zigzag represents what he might describe as his “wishy-washyness” while Lucy’s prim and proper dress conveys a sense of her righteousness. And many fans of Peanuts think that Peppermint Patty’s attire, which certainly telegraphs her athleticism, may also suggest her disregard for some aspects of 1960s-era feminine propriety.

Play Clothes examines the different clothes and corresponding situations with a display of 50 original Peanuts strips.