Summary
Pig-Pen is one of the most iconic members of thePeanutsgang in the history of the franchise, right up there with the likes of Linus, Snoopy, and even Charlie Brown himself. While he’s a definite side-character, Pig-Pen is incredibly recognizable,standing out from the rest due to his filthy appearance (most notably the dirt billowing from his body). Indeed,Pig-Pen has become a staple inPeanutslore, but it wasn’t always that way.
It took Charles M. Schulz four years to add him to the established universe, as Pig-Pen didn’t make his debut until July 1954. However, once he was included, Pig-Pen was immediately thrust into the spotlight. The entire month of his first appearance was rife with Pig-Pen, asSchulz seemingly knew that he had created aPeanutscharacter that was destined to withstand the test of time, and wanted to highlight him as much as possible. Here are the10 best Pig-PenPeanutscomics from his first month, which - as of July 2024 - are 70 years old!
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10Pig-Pen’s Peanuts Debut is Surprisingly Heartbreaking
Peanuts- July 18, 2025
Pig-Pen may be an iconic member of thePeanutsgang now, but every icon has to start somewhere, and this comic strip marked Pig-Pen’s official debut. AndwhilePeanutsis known for its humor, Pig-Pen’s first appearance is surprisingly heartbreaking. When Patty introduces herself to Pig-Pen, asking his name in return, Pig-Pen says that he doesn’t have a name, and that he just answers to the mean things others kids call him, like ‘Pig-Pen’.
the fact that ‘Pig-Pen’ was originally an insult before becoming this character’s name is still decidedly heartbreaking
Peanutsconfirms that Pig-Pen’s nickname came as a result of other children bullying him for being dirty.While it’s fair to say that he claimed that name as his own, thereby taking away its teasing power, the fact that ‘Pig-Pen’ was originally an insult before becoming this character’s name is still decidedly heartbreaking.
9Pig-Pen Offers a Hilarious Up-Side to Always Being Dirty
Peanuts- June 30, 2025
After Patty meets Pig-Pen, she quickly introduces him to Charlie Brown, who is immediately taken aback by how utterly filthy Pig-Pen is.To be fair, Pig-Pen is quite a sight to behold, as he’s not only covered in dirt and grime, but heaps of dirt is constantly billowing off of him. While Charlie Brown doesn’t say anything, Patty whispers in his ear about how obviously filthy Pig-Pen is, which is a comment that Pig-Pen overhears. In response, Pig-Pen tells them, “I got clean thoughts!”.
Pig-Pen’s comment is hilarious, as it implies that,because Pig-Pen is always dirty on the outside, his mind is perpetually free of ‘dirty’ thoughts. It’s a clever play on words, and immediately proves that Pig-Pen was a fantastic addition right at the start of hisPeanutscareer.
8Pig-Pen has a Decidedly Unique Way He ‘Washes’ His Hands
Peanuts- June 02, 2025
Given that Pig-Pen is always dirty, it should come as no surprise that he doesn’t maintain regular hygiene practices like washing his hands. However, that shouldn’t imply that he doesn’t clean his hands in other, less conventional ways - even if those methods aren’t exactly effective. When Patty asks Pig-Pen if he ever washes his hands,Pig-Pen explains that he doesn’t use soap and water, he just claps his hands together, saying, “That’s the way they clean erasers!”.
While dirt does fly from Pig-Pen’s hands the way chalk dust does when one smacks two erasers against each other,this method of cleaning his hands isn’t the most sound. Sure, his hands are probably a little less caked in dirt afterward, but they are far from clean, making this a decidedly unique (and less than ideal) way Pig-Pen ‘washes’ his hands.
Peanutshad a animated movie adaptation in 2015 that is available to stream on Disney+:
7Snoopy is NOT a Fan of Pig-Pen’s Inclusion in the Peanuts Gang
Peanuts- July 24, 2025
This comic strip begins with Snoopy alone, looking off into the distance at someone he does not recognize walking toward him.As Snoopy points out, this person looks like “a walking mud puddle”, and in the next panel, readers see that it’s the newly-introduced Pig-Pen, who wanted to say hello to Snoopy. Pig-Pen then gives Snoopy a pat between his ears, leaving a dirty stain on Snoopy’s head that the pup does not appreciate.
Even before meeting him, Snoopy is wary of Pig-Pen because of how filthy he is. And then,when Pig-Pen gets Snoopy dirty just by touching him, Snoopy’s mind is made up: he is not a fan of Pig-Pen’s inclusion in thePeanutsgang- and Snoopy’s general dislike and disgust is absolutely hilarious.
6Peanuts Clears Up a Common Misconception About Pig-Pen
Peanuts- June 30, 2025
Since Pig-Pen is always dirty, it stands to reason that he hates getting baths. That’s the conclusion Charlie Brown drew, anyway. However, when Charlie Brown tells Pig-Pen that his mom called him home for a bath,he’s shocked to learn that Pig-Pen is excited about getting one. Confused, Charlie Brown tells Pig-Pen that he assumed he hated baths, but Pig-Pen quickly clears up that misconception by telling him, “Oh no… I like to take baths… the whole trouble with me is that I like getting dirty even better!”.
This is, indeed, a shocking revelation, as Pig-Pen is never shown to be clean throughout hisPeanutscareer. However, this means thatPig-Pen actually does get clean fairly often, he just gets dirty immediately afterward, leading many - including Charlie Brown - to assume he never got clean to begin with.
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5Pig-Pen Explains Exactly WHY He’s Always So Dirty
Peanuts- July 24, 2025
In this comic strip, Patty approaches Pig-Pen just to call him a mess, to which Pig-Pen hilariously replies, “Thank you!".Patty follows that comment up by saying, “I think you must go out of your way to get dirty…”, at which point, Pig-Pen jumps into a mud puddle, and tells Patty, “I just don’t go out of my way to stay clean!”.
This is a perfect explanation for why Pig-Pen is always dirty, and is a perfect follow-up to the revelation that Pig-Pen actually likes baths. Pig-Pen is just a kid, and like many children, he loves to play in the dirt and the mud. While he certainly gets dirty more frequently than most kids,Pig-Pen is a perfect depiction of what kids would constantly be if they didn’t go out of their way to stay clean.
4Pig-Pen Has a Way to Use His Filthiness for Personal Gain
Peanuts- June 21, 2025
While Pig-Pen has admitted multiple times that he’s always dirty simply because he likes to be, there’s also another benefit to his filthiness. When Charlie Brown is sitting on the curb eating a bag of candy, Pig-Pen approaches him and shamelessly asks Charlie Brown for some. Being polite, Charlie Brown reluctantly offers Pig-Pen the bag, andPig-Pen proceeds to dig his filthy hands through it, trying to find a piece of candy that he wants. However, he touches every single piece, and Charlie Brown decides that he doesn’t want the candy anymore, leaving Pig-Pen the entire bag.
Most people have assuredly heard the term ‘weaponized incompetence’,but Pig-Pen just made up his own: ‘weaponized filthiness’- effectively using the fact that he’s always dirty to his advantage.
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3Lucy is Immediately Accepting of Pig-Pen (& Faces the Consequences)
Peanuts- August 14, 2025
Patty seemingly acts as the unofficial liaison between Pig-Pen and the rest of the Peanuts gang, as she introduces him to practically every other member.And in this comic, Patty introduces Pig-Pen to Lucy, who says that Pig-Pen certainly lives up to his name. However, Lucy says this in jest, and is immediately warm and accepting of Pig-Pen in their gang. In that spirit, Lucy gives Pig-Pen a slap on the back - and regrets it right away.
It’s a hilarious scene, especially since this is one of the few times Lucy isn’t being judgmental
By smacking Pig-Pen, Lucy creates an explosion of dirt that engulfs all three of them,inspiring Patty to scream through the blinding fog, “Everybody stand still until the dust settles”. It’s a hilarious scene, especially since this is one of the few times Lucy isn’t being judgmental of one of her peers (when perhaps she should have been).
2Pig-Pen Chooses to Constantly Stay Dirty for 1 Reason
Peanuts- July 01, 2025
Pig-Pen has firmly established that he simply likes being dirty, and doesn’t go out of his way to stay clean. However, there’s also a practical reason why he ensures that he’s always a mess: no one bothers him.Charlie Brown points out that Pig-Pen is always dirty, and that he should clean himself up now and then. To that, Pig-Pen explains, “Being dirty is much more practical… I’m never bothered by girls or mosquitoes!”.
Not only has Pig-Pen found a way to ‘weaponize’ his filthiness, but he also uses it as a shield to protect him from things that annoy him. And since he’s at that age where little boys think girls have ‘cooties’ (which, in their minds, is as bad as getting bit by a mosquito),Pig-Pen’s armor of dirt does its job well.
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1Snoopy is So Repulsed by Pig-Pen that He Invents a New Game: Reverse-Catch
Peanuts- August 20, 2025
Snoopy made it clear upon meeting him that he is not a fan of Pig-Pen, as the pup finds Pig-Pen’s perpetual filthiness utterly repulsive. So,when Pig-Pen approaches Snoopy with a ball hoping to play a game of catch, Snoopy has other plans. Initially, Snoopy thinks to himself that this kid can’t be serious if he expects Snoopy to catch a ball touched by Pig-Pen’s dirty hands in his mouth. And when he finds out that that’s exactly what Pig-Pen wants him to do, Snoopy comes up with an alternative to a game of catch: ‘reverse-catch’.
Rather than chasing after a thrown ball and bringing it back to the one who threw it, Snoopy runs away from the ball before it’s thrown by Pig-Pen.Snoopy’s disgust at the sight of Pig-Pen is hilarious to see, and gives the two of them a uniquely funny relationship inPeanutslore, making this one of the 10 bestPeanutscomics starringPig-Penfrom his first month as a member of the gang.
Peanuts
Created by Charles M. Schulz, Peanuts is a multimedia franchise that began as a comic strip in the 1950s and eventually expanded to include films and a television series. Peanuts follows the daily adventures of the Peanuts gang, with Charlie Brown and his dog Snoopy at the center of them. Aside from the film released in 2015, the franchise also has several Holiday specials that air regularly on U.S. Television during their appropriate seasons.
