Patty (Peanuts): Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 19:12, 19 December 2024

Patty is a fictional character from Peanuts, the legendary comic strip by Charles M. Schulz. Patty debuted alongside Charlie Brown and Shermy in the very first Peanuts strip on October 2, 1950, making her one of the strip’s original characters. However, her role diminished over time as new characters with stronger personalities were introduced, such as Lucy and Peppermint Patty.

Character Overview

Patty is known for her self-opinionated, snobbish personality and for often tormenting Charlie Brown with her best friend, Violet. While she played a significant role in the early strips, her character never fully developed distinct traits like Lucy or Sally, leading to her eventual relegation to background appearances.

History in the Comic Strip

Early Days: In the early strips, Patty was portrayed as a caretaker-type character, often looking out for the younger children. However, her attitude shifted toward social snobbery as she befriended Violet.
Development: Patty was initially one of the strip’s main female characters, frequently appearing in storylines.
Decline: By the 1960s, as the Peanuts universe expanded, Patty’s appearances became less frequent. Her role was effectively supplanted by other female characters, including Lucy and Peppermint Patty.
Final Appearance: Her last appearance in a new strip was in 1994, although reruns continued until November 27, 1997.

Appearance

Patty is often depicted with light brown hair tied with a bow and wearing a checked dress, usually orange or light green. She also wears Mary Jane shoes. Her hairstyle and outfit occasionally varied in different adaptations.

Personality Traits

Snobbish and Proud: Patty is self-assured and has a high opinion of herself, often expressed through her treatment of Charlie Brown.
Follower: In her later years, she became a “yes-girl” to Violet, losing much of her individuality.
Playful yet Cruel: Patty has moments of humor and lightheartedness but frequently displays a mean streak, particularly toward Charlie Brown and “Pig-Pen.”

Role in Media

Patty appeared in numerous Peanuts television specials and films, including:

A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
Happiness Is a Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown (2011)
The Peanuts Movie (2015), where she was given the surname “Swanson” (non-canon in Schulz’s work).

She also featured prominently in the original off-Broadway production of You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown (1967), though the character was replaced by Sally in later revivals.

Significance

Patty holds historical importance as one of the original Peanuts characters. While her role diminished over time, she set the stage for the strong female characters that became central to the strip. Her early presence helped shape the dynamics of Peanuts during its formative years.

Voiced By

Patty has been voiced by several actors across various adaptations, including:

Karen Mendelson (1963, 1965)
Stacy Ferguson (1984–1986)
Anastasia Bredikhina (The Peanuts Movie, 2015)
Natasha Nathan (2021–present).

Though her role faded over time, Patty remains a nostalgic figure in the Peanuts legacy.

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-{{Short description|Peanuts comic strip character}}
+'''Patty''' is a fictional character from ''Peanuts'', the legendary comic strip by [[Charles M. Schulz]]. Patty debuted alongside [[Charlie Brown]] and Shermy in the very first ''[[Peanuts]]'' strip on '''October 2, 1950''', making her one of the strip’s original characters. However, her role diminished over time as new characters with stronger personalities were introduced, such as [[Lucy Van Pelt|Lucy]] and [[Peppermint Patty]].
-{{For|the later character from the same strip|Peppermint Patty}}
-{{more citations needed|date=August 2024}}
-{{DISPLAYTITLE:Patty (''Peanuts'')}}
-{{Infobox character
-| name = Patty
-| image = Patty in a red dress.jpg
-| first = October 2, 1950
-| last = April 17, 1995 (comic strip; original)<br>November 27, 1997 (comic strip; reprint)
-| gender = Female
-| family =
-| voice = Karen Mendelson (1963, 1965)<br /> Lisa DeFaria (1966-1969)<br />Lynn Vanderlip (1966)<br />Sally Dryer (1969)<br />Linda Ercoli (1972-1975)<br />Lynn Mortensen (1974)<br />Linda Jenner (1974)<br />Michelle Stacy (1975-1977)<br /> Roseline Rubens (1980)<br /> Angela Lee (1983)<br>[[Fergie (singer)|Stacy Ferguson]] (1984-1986)<br />Deanna Tello (1992)<br />Kaitlyn Maggio (2003)<br />Jolean Wejbe (2006)<br />Leigh Bourke (2008-2009)<br />[[Ciara Bravo]] (2011)<br>Anastasia Bredikhina (2015)<br /> Natasha Nathan (2021-present)
-| caption = Patty in a red dress.
-}}
-'''Patty''' is a fictional character featured in the long-running syndicated [[Daily strip|daily]] and [[Sunday strip|Sunday]] [[comic strip]] ''[[Peanuts]]'', created by [[Charles M. Schulz]]. Patty was formerly a major character whose role was reduced in later years; she never developed a distinct personality like [[Lucy van Pelt|Lucy]] or [[Sally Brown|Sally]]. She is sometimes confused with [[Peppermint Patty]], a different and later character with a similar name. Patty appeared in the first ''Peanuts'' strip, with [[Shermy]] and [[Charlie Brown]], on October 2, 1950.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Farago |first1=Andrew |title=The Complete Peanuts Family Album: The Ultimate Guide to Charles M. Schulz's Classic Characters |date=2017 |publisher=Weldon Owen |isbn=978-1681882925 |page=45}}</ref>
+== '''Character Overview''' ==
+Patty is known for her self-opinionated, snobbish personality and for often tormenting Charlie Brown with her best friend, Violet. While she played a significant role in the early strips, her character never fully developed distinct traits like Lucy or Sally, leading to her eventual relegation to background appearances.
-Patty is best known as a girl who thinks highly of herself, and because of her self-opinion, she often torments the hapless [[Charlie Brown]]. She usually accompanies her best friend [[Violet (Peanuts)|Violet]] and sometimes the abrasive [[Lucy van Pelt|Lucy]].
+== '''History in the Comic Strip''' ==
-Patty has appeared in numerous ''Peanuts'' television specials, cinematic films, theatrical plays, and video games.
+* '''Early Days''': In the early strips, Patty was portrayed as a caretaker-type character, often looking out for the younger children. However, her attitude shifted toward social snobbery as she befriended Violet.
+* '''Development''': Patty was initially one of the strip’s main female characters, frequently appearing in storylines.
+* '''Decline''': By the 1960s, as the ''Peanuts'' universe expanded, Patty’s appearances became less frequent. Her role was effectively supplanted by other female characters, including Lucy and Peppermint Patty.
+* '''Final Appearance''': Her last appearance in a new strip was in '''1994''', although reruns continued until '''November 27, 1997'''.
-In the 2015 film ''[[The Peanuts Movie]]'', her last name is given as Swanson. This name never appeared in the comic strip or in any official Peanuts media during Schulz's lifetime and is thus not [[canon (fiction)|canon]]. (Patty Swanson was in fact the name of the real person who partially inspired Peppermint Patty and had also served as the inspiration for the earlier Patty's name.<ref name=Michaelis221>{{cite book |last= Michaelis|first= David |year=2008 |title= Schulz and Peanuts: A Biography|publisher= Harper Perennial|page= 221|isbn= 978-0060937997}}</ref>)
+== '''Appearance''' ==
+Patty is often depicted with light brown hair tied with a bow and wearing a checked dress, usually orange or light green. She also wears Mary Jane shoes. Her hairstyle and outfit occasionally varied in different adaptations.
-== History ==
+== '''Personality Traits''' ==
-An early conception of the character was created by Schulz for his comic strip ''Li'l Folks'' (a precursor to ''Peanuts'').  Schulz then reused the character for ''Peanuts'', and there he named her Patty.
-Patty was featured in the first ''Peanuts'' comic strip, on October 2, 1950.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gocomics.com/peanuts/1950/10/02|title=October 2, 1950 strip|last=Schulz|first=Charles|date=1972-05-31|website=GoComics|language=en|access-date=2019-02-22}}</ref> In subsequent strips, Patty's character developed and she appeared regularly, but she eventually became less and less prominent until her succeeding appearances were reduced to mere cameos. By 1966, Schulz recycled the Patty name for a new character: [[Peppermint Patty|Patricia "Peppermint Patty" Reichardt]]. Although the original Patty would make cameo appearances throughout the run of ''Peanuts'', she had ceased being a featured character by about 1975.
+* '''Snobbish and Proud''': Patty is self-assured and has a high opinion of herself, often expressed through her treatment of Charlie Brown.
+* '''Follower''': In her later years, she became a “yes-girl” to Violet, losing much of her individuality.
+* '''Playful yet Cruel''': Patty has moments of humor and lightheartedness but frequently displays a mean streak, particularly toward Charlie Brown and “Pig-Pen.”
-She continued to make cameo or background appearances until the early 1990s. Her last appearance was a rerun of a 1992 strip which was republished on November 27, 1997. Schulz claimed{{Citation needed|date=April 2020}} he drew Patty in the March 2, 1994, strip in which she wants Snoopy to chase rabbits with her (a role previously usually taken by [[Frieda (Peanuts)|Frieda]]), although some fans have stated that the girl in the strip in question does not resemble Patty.
+== '''Role in Media''' ==
+Patty appeared in numerous ''Peanuts'' television specials and films, including:
-Both before and after she receded into the background, Patty usually appeared either with her best friend Violet or with the rest of Charlie Brown's baseball team.
+* ''[[A Charlie Brown Christmas]]'' (1965)
+* ''[[Happiness Is a Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown]]'' (2011)
+* ''[[The Peanuts Movie]]'' (2015), where she was given the surname “Swanson” (non-canon in Schulz’s work).
-=== Other media ===
+She also featured prominently in the original off-Broadway production of ''You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown'' (1967), though the character was replaced by Sally in later revivals.
-{{more citations needed|date=August 2024}}Patty made her television debut in the 1965 classic ''[[A Charlie Brown Christmas]]'', and appeared in many of the succeeding specials and theatrical animated films, the most recent of the specials being ''[[Happiness Is a Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown]]''. Patty had a major part in the original version of the stage musical ''[[You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown]].'' She also appeared in ''[[The Peanuts Movie]],'' a computer-generated movie based on the strip.
-== Character outline ==
+== '''Significance''' ==
-{{original research|date=August 2024}}
+Patty holds historical importance as one of the original ''Peanuts'' characters. While her role diminished over time, she set the stage for the strong female characters that became central to the strip. Her early presence helped shape the dynamics of ''Peanuts'' during its formative years.
-As the [[Smurfette principle|only female character]] in the strip's very earliest days, Patty often acted as a sort of hen, looking out for the younger characters; however, she also set the tone for the strong female characters in the Peanuts universe. In her (and the strip's) second appearance, Patty is shown 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's name was first mentioned on October 26, 1950, 24 days after her first appearance. She was apparently the oldest child in the strip (possibly along with Violet and Shermy), as she attended school when Charlie Brown did not (strip of September 18, 1951). Eventually, she, along with Violet, became best known for their social snobbery and combined cruelty to Charlie Brown, although Violet was generally the more dominant of the two (thus Patty's role, in her later appearances, was reduced to that of a [[sycophancy|yes-girl]]). Patty is also known for asking [[Pig-Pen]] why he is constantly so dirty. In the 2015 film ''[[The Peanuts Movie]]'', Patty shows a crush towards [[Pig-Pen]].
+== '''Voiced By''' ==
+Patty has been voiced by several actors across various adaptations, including:
-Patty's hair color is light brown (sometimes red, black, or blonde) and she customarily wears a checked dress with a matching bow in her hair, usually colored orange (colored light green in ''The Peanuts Movie''), and [[Mary Jane (shoe)|Mary Janes]] shoes.
+* Karen Mendelson (1963, 1965)
+* Stacy Ferguson (1984–1986)
-Patty's birthday is December 4, but the strip from October 20, 1954, seemingly contradicts this, indicating that her birthday is October 21. She plays outfield on Charlie Brown's baseball team; though in an early strip she was seen as catcher before [[Schroeder (Peanuts)|Schroeder]] was introduced. It is Patty who first introduces Charlie Brown to Schroeder, who she said lived next door to her.
+* Anastasia Bredikhina (''The Peanuts Movie'', 2015)
+* Natasha Nathan (2021–present).
-== Voiced by ==
-{{div col|colwidth=15em}}
-*Karen Mendelson (1963, 1965)
-*Lisa DeFaria (1966–1969)
-*Lynn Vanderlip (1966)
-*Sally Dryer (1969)
-*Linda Ercoli (1972–1975)
-*Lynn Mortensen (1974)
-*Linda Jenner (1974)
-*Roseline Rubens (1980)
-*Angela Lee (1983)
-*[[Stacy Ferguson]] (1984–1986)
-*Deanna Tello (1992)
-*Kaitlyn Maggio (2003)
-*Jolean Wejbe (2006)
-*Leigh Bourke (2008–2009)
-*[[Ciara Bravo]] (2011)
-*Anastasia Bredikhina (2015)
-*Natasha Nathan (2021–present)
-{{div col end}}
-==Portrayals==
-Patty appeared as one of six characters in the original 1967 off-Broadway production of ''[[You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown]]'' (played by Karen Johnson). The character in the original musical was actually a [[composite character|composite]] of Patty, Frieda (who forces Snoopy to chase rabbits), and possibly Violet. By the time the show was revived on Broadway in the late 1990s, the composite Patty was replaced with [[Sally Brown|Sally]], since Patty had ceased making regular appearances in the strip decades earlier.
-== References ==
-{{Reflist}}
-{{Wikiquote|Peanuts#Patty|Patty}}
-{{Peanuts}}
+Though her role faded over time, Patty remains a nostalgic figure in the ''Peanuts'' legacy.
 [[Category:Peanuts characters|Patty]]
 [[Category:Comics characters introduced in 1950]]