If you know me, I love a good mystery! This is one mystery I’ll need the best detectives to help solve. I found this “He’s Your Dog Charlie Brown” Cloth Panel on eBay and just had to see what it was. The panel features Charlie Brown and Lucy saying “He’s Your Dog Charlie Brown” opposite a double image of Snoopy and Woodstock. Upon receiving it, no real secrets were revealed. The copyright says 1970, helping to pinpoint the year it came out. Since it’s a single date that doesn’t relate to the characters, this seems reliable. There’s no tag or any other markings outside of the regular United Feature Syndicate copyright.
The Basics
The canvas panel is 64″ long and 22″ wide at its widest point. The white front featuring Charlie Brown and Lucy tapers inward. The panel is definitely not stitched on a home sewing machine. The heavy duty thread and stitching is you’d only see out of a professional or industrial machine. There are printed markings on the white panel indicating where the taper should be.
There are two sets of ties on the piece: one between the front and back panels, the other between the two Snoopy images. The ties are a heavy string with a woven outer layer around two inner strings. The ties may have been cut at one point as they do not have a finished end to stop unraveling.
The TV Special Tie In
The Peanuts TV special “He’s Your Dog, Charlie Brown” came out in 1968, two years before this cloth panel. If this isn’t for the original airing of the show, perhaps it’s for a rerun. Also, this could tie into a book release, but I would expect those to be closer to the original TV air date as well. If this isn’t a promotional piece for the special or books, then what is it?
If this does tie into the TV special in some way, why were these images used? Lucy is a minor character in “He’s Your Dog, Charlie Brown” and Woodstock doesn’t appear. Wouldn’t it be better to promote Peppermint Patty and Snoopy’s Flying Ace personality since they are highly featured in the show? Also, Charlie Brown is wearing his baseball hat and glove, which again isn’t really part of this special. Is the word balloon merely a red herring?
Overall, it’s generic images for a specific purpose item. If only we knew what exactly was going on with this piece! Please reach out with your information to Caren at info@collectpeanuts.com. Thanks for helping me solve another mystery!
