Charles Schulz was, by all accounts, a master of the comic strip and his Peanuts legacy continues to touch fans worldwide through its blend of simplicity and insight long after our blogging bones are laid to rest. So what could ComicsAlliance have possibly discovered to improve upon our impression of Charlie Brown and the gang? None other than a story by Schulz collaborator Dale Hale in which ol' Chuck dons the mantle of a mustachioed hobo mad with cake cravings. Just look at the terror his vagabond persona instills!

Uncovered by comics blogger Mike Sterling, Charlie's hobo act takes place in Dell's Peanuts #8, part of a stand-alone comic book series that ran in the early '60s. As Sterling describes at his blog, Charlie Brown is rejected from playing house with the other children in his 'hood, so he hatches a plan to gain their sympathy in the guise of a hobo... which backfires horribly.


Now, I know it was '61, but I'm pretty sure the "Don't Talk to Strangers" rule was still being preached by parents (even ones that sounded like baffled trumpets when they spoke) back then. Poor Chuck and his hat, out-of-season coat and faux facial hair never stood a chance!

Fortunately for everyone, unlike his Sisyphean attempts to kick a football held by Lucy, this was one endeavor Charlie Brown only attempted once.

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