Snoopy is everywhere. It seems like you’ll find Snoopy merchandise everywhere you go and you can’t enjoy your daily doom scroll without seeing at least one piece of Snoopy media on your feed. 

Let’s begin with a quick history lesson! Snoopy had his beginnings in the comic strip by Charles M. Schulz, which we’ve all come to know and love as “Peanuts.” According to Charles M. Schulz Museum, “Peanuts” began publication in 1950. That marks nearly 74 years since the first comic. Main characters of the comic include Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy, Linus, and others. Schulz’s comic explored many profound themes of childhood like friendship, and existentialism.

After a successful publication, Snoopy gained immense popularity for his iconic persona and adventures. Snoopy’s many alter egos, such as the World War I Flying Ace and Joe Cool, added depth and humor to his character. As time went by, “Peanuts” was adapted into various TV specials, notably “A Charlie Brown Christmas” (1965) and “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” (1966), both becoming holiday classics.

Today, nostalgic cartoon characters have become an identity for many people, especially young adults. Are you a Sanrio girl? A Garfield girl? Or better yet, a Snoopy girl? I’m guilty of being one of the so-called Snoopy girls. No shame in my game, really. Snoopy is relatable, cute, and funny. Plus, who doesn’t like coming across an old-school Peanuts comic every now and then?

However, the question still remains. What’s the deal with Snoopy all of a sudden? It seems like the lovable beagle wasn’t as popular two years ago as he is today. Personally, I’ve been a fan of Snoopy ever since I was little. However, it was a lot more difficult to find any Snoopy merchandise growing up than it is today. Usually, it wouldn’t be until I went to Great America or passed by old-school gift shops that I would come across any sort of Peanuts goods. 

I tried to trace down when the Snoopy craze began specifically on TikTok (because if I did a more general search, we’d be looking towards 1963 when Peanuts became the most famous comic strip in the world.) It seems like Snoopy reached his social peak on TikTok last year when CVS began selling the “Puffer Jacket” plush. Everyone seemed to want to get their hands on the adorable plushie, but as expected with any product craze, Puffer Jacket Snoopy sold out quickly across the country. 

While the Puffer Jacket plush landed in the hands of Snoopy fans everywhere, other people decided to take advantage of the frenzy to buy out all of the plushies and resell them online at ridiculously higher prices than the original price point. With the sudden price gouging of the beloved product, many fans decided to move on and stock up on other Snoopy goods. Which eventually leads to falling into the Snoopy loophole of collecting merchandise. Not that I’d know about that, firsthand… definitely not. 

Fans also began to bring creativity to their love for Snoopy. As time progressed, I began to take notice of a lot more Snoopy-themed videos, art, crafts, etc. It seemed like our favorite beagle was becoming more of an aesthetic than anything. More and more Peanuts media became popular as well, with new cartoons being released about the Peanuts gang and the resurgence of episodes of the classic cartoon everywhere. Companies from every industry began to collaborate with Snoopy, from clothing, to makeup, to food. Even Snoopy tourist spots became increasingly popular, like the Charles M. Schulz Museum in Santa Rosa CA, the Snoopy Museum in Tokyo, and theme parks like Knott’s Berry Farm (for their Peanuts theming.)

Nonetheless, Snoopy will forever hold a special place in the hearts of people everywhere, whether they identify themselves as a “Snoopy Girl/ Boy” or just as a casual fan of the comic strips. It’s amazing to see how a cartoon beagle can bring so much happiness, comfort, and a sense of belonging to many generations and more to come. Who knows, maybe there will be a craze for Snoopy’s best friend Woodstock in the near future. I’ll definitely be there to see it, I adore Snoopy but Woodstock is still criminally underrated!