One ofPeanutsmost underrated characters was also one of its strangest, as the “Talking School Building” was a supporting character in some of Charles Schulz’s most irreverent, if fondly-remembered cartoons.Offering sarcasm-laced quips, heartfelt one-liners, and even the occasionally melancholy moment, thePeanuts’School Building as a more multi-faced character than many would assume.
In particular, the School Building formed a special bond with Sally Brown' though their relationship began somewhat acrimoniously, especially from Sally’s end, asPeanutsprogressed, Sally came to reciprocate the school building’s fondness for her.
Shockingly, the School Building was also central to one ofPeanuts’most heartbreaking moments, when the School purposefully collapsed one night. Though a second School would be introduced to the panel, the magic of the first was truly hard to replicate, even as similar storylines continued well intoPeanuts' publication.
10"It’s A Living"
First Published: June 14, 2025
ThePeanutsSchool Building actually first began speaking the day before this panel was published, at the start of September 1974. The School immediately becamea comedic foil for Sally, who was particularly notorious among thePeanutsGang for her hatred of school; here,when Sally implores the building to “think of all the misery [it’s] caused!” and implores if it is bothered by this at all, the School deadpans: “It’s a living!”
Though the sudden introduction of a talking building might have flummoxedPeanutsreaders at the time, in retrospect, Charles Schulz’s experimentation with an inanimate character led to one of the most unexpectedly delightful dynamics in the cartoon’s history, between the School and Sally – which began as hilariously contentious, but over time became something like camaraderie.
9"This Is Not The Biggest Thrill Of My Life Either, Kid!"
First Published: June 02, 2025
Sally’s appreciation for the School Building grew surprisingly quickly, and it all started when she realized the School building listened to her complaints – while most others, such as the principal, the PTA, or the Board of Education had never given her that courtesy in the past.
Over time, the School Building became something like Sally’s sounding board and therapist. Hilariously, within a week of beginning to talk to the School, a sick Sally was already concerned that it would worry about where she was, insisting thather brother Charlie Brownexplain her absence. When he mutters that he “feels like a fool” talking to a wall,the School hilariously snaps back, “this is not the biggest thrill of my life either, kid.”
8"I Can’t Believe It! Somebody Loves Me!"
First Published: June 12, 2025
After being out of schoolsick for several days, Sally apparently had some sort of epiphany while she was out of commission. On her first day back to school, Sally goes to School Building and gushes to it how it has changed her views on school, going as far as ti say she actually enjoys going to school now. She even hugs the School,prompting the building to think “I can’t believe it! Somebody loves me!”
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It is safe to say that no one before Sally was as kind to the School Building, making it a rare occurrence for the School Building to feel that someone cares about it – officially marking a story of a beautiful friendship between the pair.
7"Treat Her Nicely, Kid. I’m The Jealous Type!"
First Published: June 14, 2025
Linus always hated being called Sally’s boyfriend – but he rarely faced repercussions for disputing their relationship status as severe as when he did so within earshot of the School Building. When Sally introduces Linus to School Building, calling him her boyfriend,Linus wigs out, yelling that he is no such thing. The School Building is shown to be protective of Sally, perhaps overly so,as it immediately drops a brick on Linus’s head, informing the injured elementary schooler that it is “the jealous type.”
The School Building would repeatedly bonk the Van Pelt kids with bricks over the years, starting with this cartoon – which took the recurring bit of the School Building being alive to the next level, by having it more than just think and feel, but actually act – and aggressively, at that.
6"Over The Years I’ve Learned A Few Things"
First Published: July 28, 2025
In this classicPeanutspanel, Sally Brown struggles with some difficult math homework –yet it turns out the equations are a breeze for the School Building, who notes that it has “learned a few things” during its time housing generations of students.
What is interesting about this cartoon is the way it showcases the School Building becoming a more detailed character in its own right. While it was well-established as a supporting character for Sally at this point, here Charles Schulz reverses the roles; it is actually the School Building that is the central character of the cartoon, with Sally making only a brief appearance as part of the set up for the punchline.
5"Don’t Criticize Us Senior Citizens, Kid!"
First Published: July 13, 2025
Lucy is known as the hothead of thePeanutscast, with a well-earned reputation for being crabby a lot of the time – but few characters in the strip’s history had as little tolerance for her attitude as the School Building. In this panel, when Lucy is angry thatsummer is already overand she has to go back to school, she insults the School Building, who does not take it lightly.Instead, the School Building throws a brick on her head, giving her an added warning of not insulting senior citizens,which as an old building, the School considers itself.
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While Lucy was out of line for her angry outburst, throwing a brick at her head is perhaps a little much – but it was clearly a punchline Charles Schulz loved, as it was a cartoonishly violent refrain for the strip’s Scool Building-centric cartoons over the years.
4"I’d Like To Be The Sistine Chapel, Too, Kid, But I’m Not"
First Published: August 18, 2025
Sally, like many children would rather be “a big TV star” than an ordinary kid, one who stuck having to attend elementary school. Hearing Sally’s wish,the school building commiserates, noting “I’d like to be the Sistine Chapel, too, kid. But I’m not!”
In a somewhat unusuallytragic turn of events forPeanuts, this discussion about wanting to be somebody between Sally and School Building actually led the School to have an existential crisis, which devolved into a depression, leading it to collapse in on itself. This unexpected turn brought a dramatic conclusion to one of Sally’s most meaningful friendships, but unfortunately for her, not her need to go to school.
3"I’d Cry, But I Hate To Streak My Windows"
First Published: August 24, 2025
This comic was a watershed moment for the school building;thisPeanutspanel depicted the School reflecting on the negative aspects of its life, like the teachers and principal complaining about it and the custodians hating it.After this negative spiral, filled with self-defeating thoughts, it was revealed in the very next comic strip that the School Building had collapsed on itself overnight, giving up on life.
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Finding out when Charlie Brown read about the collapse in the newspaper, and explained that they didn’t have to go to school that day, Sally was surprisingly devastated, rather than overjoyed. This was a dramatic turn for this storyline, but it also brought about a unique character turn for Sally, which impacted how she was written from that pointin Peanuts history moving forward.
2"First Day On The Job, I Run Into A Weirdo"
First Published: August 15, 2025
After the original school building collapsed on itself, a new school building was built in its place. Sally occupied herself during the building process by befriending the school building she was at temporarily, which just sohappened to be Peppermint Patty, Marcie, and Franklin’s school. For someone who used to dislike school as much as Sally, her friendship with multiple School Buildings was a fascinating trait.
When Sally meets the New School Building,she decides to inform it about the nervous breakdown of her last school and her thoughts on the whole matter, though the NewSchool Building does not take this helpful information. Rather, it just thinks Sally is a total weirdo, setting a strange precedent for its “first day on the job.”
1"I Wanna Go Home!"
First Published: July 27, 2025
The New School Building and Sally did not get off to the best start, with School Building thinking that Sally was a weirdo, who shared too much information with it too fast. That did not deter Sally though, as she continued to talk to the New School Building, even giving it some advice and words of wisdom.
This amounted to letting the New School Building know all the things that could happen to it, like being vandalized and reviled; in this way, Sally did her best to mentally prepare the character, though she was perhaps not as helpful as she thought. After hearing Sally’s intimidating warnings, the New School Building understandably wanted to go home, or really be anywhere else. Unfortunately for the New School Building, there was no moving, and it would continue to have to put up with Sally and theother members of thePeanutsGangfor years to come.
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.
