Snoopy's brother "Ugly" Olaf
Olaf (originally called Ugly Olaf), is a minor animal character in the comic strip Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz. He is a brother of Snoopy. Olaf is much fatter than his siblings, a factor which may have contributed to him getting his nickname Ugly Olaf. However, beneath his fat exterior lies a sharp wit.
History[]
Olaf was first mentioned in a January 16, 1989 comic, as part of a storyline where Lucy suggests submitting Snoopy or one of his siblings (such as Spike, who declines) into an "Ugly Dog" contest. He made his first on-screen appearance, although covered in a paper sack, in the January 19 comic. He is first depicted unmasked in the following January 24 comic, when he finds out he won the contest, much to his displeasure.
Olaf's first appearance in the strip from January 24, 1989
Many of Olaf's early appearances feature gags related to his ugliness. For example, Olaf says that he once belonged to a family whose car license plate read "Our other dog is a golden retriever".
Olaf's favorite book is Joe Bunny which his mother used to read to him.
After the introduction of another of Snoopy's brothers, Andy, to the comic strip, Andy and Olaf would always appear together. The two brothers often get lost looking for Spike's home. In one strip they even go right past Spike's house without noticing it.
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Olaf, wearing a red cap, appears with Snoopy and the rest of his siblings in the 1991 animated cartoon, Snoopy's Reunion.
Olaf proves himself to have the most sharp-witted, wriest sense of humor out of all of Snoopy's brothers several times, but notably while a discussion about the afterlife takes place while Snoopy is having an operation. Andy asks if Olaf thinks fish go to heaven, and Olaf shoots back "not if they've been bad fish." His lovable, roly-poly appearance is the perfect contrast to his sharp wit.
The Peanuts animated television specials Snoopy's Reunion and I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown feature appearances by Olaf. In Snoopy's Reunion, his "instrument" is a jar that he blows on to produce a bass line.
Snoopy's impression of Olaf while flying with Fifi
Trivia[]
- Olaf resembles the sheep costume that Peppermint Patty is forced to wear against her will for her part in the Christmas play, as seen in a series of comic strips from December 1984 and in the 1992 TV special It's Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown.