By Bill Engar

Post-Flight Brief:  100% Vintage Fun!!!

In 1970, Monogram Models released Snoopy and his Sopwith Camel.  It was a wildly successful model kit and spawned six additional kits in the series, including Snoopy’s imaginary nemesis, The Red Baron.  In 2020, Atlantis Models announced the return of three Snoopy kits!  This Double-Header review will focus on Snoopy and his Sopwith Camel and the Red Baron kits.

Come along with us on a journey as we inspect Snoopy and his Sopwith Camel along with The Red Baron!  Stick with us as we explore the history of Snoopy and his owner, Charlie Brown, better known as characters from Charles Schulz’ famous Peanuts comic strip.  Learn about the history of the kit including its Mattel-Monogram origins!  We also have information about the Sopwith Camel and Fokker DR.1 including photos of a REAL flying Sopwith Pup!

Here's a frame from a video action sequence in our NEW YouTube video.  Snoopy has never taken on the Red Baron like this!

SEE IT ON YOUTUBE! 
SNOOPY VS THE RED BARON
Snoopy and his Sopwith Camel kit along with Red Baron, both kits from Atlantis Models, are featured in a complete video presentation!  You'll be able to experience both models in detail.  But this time, Snoopy isn't flying a doghouse.  Who will win the showdown???   When you see the video, we need to remind you, "These are not flying models!"

​If you’re not a regular model builder or site visitor but came here to learn about these kits, welcome; we hope you’ll stick around and check out our other articles.  We’ve got a lot of fun stuff here!

Atlantis Models brings back a pair of long-lost historic classics.  We'll start with Snoopy's arch-rival, The Red Baron!

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Red Baron is originally a 1970 Monogram Models kit.  It came in a rectangular box.  Atlantis makes the kit its own with its new, popular "Square Box" format.  Around 1970, Aurora Models began using a similar box.  There is a lot of stuff inside; the box is large at nearly ten inches square and 3-3/4 inches deep.  Atlantis worked extra-hard to add some special touches to the Snoopy series.  The back of the box, at right, has full-color graphics.  Note the built-up model that shows you just what you're getting!  A small amount of extra painting is depicted--but it certainly won't take much to create a real display piece!

After his first debut in a model kit, Snoopy got a quick companion, or rather a nemesis, in the form of The Red Baron!  Atlantis wisely brought the Red Baron back at the same time as Snoopy, creating an irresistible pair of model kits.

This side of the box contains kit specs.

Licensing probably wasn't required for this model; it's not specified on the box, but it was engraved on the fuselage bottom.  Remember, during decades of mention in the Peanuts comics, movies, and TV specials, The Red Baron was never actually shown!

Kit contents (except the stickers).  There are three colors of plastic.  The motorization is extremely simple!

The most exciting component of the Red Baron kit is the Fokker triplane!  Atlantis’ Red Baron kit has 28 parts on four sprues (30 if you count the motor and copper contact).  Like the Snoopy kit, two parts in the kit comprise all electrical components (you’ll supply the third in the form of a AA battery).

The red parts comprise most of the Red Baron's Fokker DR.1.  A handful of parts from the black-plastic sprue will complete the airplane.

Very little painting is required here.  Stickers are included for the Maltese crosses that go on the airplane and base.  Two comic-style “Red Baron” titles are included for the side of the plane.  Atlantis recommends this model for builders ten years of age and older.  If given to a youngster between the ages of 10 and 12, it might be a good idea for mom and/or dad to be prepared to provide a little help.  As with Snoopy and His Sopwith Camel, a child confident building those Lego sets with many small parts should have no trouble with this one.

Note that in the picture of the wings above, you could only see the bottom surface.  Here's the top surface of the top  wing.  Note the rib-over-stretched-fabric detail!

The assembly sequence for the Red Baron kit is a little different than Snoopy; the builder starts first with the caricature DR.1 Fokker triplane.  Being a triplane, one would think that the airplane might be slightly more difficult to assemble than Snoopy’s Sopwith Camel--read on!  Like the Sopwith Camel, the model was engineered with some nice nods to realism.  The engine cowl is nicely done with two air intake holes like the real thing and three cylinders of the rotary-type engine showing below the cowl. 

This is the middle-wing.  It goes over the four pins on the forward fuselage, and the center-strut part and machine gun assembly go on top.

Like the Sopwith, the Fokker’s engine has some uniquely accurate details—the copper induction pipes are visible to the sides of the cylinders just like the real thing!  This is a very subtle nod to realism which demonstrates the attention to details that made the original Monogram Models beloved for decades.  Like the Sopwith, you may want to paint the prop and engine and you could get extra-fancy if you want and paint the machine gun with a gun-metal color, although it will also look just fine in Basic-Black Plastic as it comes in the box.

The black-parts sprue has the rest of the plane and Red Baron's helmet and mustache!  That's the extent of Red Baron's body at bottom-left.

Red Baron's head is molded in white along with both parts to the base.

The Red Baron figure is a little more simple than Snoopy—he’s simply a big caricature-head that somewhat resembles Manfred van Richthofen with a mustache and a sort-of body attached to the cockpit coaming.  The face is white plastic – you’ll probably want to paint it the fleshy-color of your choice.  The mustache is a separate part and you might also want to have some black and white paint on hand to detail the Red Baron’s eyes and teeth.

Here's a better look at Red Baron's face!

Some authentic detailing identifies this as an Oberrursel Ur.II rotary engine!

Check out Red Baron's helmet/goggles and nicely detailed prop!

If you want, you can get creative with the Red Baron’s helmet and goggles.  Personally, I think black leather would be a great choice for the helmet which happens to be the color the of the plastic!
 
Red Baron’s base is a simple Maltese cross affair.  It’ll look great in white plastic with the black stickers carefully applied!

Stickers appear to be high-quality, just like the water-slide decals that Atlantis Models includes with their other kits.

The instruction sheet uses vintage Monogram artwork.  However, the reproduction is extremely well-done.  Paper is a high-quality bond with premium offset printing!

COMING NEXT:  SNOOPY AND HIS SOPWITH CAMEL!

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Snoopy and His Sopwith Camel was the first of the Snoopy kits to debut in 1970.  Stay tuned for particulars of its history.  Like Red Baron, Atlantis gives it the Square-Box treatment.  Note the comic book page on the back of the box--yes, this was a real advertisement back in the day.  This model kit was also advertised on TV and a huge number were sold through the early 1970's during SnoopyMania.  We'll bet this kit becomes a collectible at some point.  Save those boxes!

Snoopy and His Sopwith Camel has 38 parts with six sprues in four colors of styrene plastic.  A copper contact and special flip-to-start motor are included.  Like Red Baron, very little to no paint is required.  As a Skill Level 1 kit, it is intended for ages 10 and older.  This is a building kit, not a toy.  Building skill is required.  Care to be sure that small parts are not within the reach of small children is important, too.  Come on, parents, be sure to remember your safety thing!  A child younger than 10 should do fine with adult help, provided there is some skill building such things in the house!  If you're comfortable with the Lego sets that have small parts, you should be fine.  Duplo doesn't count!  Good grief!

38 parts make up this kit.  It's motorized (the propeller spins), but it doesn't actually fly!  We need to point this out before you watch our planned YouTube video.

The model is designed to operate with a single AA battery, so no hazardous voltages are present.  The spinning propeller can be started and stopped easily with a finger, so there isn’t a risk of injury from the moving part.  Youngsters should be reminded to keep any toy with a spinning prop away from their eyes.  Enough of sounding like your mother; let's take a closer look at the parts.

Snoopy's Sopwith Camel is bright yellow!  Two thought balloons are included here.  What do you think so far?

An extra battery box was included with the black-plastic parts.

No paint or glue is required, but parts can still be glued to make a sturdier model and of course the builder may still wish to customize their model with paints intended for use with styrene plastic (So-called “model paints” available from a hobby store or craft store that sells plastic model kits).

The model comes with high-quality adhesive-backed stickers.  The wing where the roundels go is flat, so the stickers won’t wrinkle when applied in the right place.
 
Parts have a little flash, but it shouldn’t be an obstacle to anyone who builds the kit.  Modeling supplies such as a razor-knife to trim flash and the sprue-nibs from parts and fine-grit sandpaper to clean up these areas after you’ve trimmed them will help make a neater model.  Come to think of it, I didn't find one sinkhole in either model that would detract from the natural plastic finish.

The white-plastic sprue has Snoopy's head, body at left-bottom, doghouse base, and optional posts to lean the base forward so it shows up better on your shelf.  The photo doesn't really show the boards with raised woodgrain detail.  This has to be one of the most amazing bases to come with a model kit!

Yes, that black lettering for the doghouse base is all pre-colored!  One interesting bit of trivia - the "O's" are not identical!  Be sure you put them in the right location.  That's Charles Schulz' handwriting, by the way.

The Snoopy figure’s body is depicted in the kit from torso-up only!  It includes two head halves and a black nose (it’s the dumbbell-like part).  The builder will want to use a little black paint for Snoopy’s eyes and eyebrows.  The instructions also suggest using a felt-tip marker; a fine Sharpie would work great if the builder doesn’t want to bother buying any paint.  Right out of the box, Snoopy’s  black helmet with goggles and a red scarf will make Charlie Brown wonder why he can’t have a normal dog like everybody else.  If you want, you could always paint Snoopy’s helmet brown, simulating leather, and you could also paint the goggles’ frames and lenses with different colors as well!  If memory serves, in some of the movies and TV specials, Snoopy actually wore a green helmet, so that's an option as well!

Doing the rounds:  The engine cowling and Snoopy's scarf comprise the red parts.

A closeup shot of the faithfully rendered rotary engine!

The motor to this model is highly specialized.  Kudos to Atlantis for finding a modern version!

The plane will sit on its landing gear just fine, but a very cool display stand is included.  While Snoopy exclusively flew his doghouse in the Peanuts comic, the Atlantis kit includes an airplane model, but the famous doghouse is not left out.  Molded in white, the doghouse has wood-grain and separate black plastic “Snoopy” letters shaped perfectly in Charles Schulz’ handwriting.  A black roof and post to hold the model round out this cool kit feature.  White posts will tip the stand forward a bit so it will show up better on your display shelf.

The film on these self-adhesive stickers is very thin.  Water based decals?  We don't need no stinkin' water-based decals!

This is the entirety of the electrical parts!  You don't have to be an electrical engineer to build this model, but you will have to come up with the AA battery yourself.  We know you can do it!

Snoopy’s biplane is a “cartoon version” of a Sopwith Camel.  The chrome-yellow color suggests a post-WWI scheme that the Sopwiths probably never wore (I think we lost the Rivet-Counters a long time ago anyway), but we’re very much in fantasy territory with this model, and the bright color truly adds to the fun of this kit.  Of course there is nothing to prevent the adventurous modeler from painting the plane in any color (or level of "accuracy") that they wish.  The plane still has some interesting features. 

A comic strip theme is more prevalent with the Snoopy kit instructions.  Note that Woodstock is there!  Dem Brudders Trivia:  Birds appeared in the Peanuts comic strip from the early days, but they were drawn much more like real, backyard birds for a number of years.  It was the mid-1960's before the birds appeared as drawn in the highly caricatured "Woodstock" style.  Woodstock appeared as Snoopy's sidekick as early as 1967, but didn't receive his name until mid-1970!  Of course, he was named after the famous New York Woodstock music festival of August 15-18, 1969.

The entire motor installation was very well-engineered.  The motor twist-locks in and out of the airplane easily!

A rotary engine face (molded in black) has cylinder rib details and valve lifter details.  The prop is nicely shaped and has hub bolts (correctly, 8.  Happy rivet counters?).  Separate black tires fit over yellow hubs giving the airplane a finished look with no painting.  The super-picky modelers among us might want to throw a little paint on the engine and prop.  The separate red engine cowling and British roundels make a striking airplane model right out of the box.

Here's what first greets you when you open the boxes!  As you can see, Atlantis needs their larger-format square box.  There's a of stuff in there!  See this view for yourself for real soon, and don't delay!  These kits will be fast sellers, just like the originals!

The cowling and engine are a part of a removable module that houses the motor and battery.  Design of this component was very thoughtful!  The “flip” feature to start the propeller means a switch mechanism wasn’t needed and there is only a single copper battery contact that snaps together with the motor.  NO wires are needed!  Kudos to Atlantis for acquiring the same motor after fifty years; a fair bit of testing and finagling was required to get this detail right and we're sure this exercise was no easy task on their part.

Here's both built models displayed in a head-to-head showdown!  All that was done beyond out-of-box was some paint on Red Baron's face and Snoopy's eyes and teeth were detailed with some black paint!

Two yellow “thought balloons” are included of different sizes on the main airplane sprue.  A sticker is included for each one, and the parts can be placed between Snoopy’s teeth.  The instructions indicate Snoopy’s attitude towards his missing tooth.  There’s nothing from stopping the builder from writing his or her own musings on the thought balloons with a magic marker!

Red Baron finished out-of-box except some paint and weathering for the figure's face.

Snoopy and His Sopwith Camel completed.  Snoopy's eyes and mouth have some black paint, but other than that, this is a total out-of-box effort.

BUILD THE MODELS

The instructions were well-written.  Good tools to have on hand are a razor blade or knife; an X-Acto Precision Knife with # 11 blade works very well.  If youngsters or those less experienced plan on using such sharp tools, caution or supervision is recommended since a slip will cut skin easily!  A cutting board to protect furniture should also accompany any use of a hobby knife. Sandpaper, about 320 grit to smooth off sprue attachment points, and finer (400 and/or 600) is also handy.  I noted a couple sink marks, most notably on the machine guns, so the uber-modelers among us might want some modeling putty to fill those.  But they didn't bother me at all, so my tube of putty will sit out this build.

Red Baron's face was airbrushed with light-tan.  Teeth and eye details were hand-painted.  Low/deeper areas had a gentle brushing of pastel weathering.  Note the "white dot" on the figure's pupils; this small detail simulates a reflection.  It's a minor detail, but subliminally, we accept it as something we see in a "real" eye.

I used a small amount of black enamel hobby paint for Snoopy.  Use flat or glossy sheen depending on your preference (I used glossy).  I like Testor’s brand; the small ¼-oz bottles are easy to find at craft and hobby stores.  Red Baron’s face needed three colors; I chose flat light tan for his skintone and flat white for eyes and teeth and flat black for additional eye details such as iris and eyebrows.  I also used powdered pastel for weathering Red Baron’s face.  For painting and weathering the small details, a very fine paintbrush works best.  A 000 brush is very small and should allow you to put the paint on with precision.  A hobby or craft store might even have finer brushes if you want; 4-ought and 5-ought are progressively finer than the triple-ought.  Red Baron’s face can be painted with a larger brush.  I used an airbrush (mini spray-gun).  For the uninitiated, it’s a great way to paint larger areas and it allows a much smoother finish than you can get with brushes and you have much better control of how the paint goes on than you do with a spray-can.

I was going to paint Snoopy's helmet green as seen in 1960's animation, but was quite happy with the natural plastic-look!

I thought that Red Baron would be more difficult than Snoopy to build thanks to the Fokker triplane’s three wings, but in actuality, I found it a little easier to build than Snoopy.  The Fokker only has a single strut on each side and each went in easily when installing as instructions recommend.  The strut is slipped through the center wing at an angle, and it pivots in place.  Pay attention to the orientation of the strut as specified in the instructions.  Both models benefit from the application of a little glue at the joints of the parts to make them hold together better.  We prefer Testors liquid cement for plastic models; it comes with an application brush.  Don’t get too much glue on the brush; if the glue runs on the model, it will etch the plastic!  Just a touch between joining parts allows the glue to flow into the joint via capillary-action.

Take your time, and don't force any parts.  If the fit is tight on any part, trim the opening or the part until it slips in a little easier.  While you can build the model "as advertised" with no glue, it will hold together better if you do.

When building the Snoopy kit,  watch the cabane wing struts.  They're fragile considering how much "push" they need to go into the wing as-molded.  Trim the little retainer-ridge down a bit (it’s on the flat surface of the strut) and make sure the hole in the wing is big enough.  One side of the wing had a web of flash that needed to be trimmed out.  It will be better to over-trim the strut slightly and have to use a little glue than break the strut by pushing too hard.  Glue should be used regardless.  While our favorite is liquid cement as mentioned; use tube glue if that's what you like and go sparingly.   A nice hint is that the same 000 brush you used to dab on paint works great to control the liquid glue better and minimize the your chances of a plastic-melting drool from the bigger brush that comes with the glue.

Since the "O's" that make up the lettering on the doghouse base are different, it's a good idea to cut them off the sprue and insert them on the stand one-at-a-time.  Hit the post where it comes through the back of the base with a little glue.  This way, it'll stay on and you won't get any glue-spots that'll show on the front!

Fit of tires to wheels is very tight, maybe a little too tight.  There are four small nibs inside the tire; I scraped those down quite a bit and glued the tire on.  I just pushed the first tire on; it was very tight and when I hit it with liquid glue, the tire actually split.  It's better to trim down the nibs and use glue.
 
Snoopy's nose is a dumbell-thing.  Be sure and trap it between the head halves before gluing the head.  If you forget, you can cut the dumbbell in half and use your favorite half for Snoopy's nose, simply gluing it in place.  Don't ask me how I know this.  I glued the head together and secured it with rubber bands overnight.  Then, I scraped down the seam and sanded with 320-grit sandpaper, then 400 and 600 after that so that the seam between head-halves disappeared!  I did the same with Red Baron's head.  NO modeling putty was needed!

Note the dihedral angle of the lower wing; this was an actual characteristic of the Sopwith Camel.  At right, you can see what Snoopy's "missing" tooth looks like without the thought bubble!  A simple wash with thinned, black paint defines his teeth.

A minimalist build will be plenty satisfying.  I decided that Snoopy's plane would look just fine careening through the digital sky in our upcoming video review without any paint or detailing on engine or prop (you can't see the paint on a spinning prop anyway).  
 
Snoopy's eyes can use a dot of black paint, and his eyebrows a couple swipes.  His grit-teeth expression adds a lot to the model; a simple black-wash will enhance that.  Simply thin down some of that black paint, load up a paintbrush just a little, and let the thinned paint flow in the crevices of Snoopy's mouth and teeth.  Bring out your inner dentist by wipe off the excess with a Q-tip, let it all dry, and you're done with all painting in minutes!

Two heads are better than one:  Closeups of detail painting.  Just a little black paint brought Snoopy to life; he resembles his comic persona with some mere swipes of black paint.  Being based more on a caricature-human, Red Baron needs a little work with skin-tone paint, detailing of eyes and teeth, and some weathering. I did give Red Baron's face a shot of Testors clear, flat lacquer from the airbrush to preserve the pastel weathering.  It also flattened down the sheen on the black plastic mustache. 

The motor assembly is easily removable for battery access with a twist-lock motion (don't glue it in!).  Simply give the prop a flick, and it'll start spinning.  It'll spin fast enough to provide the illusion of a real plane, but it doesn't go fast enough to hurt your fingers or anything.  Both motors on my kits actually spun backwards.  If yours does this, don't get uptight; it's not like it's going to fly backwards since the model doesn't fly at all.  If you're super-nitpicky about it, simply put the battery in backwards and the prop will spin forwards.  I'd recommend that you remove the battery when you're not enjoying the spinning-prop feature.

From everything we've seen, we're not at all surprised that Atlantis has done a bang-up job of bringing back these historic kits!  We're sure you'll be thrilled with either of these model kits and recommend that you buy the pair!  Dem Brudders give these model kits Four Enthusiastic Thumbs Up!

SPECIAL THANKS TO ATLANTIS MODELS FOR PROVIDING THESE KITS FOR US TO REVIEW AND ENJOY

We're Amazon Affiliates here at DemBrudders.com.  As Amazon Associates, we get a small commission when our readers buy the models from Amazon after clicking on the links below.  This helps us continue with the swanky presentation of the website -- at no extra cost to you!
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Learn more about Snoopy and His Sopwith Camel here!

Don't forget Red Baron!  Everyone loves the Fokker DR.1 triplane!

We don't have one of these to review for you, but it's the third of the Snoopy kits by Atlantis! Build your own hockey game - no batteries needed!

BONUS FEATURE #1:  PEANUTS, SNOOPY, AND THE FAMOUS WWI BRITISH FLYING ACE

HOW DID SNOOPY BECOME A MODEL KIT?

PART I:  SNOOPY EVOLVES

On October 2, 1950, Charles M. Schulz’ Peanuts comic strip debuted, but his most well-known comic was preceded by others.  At age 14, his first published drawing, a picture of his dog Spike,   was debuted by Ripley’s Believe it or Not.  Spike, a pointer-mix, was notable for his tendency to eat sharp objects, an ironic twist on his own name which, unfortunately, was not mentioned in the Ripley's cartoon.  Sharp-eyed viewers will notice some attributes in this first drawing that became enduring characteristics of Snoopy.

a Li'l Folks comic, a precursor to Peanuts.  The dog's furled brow is subtle.  But it certainly portended a bright future for this dog's successor.

This drawing was part of a Ripley's Believe it or Not comic on 22 February, 1937, Schulz' first published work.  He was 14 years old.

Schulz’ first regular cartoon, Li’l Folks, ran in a local newspaper from 1947-1950.  Characters in this comic were quite unlike the cast of favorites created for Peanuts, but many cues were there.  In 1950, United Feature Syndicate became interested in Li’l Folks, but decided the name was unsuitable for a national comic with some sources stating it was too close to Li’l Abner.  Also rejected was the name, “Good Ol’ Charlie Brown.”  Schulz was assigned the name Peanuts by his publishers, a title that Schulz disliked intensely. 

October 2, 1950:  Peanuts debuts with this strip.  Schulz preferred the name, li'l folks, or Good ol' Charlie Brown.  ​

October 4, 1950:  Snoopy's first appearance.  He has yet to acquire a name and an owner.

The strip quickly became known for depicting young children who made decidedly adult quips and observations.  Schulz originally wanted to call his comic dog Sniffy.  But after seeing a comic book cover featuring a character so named, Schulz decided to use "Snoopy," which his mother had talked about as a possibility for any future dog the family might acquire.  Snoopy was an early debut in the comic, and initially, his behaviors were very dog-like.  For awhile, it wasn’t made clear even whose dog he was!

Schulz avoided naming the new Peanuts' cartoon dog with his first choice, Sniffy, thanks to this character.  Apologies; I don't recall one thing about Sniffy from my childhood.

It took nearly a year (September 4, 1951) for Snoopy's doghouse to appear.  In later years, Snoopy could likely have mowed the grass himself.

Anyone who has had a dog probably has wondered what the dog might be thinking at any given time.  It’s obvious that Charles Schulz had this curiosity, and Snoopy evolved with thought balloons revealing to the world the inner workings of this emerging character in the Peanuts strip.  Schulz had noted unusual tendencies for intelligence in his own dog Spike, and some of these observations probably landed in newspapers all over the country in the form of Snoopy’s musings and antics.  Snoopy began standing upright in 1956 in a winter scene as he imitated Shermy and Lucy sliding across a patch of ice. 

During the 1950's, many experienced television for the first time.  On November 19, 1951, it was strongly implied that Snoopy's doghouse had a TV.

January 6, 1952:  This is a portion of the very first Sunday strip of Peanuts.  This is one of only a few strips where Snoopy actually vocalizes.

One might expect an unusual dog to have an unusual doghouse.  Its initial appearances showed a three-quarters view.  As Schulz’ style for the artwork evolved towards minimalism, the doghouse did as well and eventually, it was shown almost exclusively from the side.  Snoopy’s habit of sleeping on top of his doghouse was introduced in an amusing way in 1958.  Depicting him in this way was always funny, but it had a practical aspect:  it was much easier to see the character at rest—a position with with which all dog owners are familiar-- than it would have been if he was depicted inside the doghouse.

Snoopy's future habit of sleeping on top of his doghouse created a humorous theme for the first time on December 12, 1958.

Peanuts was often parodied by Mad Magazine.  Here, the characters are portrayed as if they behaved like actual children.

By the 1960’s, Peanuts had become part of American culture.  Mad Magazine’s parodies indicated that the strip had indeed arrived at that special status as a beloved media icon motivating their trademark barbs.  The once-novel notion of young children making adult quips had become commonplace and Snoopy’s antics became the next frontier for the strip’s humor. Snoopy’s inner thoughts and fantasies took the “I wonder what the dog is thinking” muse to rather hilarious extremes.  In the early 1960’s, Charles Schulz’ son enjoyed models of WWI aircraft and this inspired perhaps Snoopy’s favorite fantasy--the British WWI flying ace!

October 10, 1965:  Snoopy appears as The WWI Flying Ace for the first time in this Sunday strip.

 In 1966, Snoopy's doghouse burned down.  Two weeks of comics explored this theme.  Prior to this, Schulz' own art studio actually suffered the same fate.

Another strip from the Snoopy's Doghouse Fire sequence.  The World War I flying ace theme endured as Snoopy's favorite imaginary persona.

In 1965, A Charlie Brown Christmas began a series of animated TV specials.  It was an unexpected hit.  It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown followed as a Halloween special and is remembered as a favorite by fans and producers for an animated sequence featuring Snoopy flying his doghouse in pursuit of the unseen Red Baron.  This special was so well-received that the artwork from the same animation sequences were repeated in A Boy Named Charlie Brown, a theatrically-released animated movie that was first shown in 1969.

Snoopy battles the unseen Red Baron in It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, a CBS TV special that debuted four days before Halloween in 1966.

Snoopy battles the unseen Red Baron in A Boy Named Charlie Brown, an animated, full-length theatrically released film from 1969.

PART II:  SNOOPY SALES

With time, the popularity of Peanuts created merchandising opportunities.  The first products were paperback books in 1952.  The first toys were Hungerford Dolls, a set of polyvinyl figures that debuted in 1958.  I recall a set of these in our basement playroom throughout the early 1960s.  Schulz wrote Happiness is a Warm Puppy, a collection of heartwarming “Happiness is—” statements that was beloved in our home.  It was a popular choice for a bedtime story and so well used that the back had to be held together with tape.

Happiness is a Warm Puppy was like standard-issue in our neighborhood.  All the other kids had this 1962 book as I recall.

The Hungerford Dolls of 1958 were the first Peanuts figures.  Note that Sally (at R) is a baby!

A frame from an 8-mm home movie of a birthday party, circa 1962.  Our set of Hungerford dolls are in the background.  As I recall, we wore them out.

Astronaut Niel Armstrong in his "Snoopy cap."

Snoopy entrenched himself even further into American culture when he became a mascot for NASA.  A “Snoopy cap” was not a collectible there, but a communications headpiece designed to be used in a space helmet.  Snoopy became a motivator for increased safety after the Apollo I fire and for Apollo 10, the dress-rehearsal for the moon flight, the first combo of Lunar Module and Command Module to go to the moon (but not land) received callsigns “Snoopy” and “Charlie Brown.”

During the period when the Apollo Program got serious, Snoopy merchandise was everywhere.  I recall Snoopy T-shirts, Snoopy lunchboxes, Snoopy pencils, Snoopy buttons, and Snoopy stickers.  In 1970, Monogram Models released Snoopy and His Sopwith Camel.

Lets take a brief detour to look at what was going on with Monogram models in the late 1960’s.  Monogram decided to allow their purchase by Mattel Toys in 1968.  To put this in perspective, Hot Wheels first sixteen cars had just been introduced (they were well-stocked in stores prior to the Christmas season as I recall and were THE hot Christmas toy that year). 
 
A new philosophy as part of the Monogram-Mattel merger was to make kits for younger modelers.  SnapTite kits were one result.  Snoopy and the Red Baron was the first model kit that Monogram released that was half-toy and half-model kit.  Monogram’s usual group who created their scale models engineered the kit.  Charles Schulz personally OK’d every aspect of the kit during its development all the way from concept drawings to prototypes and even packaging.

Brudders Dick and Bill on a hike in 1971.  Bill's Snoopy sweatshirt is well-worn in this photo.

An interesting aspect of this, especially considering that Schulz himself was involved, was that Monogram broke some “sacred rules” of the Peanuts comic strip.  One rule was that Snoopy was always drawn flying his doghouse, never an airplane.  Of course, this rule remained with the comic, but Monogram gave us a very nice “cartoon” Sopwith Camel on Snoopy’s doghouse base.

The original Monogram kits of 1970 came in these rectangular boxes.  Tom Graham photo.

Five more Snoopy kits appeared after the success of Snoopy and His Sopwith Camel.  Four are shown here in this Tom Graham photo.

There were two “red” taboos in Peanuts.  One was Charlie Brown’s crush, the Little Red-Haired Girl.  She was never shown in the comic strip.  The other was the Red Baron.  While based on an actual historical figure, no depiction of The Red Baron or his Fokker DR.1 triplane was ever made in the comics.  Of course Monogram dispatched that taboo as well with The Red Baron model kit.

While these restrictions remained in the comic strip, Snoopy in his yellow airplane and his nemesis in the red Fokker triplane flew in plastic form on our bedroom shelves and even higher in our imaginations​

Utilizing Mattel’s existing powerhouse advertising infrastructure, Monogram’s Snoopy and His Sopwith Camel was featured extensively in comic book ads and even in TV commercials in late 1970.  As a result, the model kit became, according to a Mattel executive, “the biggest selling model kit ever created.”

Some model kit historians decry the Monogram-Mattel merger as a major distraction from the high-fidelity scale models that were Monogram’s trademark.  However, the success of the Snoopy kits allowed Monogram to survive and thrive during the rest of the 1970’s while chaotic industry changes took their toll on competitors such as Aurora.

Tom Graham's book by Schiffer Publishing provides a mustn't-miss history of Monogram Models!

Five more Snoopy kits were released after Snoopy and Red Baron.  None were as popular.  Atlantis Models has released Snoopy Ice Hockey, essentially a build-it-yourself game.  The hockey theme fits Charles Schulz’ own love of ice sports, hockey in particular.  If Dem Brudders have anything to say about it, we’d love to see an all-new Snoopy kit, Snoopy and his Zamboni.

Here are a couple more plastic diversions in parting (vinyl, specifically), that illustrate the effect of Snoopy and the Red Baron on pop culture.  The Peter Pan album was a collection of children's songs.  We love the depiction of Red Baron.  His airplane leaves something to be desired.  The Royal Guardsmen published a song in 1966 that neared the top of the music charts.  Too bad they didn't ask Charles Schulz' permission initially.  It made some lawyers happy.

 BONUS FEATURE #2:  SOPWITH PUPS AND CAMELS!

PART I:  MUSEUM CAMEL AND DR.1

The Sopwith Pup has parallel wings with some dihedral on the top wing.

The Camel has a pronounced dihedral on the bottom wing and a flat upper wing.

The Sopwith Camel is one of the best-known aircraft of WWI.  It was developed from the Sopwith Pup, which we’ll also feature here.  First entering service in June of 1917, the Camel was very maneuverable which gave it an advantage in defensive and offensive tactics in a dogfight.  This came at a cost—the Camel was tricky to fly and unforgiving to novice pilots.  A proficient pilot, experienced with the plane’s volatile handling quirks, however, could use these characteristics to advantage and the Camel was known for its superior kill-rate.  As we well know, Snoopy would only pick the best airplane available for his WWI British Flying Ace fantasy, so only the Sopwith Camel would do!

​The Sopwith Camel shown here is featured at the Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, OH.  The replica was built by Air Force personnel from original plans and drawings and completed in 1974.  It has a 130 hp Clerget rotary engine.

No original Fokker DR.1's survive.  This reproduction was put on display at The Museum of the United States Air Force (Dayton, Ohio) in 1994.  Note that it hangs from the ceiling in a dramatic attitude!

 The Fokker DR.1 was ordered by the German Air Force as a response to the effective Sopwith Camel.  It was ready just two months later, first appearing in August of 1917.  Its most famous pilot, Manfred von Richtofen, scored 19 of his last 21 victories in the DR.1, and the aircraft is ubiquitously linked to him.  Of course his famous nickname is The Red Baron!  An interesting characteristic of the DR.1 is that the wings have no rigging!  There is some X-rigging between the wing-fuselage struts and around the landing gear, but the triple-wing configuration acts as its own rigging.

PART II:  A FLYING SOPWITH PUP CELEBRATES THE CENTENARY OF THE TYPE

This structure might look somewhat familiar to those who have built stick-and-tissue model airplanes.  But here, Dr. Larry Howard is doing it in 1/1 scale to produce a flying Sopwith Pup with authenticity to the last detail.  Learn more about this project at antiqueairfield.com!

Retired Spokane dentist Larry Howard had a passion for flying and vintage aircraft, and in 2016, he completed a Sopwith Pup replica to celebrate the centenary of the original Pup’s debut.  It’s not like you can order restoration parts from a catalog to build your own Sopwith Pup and Dr. Howard had to fabricate many parts himself.  Larry was able to acquire two vintage Le Rhone rotary engines from a friend, mixing parts to come up with one operating example.

This photo was taken by aviation journalist John B.  It illustrates the gossamer quality of the all-fabric flight surfaces.  This aircraft flies using the same material you'd find in a nice shirt.

This photo shows how a rotary-type engine works:  the crankshaft is fixed and the cylinder bank is connected to the propeller!  Jeffrey Neuberger photo.

Wheel chocks are pulled away and the Pup takes flight, November 8, 2016!  Although one might think that Snoopy would be seen flying a Sopwith Pup, it's Jay Pemberton at the controls of Larry Howard's pup.  Jay's pilot expertise covers over 100 years of aviation technology!  When he's not flying vintage aircraft for fun, he captains a very 21st-Century 747-8.

The correct Irish linen was also obtained and other key decisions were made to keep the airplane as authentic as possible.  Like the original, Larry’s Pup has no electrical system, and he retained an actual tail skid, instead of a small tail wheel, a concession taken on other replicas to improve ground handling at the expense of authenticity.  The model contest judge in me notes that the workmanship apparent in this aircraft is exceptional! 

The Pup in flight--100 years after it was introduced!  

Jay Pemberton (left) briefs Dr. Larry Howard (Builder of the Sopwith Pup; at right) post-flight.

Larry had his own grass strip at his residence where flights of the Pup were made.  Friends and fellow pilots Addison Pemberton and his son Jay each flew the Pup.  They reported that flight dynamics were basically good except for a tendency to feel tail-heavy and elevator authority was a bit sparse, probably characteristics of the original design.

Unfortunately, Dr. Larry Howard passed away unexpectedly on August 28, 2020.  We give condolences to his family and friends.  Larry will be remembered and missed by many.

Larry's Sopwith Pup resides at the Western Antique Aeroplane and Automobile Museum in Hood River, OR where it can be enjoyed by visitors.  This museum is known for keeping its aircraft in flightworthy condition and the aircraft, including Dr. Howard's Pup, are flown regularly.

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