We know Charlie Brown, Lucy and Linus as some of the main “Peanuts” characters since the comic strip’s first publication in 1950, but one of Charles M. Schulz’s characters has been receiving unprecedented attention recently, almost 75 years after his creation. That character is Snoopy.

Snoopy first appeared in “Peanuts” on October 4, 1950, and from the get-go, he possessed a range of different careers. Snoopy was not the average beagle. He worked as a writer, fine art collector, flying ace and more.

Perhaps his broad range of interests and goofy personality can account for his major boost in popularity in the past year. But why in 2024?

I had always enjoyed Snoopy’s goofy nature as I watched different “Peanuts” holiday specials growing up; however, my level of love for the little dog has stayed stagnant since then. But when my brother — who is living in Japan — mentioned seeing more Snoopy memorabilia in local shops than ever before, my interest was piqued.

At the end of 2023, the official Snoopy TikTok account saw a 223.8% increase in engagement and gained 198,000 followers.

The increase in Snoopy’s TikTok engagement grew simultaneously with a 7.1% increase in social media usage worldwide as a whole in the past year.

The highest engagement on Snoopy’s TikTok was 18 to 24-year-olds. 20-year-old Ryan Hess said that she was lured in by the character.

“I think Snoopy is a cute, little guy who has a lot of emotions and characteristics, making him relatable to everyone,” Hess said.

She and her family have been fans since she was young, and she has also noticed a recent increase in the character’s popularity. This could be attributed to the Gen Z audience who experienced heightened emotions and concerns for the future during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I think (Snoopy) is relatable especially to Gen Z because there are so many different directions our lives can take us right now and seeing it represented even in a fun way is great for the imagination,” Hess said.

Hess is not the only one who has observed Snoopy skyrocket in popularity.

The Minnesota History Center opened an exhibit titled “The Life and Art of Charles M. Schulz” on July 22, 2023, and it has blown attendance projections out of the water, according to the Minnesota History Center’s museum manager, Annie Johnson.

When asked about why the exhibit was such a success, Johnson said it was “not a tough question at all.”

“We expected it would do well with the local connections, but it really did surpass our expectations, especially coming out of COVID-19,” Johnson said. “As cultural institutions and museums continue to recover, this was just such a wonderful outcome for us.”

Johnson didn’t attribute the exhibit’s success solely to Snoopy because it showcases a range of characters and art pieces. However, she said she observed high interest in the gallery sections highlighting Snoopy.

“Snoopy is definitely always popular, but we did create a hands-on station in the gallery with information on Snoopy throughout the years, showing his different looks and personalities throughout the years, and that’s been a popular stop for guests,” Johnson said.

I can’t speak for 68.6 million individuals that make up Gen Z in the United States, but what I can say is, for many, he is a Gen Z icon. He surely is filling up my social media feeds, and I’ve never been a proclaimed fan, interacting with content devoted to him.

But, if I had to choose a Gen Z idol, I wouldn’t be opposed to having Snoopy as our beagle representative. After all, Snoopy is ambitious, adventurous and caring: all things Gen Z should aspire to be.

Cecilia Wallace can be reached at wall1238@stthomas.edu.