I suspect unfamiliarity with peanuts behind that claim
They are tainted by the organ in which they feature and also by the t.v stuff which was a little too saccharine in tone. I'm not suggesting the strips don't have some of that but there is a real darkness at the heart.

I would add that you'd be surprised at how many of Bill Waterson's gags are predated by Schulz. I have read all of Calvin and Hobbes and a big chunk of Schulz's total oeuvre and the parallels are obvious

The other problem is that Snoopy was so marketable it unbalanced the Dynamic.

I genuinely urge you to immerse yourself in a long run of Peanuts as you are missing a good thing.

Bleakness-
lakeland.edu/UserFiles/Image/peanuts_futile.jpg
peanutsblog.tumblr.com/post/2831168447
2.bp.blogspot.com/-Yft7ONAQgjE/TlcbJ15DfOI/AAAAAAAAABc/cWd0MbP8zis/s1600/peanuts.gif
www.dograt.com/WordPress/wp-content/uploads/2007/02/peanuts.gif
www.comicartfans.com/gallerypiece.asp?piece=587070&gsub=89181
2.bp.blogspot.com/-uP3lYwgCTy4/Tcexvjjpl_I/AAAAAAAAADI/gN-g8K5Wkz8/s1600/1.jpg
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pressthisstudio.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/peanuts0813611.gif

And a few which remind me of Calvin and Hobbes
4.bp.blogspot.com/_mpb3WiKWZRQ/TQI3Dv0hwLI/AAAAAAAAAoE/PM9QSCrNAhk/s1600/peanuts%2B1.jpg
www.fivecentsplease.org/dpb/snowman.gif

And just funny
4.bp.blogspot.com/-nM44tDCLKFk/TfvJ-EDJNMI/AAAAAAAAAn8/cgQmWyaZ50Y/s1600/linus-and-lucy.jpg
www.readingreview.com/comics/pages_jpg/peanutsparade-08.jpg

As for Doonesbury it's both soapy and current affairs driven. If you read it daily it can be funny but it's a bit too arch and can date poorly. When it goes right though
www.answersingenesis.org/assets/images/articles/2005/12/1218doonesbury_lg.gif
(unclestinky, Mon 9 Jan 2012, 2:25, 1 reply)

Thanks.
I've read loads of Peanuts (used to get the collections as Christmas presents, along with Garfield), but I don't remember it anything like as fondly as I do C&H.
( monster munch person, man, woman... camera... TV?, Wed 11 Jan 2012, 19:30, closed)