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Wētā celebrates Snoopy, 'First Beagle on the Moon,' with sculpture

July 23, 2025

— As one of the great moments from space history, it has been captured in pencil, ink, plastic, sterling silver and plush. Now, it has been cast in antique bronze.

It was, of course, in 1969 when the "world famous astronaut" became the first... beagle on the moon.

"Snoopy: The First Beagle on the Moon" is a new, limited edition sculpture from Wētā Workshop, the New Zealand prop house and collectibles company. The $4,999 desktop statue depicts the comic strip dog as his spacesuited alter-ego standing atop the moon alongside his best friend, Woodstock, the little yellow bird.

"Being involved in the creation of this bronze sculpture was truly special," said Brigitte Wuest, senior sculptor at Wētā Workshop, in a statement. "To me, it was important to capture Snoopy's spirit in his simple forms; something Charles M. Schulz was a true master of."

Created to mark Peanuts' 75th anniversary — the comic strips began running on Oct. 2, 1950 — the release is limited to only 75 bronze castings, "one for each year of Peanuts' enduring legacy." The sculpture also celebrates Snoopy's long association with NASA.


Snoopy: First Beagle on the Moon. Click to enlarge video in pop-up window. (Wētā Workshop)

In 1968, the space agency adopted Snoopy as its safety mascot. With Schulz' permission and an original sketch of the beagle dressed in a spacesuit, NASA used the familiar image of Snoopy on posters and decals to remind its workforce to remain diligent as they worked to send humans to the moon. As part of that campaign, the astronauts introduced the Silver Snoopy, a prestigious award in the form of a small lapel pin of Astronaut Snoopy that is presented to employees who make contributions to mission success and bringing the crews home.

A year later, the Apollo 10 astronauts named their lunar module "Snoopy" and command module "Charlie Brown," leading to Schulz drawing the scene when his creation became the first beagle to fly to the moon. In the comics, Snoopy took one more step, landing on the lunar surface four months before Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin.

Decades later, NASA and Peanuts Worldwide expanded Snoopy's role to also promote STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education and the agency's deep space missions. Snoopy "returned" to the moon in November 2022 as the plush "zero-g indicator" on NASA's Artemis I mission, a precursor to sending astronauts back into lunar orbit and down to the surface.

The "Snoopy: The First Beagle on the Moon" hand-sculpted statue stands 5.51 inches wide by 11.4 inches high and 7.87 inches deep (14 by 29 by 20 cm). It made its formally debut at San Diego Comic Con on Wednesday (July 23) and is available exclusively from the Wētā Workshop online shop. The sculptures are expected to ship during the first quarter of next year.

 


Wētā Workshop's new bronze sculpture "Snoopy: The First Beagle on the Moon" is limited to 75 pieces for 75 years. (Wētā Workshop)



Wētā Workshop's "Snoopy: The First Beagle on the Moon" statue measures 5.51 inches wide by 11.4 inches high. (Wētā Workshop)



Woodstock, the little yellow bird, joins his best friend Snoopy on the moon on Wētā Workshop's new limited edition bronze sculpture. (Wētā Workshop)

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