Peanuts by Charles Schulz for December 12, 1982
Transcript:
Snoopy sits atop the doghouse. He looks at Woodstock sitting next to him and thinks,"Ready?"<BR><BR> He continues thinking as Woodstock takes shorthand,"Dear Santa Claus...I don't suppose you've ever received a letter before from a bird and a dog...Ha Ha...anyway, we just thought we'd drop you a line."<BR><BR> Snoopy thinks,"Read that back, will you please, so I can hear how it sounds..."<BR><BR> Linus chirps the letter back to him. Snoopy thinks,"You left out the 'Ha Ha'."<BR><BR> He continues thinking,"That's what gives it a homey touch....Santa Claus likes that sort of thing....read it again..."<BR><BR> He falls off the doghouse as Woodstock chirpingly yells at him.<BR><BR> Snoopy lies in the snow dazed. He thinks,"Okay...forget the 'Ha Ha."<BR><BR>
If only Snoopy knew, this strip was drawn just a couple of months after the first documented emoticon smiley face :-) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emoticon#Creation_of_:-.29_and_:-.28