Ornament Review: Spaceman Snoopy - Spotlight on Snoopy #10 - 2007 Hallmark Ornament

Stars: 2 out of 5
Pros: Nice detail, larger size

Cons: Not Christmassy, random idea, just plain weird

The Bottom Line:

Alien Woodstock

Snoopy claiming a planet

A strange ornament

The True Spaceman is Whoever Came Up with This Idea

Yes, it has finally happened.  It's taken ten ornaments, but we are finally at an entry in the Spotlight on Snoopy series that I don't like.  And why is that?  Because Spaceman Snoopy doesn't seem to fit into Peanuts at all.  And it certainly isn't Christmassy.  Instead, it feels like an excuse to extend the series.

Now I can't fault the ornament on the detail.  The base of this ornament is a platform decorated to look like a planet.  It's brown with a tiny hint of red in it.  There are pieces of rock sticking up and one big crater.  Snoopy is standing to one side.  He's dressed in full spacesuit.  And you can see the tread on his boots and some knobs on his breather pack.  He's got USA painted on one shoulder.  And he's got a giant, clear mask on.  He's currently planting an American flag on this foreign planet.  The flag is made from plastic and sticks straight out.  Frankly, it feels like a thin piece and the cheapest part of this ornament.

Of course, the planet isn't quite as empty as Snoopy thinks.  Woodstock is playing the part of an alien.  He's sitting in that crater I mentioned earlier.  In fact, he seems to be enjoying it so much, it almost looks like he's in a hot tub to me.  On his head, he's got some fake free antenna to make him look like an alien.

The problem is, I just don't get this one.  It was released in 2007, which doesn't commemorate any space anniversary I know about.  (And yes, I did double check.)  My first thought was that Snoopy was supposed to be on Mars and Woodstock is playing a Martian, but the ground doesn't seem to be red enough to be Mars.  So is it the Moon?  The box does reference "One small step for beagle-kind," so maybe that's it.

Since the base is big, this ornament obvious sits flat no problem.  It's got a 10 on the bottom as well as the 2007 copyright date.  The hanger holder is located at the very top of Snoopy's head, but he's so far to one side that the ornament hangs a little lopsided.  And it's also a little heavier than previous ornaments have been.  Not too much, but it will definitely move the branch on your tree down.

To be honest, I almost didn't buy this ornament when it came out.  But the collector in me prevailed (curse him!).  With nine others behind me, I couldn't let this one escape and have an incomplete collection.

This was the first time I truly felt they had run out of ideas for the Spotlight on Snoopy series.  While the next two haven't done much to improve that feeling, Spaceman Snoopy remains my least favorite.  This one is recommended only for rabid collectors like me.

Be sure to check out the rest of the Spotlight on Snoopy series.

Original Price: $12.50