Peanuts To Watch Out For

The Epilogue examines the legacy of Charles M. Schulz. To the already impressive array of people and pop culture phenomena that the cartoonist has influenced, this closing discussion adds another, and perhaps less expected, cartoonist and comics series to the list: Alison Bechdel’s Dykes to Watch Out For (DTWOF). For decades, Mo Testa, the beloved protagonist of the strip, has been seen as an autobiographically-inflected representation of the cartoonist herself. Mo certainly functions as Bechdel’s alter ego, but the Epiloge makes a case that she may also have her roots or origins in a figure from Peanuts: Linus van Pelt. This figure is perhaps most well known as Charlie Brown’s best friend, but he is also known for being the most contemplative, introspective, and—with his beloved blue blanket—insecure character in the comic, traits that also typify Bechdel’s Mo. Exploring the similarities between Mo and Linus extend the reach of Schulz’s work into a new realm, while they simultaneously reveal a compelling kinship between Bechdel’s work and one of the most well-known strips in the history of American comics.