Alison Bechdel

Alison Bechdel (born September 10, 1960) is an American cartoonist. Originally best known for the long-running comic strip Dykes To Watch Out For, in 2006 she became a best-selling and critically acclaimed author with her autobiographical graphic memoir Fun Home. Alison Bechdel was born in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania to Roman Catholic parents who were teachers; her family also owned and operated a funeral home. In 1981 she graduated from Oberlin College, having transferred from Simon's Rock College, and moved to New York City. She applied to many art school but was rejected and worked in a number of office jobs in the publishing industry. According to The Indelible Alison Bechdel (see "Books", below), she began Dykes to Watch Out For as a single drawing labeled "Marianne, dissatisfied with the morning brew: Dykes to Watch Out For, plate no. 27". An acquaintance recommended she send her work to Womannews newspaper, which began to publish the strip regularly beginning with the July...