Dykes and Sundry Other Carbon-Based Life Forms to Watch Out For

Dykes to Watch Out For #10

by Alison Bechdel

Change is afoot as the best-selling "Dykes to Watch Out For" series moves to Alyson. Alison Bechdel continues to illuminate the way we live through the comic strip serial that has become a national treasure. In the tenth book in the series, Mo, the curmudgeonly women's bookstore clerk, blithely rants about Dr. Laura, Donald Rumsfeld, gay Enron execs, and the pernicious effects of Frogger, while her cozy counterculture community is shifting beneath her feet. Her job is in jeopardy as Madwimmin Books's customer base defects to the chains. Her ex, Clarice, is displaying symptoms of soccer mom-itis. Her best friend, Lois, has announced her new name is Louis. And her old pal Sparrow considers whether having a baby with her boyfriend will compromise her identity as a radical lesbian feminist. Meanwhile, Toni doesn't know what do when Clarice's George W. Bush-induced depression lasts long after the inauguration and, in the wake of 9-11, her friends square off on questions of idealism, violence, compassion, patriotism, and dissent. As they hash out their ideological differences, a black-and-white world takes on surprisingly variegated shades of gray.

Alison Bechdel is the author of nine previous "Dykes to Watch Out For" books, three of which have been Lambda Literary Award winners, as was also her autobiography, "The Indelible Alison Bechdel." She lives in Vermont.

Genres: Comics, Queer, Graphic Novels, LGBT, Fiction, Humor, Lesbian

154 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

Reviews

[Dov Zeller · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been reading this comic on and off since the early '90s and I always enjoy Bechdel's wonderful art and the way she brings her cast of characters to life. the characters and their predicaments can be irksome, but always there is tenderness and compassion for what a struggle it is to navigate all the little 'every day' moments that make up a life. Equal parts silly and profound, Bechdel's characters navigate the personal and political and all the many magical and mundane points at which the personal and political meet.

[Ricky · Rating 5 out of 5]

I died a little knowing this is the last Bechdel on Joanna's bookshelf.
Important questions: how does she make comic characters so sexy? how stereotypical of me is it to dislike the straight guy character? is it sad that I'm psychoanalyzing Bechdel based on the father characters in this and Fun Home?
in other news, I did nothing these last couple of days but read these 4 books.
happy!

[Darlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fast read for me. Having read the Essential Dykes to Watch Out For, I found many of the strips repeated here. Or is it the other way around? I think this was written first. actually. But it was nice that there were some unique strips in this book. I especially liked the longer last on in the book giving us a deeper understanding of the characters and what they were going through.

Now that I have read this one I feel I want to read all the Dykes to Watch Out For as I can see there are a lot of them. This will give me some light reading and will be equally fast, like this one.

As I said in my review for Essential Dykes to Watch Out For, I think everyone should read these, regardless of your sexual, national, political leanings. It is an introduction into what others think and how they operate their lives. Love is love and life is complicated. Join these friends as they try to make it through both.

Thank you Washoe County Libraries for carrying these books. If I ever get a few pennies ahead I think I would like to aim for owning the complete collection of Alison Bechdel's work.

[Raina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great political commentary by the creator of Fun Home. Very current issues, and a little L-word style interpersonal drama too. Don't think I'll track down the earliest DTWOF (1984), as I'm not sure I could relate to the political commentary. But I'm definitely reading the compilation coming out this year, and this one, from 2000-2002 I could totally connect with.

[Nathanielk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not sure what it says about me, but I have read most of the books in this series and enjoyed every one. Have fun figuring out which Dyke you most clearly resemble.

[Juliana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining, although the political humor is of course a bit dated by now. This was the first time I'd read Dykes to Watch Out for after hearing recommendations for years, and I enjoyed it.

[Steven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mo, as ever, rants about world events, while Sydney occasionally overcomes her writer’s block, and competing for university tenure against the toothy-smiling rival. Jezanna is having finally to accept the inevitability of closing her bookstore. Clarice zones out like a zombie after the election where Bush won. Toni is still seeing Gloria on occasions. Ginger is burning out on a teaching job at some faraway college. Lois aka Louis was doing drag, pretending to take testosterone just to piss off Mo. She’s had it with her unconscious transphobia. So far, Mo is having a distant affair with a woman at a library-college class, much to Sydney’s delight. After all, Sydney’s been murmuring most of the time about polyamory. Even though, they’re not entirely serious about it yet. The key word is “yet”. Sparrow is supposedly getting pregnant much to the delight of Stuart, and Sparrow’s parents. However, Sparrow’s not exactly overjoyed. Stay tuned for more. As always, recommended.

[Robert Hudder · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am reading Underworld right now. It has been a long slog and is trying to get us to 9/11. This volume also covers that space. I was impressed on how well it captures it. While their reality is nothing like mine, there is so much that universality that it covers.

I think that a lot of young folk could get a lot out of reading the Dykes series. I like to harp on history and how the things that have happened in the last five years are not springing out of Zeus' head. Some of the issues around trans definition, internet impact, marriage, queerness ... have been around for quite a while.

Not to take anything away from increased visibility or social justice movements but the fight didn't start yesterday. This captures some of the mood around that time.

[Rowan Tsao · Rating 3 out of 5]

i thought it was funny and engaging most of the way, and had very good jokes and made good
points about capitalism, consumerism, and the US govt and political system. but it bothers me that the casual transphobia among some of the characters isn’t really resolved enough. the characters pit trans masc identities as opposing to feminism, and only ae to apologize and move on for personal gain.

[Agnès · Rating 4 out of 5]

La autora es mordaz y cínica, muy buena detectando los problemas o temas de discusión, y ha sabido comentarlos todos con su pequeño elenco de personajes. Realmente una buena manera de saber cómo se vivió esa época des del punto de vista del colectivo lesbico.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Funny and insightful.

[DC · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first collection of Bechdel's I've read and I jumped right into loving the characters and their relatable drama right away.

[Rhiannon Rees · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is my new favourite tv show

[Maggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This may have been a funny place to start with Bechdel's comic strip, many years into its existence, but I really enjoyed this volume, which seems to encompass much of 200-2002. Being so young when the events in question took place, it was really interesting to see the way that the characters in the comic (some much like people I know now) reacted to the 2000 election season, 9/11, and the succeeding invasions. This volume really made me want to go back and start from the beginning of Dykes to Watch Out For.

[Bryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised to love this book after being disappointed with Fun Home. Like Seth, Alison Bechdel seems to work at higher level when in a less serious mode. The pretension and tediuosness of Fun Home abandoned, she works wonders with the Dykes To Watch Out For, the strip she has bene drawing for 20+ years. The characters feel familiar and real, flawed and beautiful. The stories are funny and touching. Highly recommended!

[Bey Raines · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this up off a friend's desk yesterday. I'd never heard of Alison Bechdel or this comic series, but I'm so glad I've found it now. I read this straight through. I loved everything about this book, the writing, the art, and especially the characters. This is one of those books where the characters are so real and likable that I wish I could crawl right into the pages and be part of their world. Great stuff. I'm going to have to read more of Alison Bechdel's series.

[Julie Rylie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Something shocking happens in this volume, at the very end, which makes you obviously get your hands on the new one asap: Madwinn books will end! Jezanna said she would like to give up on the shop coz it's not giving her any profit in a long time.

Besides of that, Mo is studying to become a librarian, Stuart and Sparrow are pregnant and nothing more eventful. The 911 incident, Bush's politics etc.

[Debs · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the best of the collection, not the worst. Interesting to see the gang deal with September 11, but, I guess I'm not ready to deal with it with my favorite cartoon characters.

Heard Bechdel is writing another graphic novel...looking forward to that.

[Anthony · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think that lady Bechdel is funny, witty and hip. But this book is only so-so. It's like being a voyeur and only getting to watch people eat breakfast. Sure, it's interesting that they butter their toast with Crisco, but that's really all there is to see.

[Jeffrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This lady--she's funny. The section on George W. Bush getting reelected is particularly hilarious.

[Shanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just kept comparing these comics to Fun Home. Not the same.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

more comic than graphic novel.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book by Bechdel which continues the series...

[Shannon · Rating 1 out of 5]

Lame. Didn't really read it all, or try to read very much of it, really. It's not interesting though, and not really my thing. Also.. I hate the illustrations.

[Madeleine Fletcher]

For light reading, I have enjoyed this book and others in this same series by this author.

[Thankful · Rating 5 out of 5]

As usual, a very solid entry from Alison Bechdel! Always a great read.

[Dakota · Rating 3 out of 5]

Storytelling, humor-slinging Alison Bechdel drives this comic compilation with funny, snarky interchanges, gender politics and tender moments of love between partners. I enjoyed it.

[James]

Can't finish because daughter has it. :)

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just a good, fun read. Alison Bechdel's got a great sense of humor, and it definitely shows here.

[Kiera · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Fun Home and wanted more Bechdel. Now I'm totally hooked.