Bechdel biography

American cartoonist

"Bechdel" redirects here.

Bechdel cartoon

For the test, see Bechdel test. For other uses, see Bechdel (disambiguation).

Alison Bechdel (BEK-dəl;^[1] born September 10, ) is an American cartoonist. Originally known for the long-running comic stripDykes to Watch Out For, she came to critical and commercial success in with her graphicmemoirFun Home.

Fun Home was subsequently adapted as a musical that won a Tony Award for Best Musical in ^[2] In , she released her second graphic memoir Are You My Mother? She was a recipient of the MacArthur "Genius" Award.^[3] She is also known for originating the Bechdel test.

Early life

Bechdel was born in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania. She is the daughter of Helen Augusta (née Fontana)^[4] and Bruce Allen Bechdel. Her family was Roman Catholic. Her father was an army veteran who was stationed in West Germany.

He was also a high school English teacher, working full-time and operat