The need to feel extraordinary, with Alison Bechdel

Alison Bechdel is an award-winning cartoonist best known for her long-running comic strip, Dykes to Watch Out For, and her autobiographical graphic novel-turned-play, Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic. Discover the inspiration behind Alison’s most recent book, The Secret to to Superhuman Strength, how she’s learning to create healthy relationships with both her work and the humans in her life, and the impact of scarcity on her creative output.

More from the episode

• When and why did Alison decide to commit herself to becoming a comic?
• Alison explains how Dykes to Watch Out For got its start, and why she eventually decided to end the strip.
• What was it like trying to get published as a queer female comic in the 90’s?
• How Alison confronted her self-punishing work cycle, and learned to accept her limitations.
• How did winning at MacArthur Fellowship affect her expectations for herself, financially and creatively?
• Alison talks about writing autobiographically as a means of processing grief.

Connect with Alison

www.alisonbechdel.com

https://dykestowatchoutfor.com/

https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-secret-to-superhuman-strength-alison-bechdel/15412143

https://twitter.com/alisonbechdel

https://www.instagram.com/alisonbechdel/

Additional Links

https://jessicaabel.com/visual-scripting-using-indesign-to-write-comics/

https://jessicaabel.com/scrivener-for-fiction-comics/

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/12/books/review/the-secret-to-superhuman-strength-alison-bechdel.html