Newspapers / The Front Page (Raleigh, … / Sept. 12, 2003, edition 1 / Page 1
Part of The Front Page (Raleigh, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
' «• I » 4 . . , , - - Past Out: The Unorthodox Sara Josephine Baker, p.26 C Don’t Call Me “Mrs. Martinac, ” p.10 Evolution: A Conversation With Alison Bechdel On Politics, Culture, Gay Men And Dykes To Watch Out For Just in time tor the ZUth anniversary of Alison Bechdel's groundbreaking comic series "Dykes To Watch Out For/' the series has moved from Firebrand Books to Alyson Publications. Dykes And Sundn/ Other Carbon-Based Life-Forms To Watch Out For, (October 2003) will be the first book published under the new agreement. The 10th book in the series, it collects strips pub lished in gay, lesbian and alternative papers during the vears 1999 through 2002. Bechdel weathered the closure of for mer 'Dykes1' publisher Firebrand Books, and the subsequent collapse of LPC, the distributor that purchased Firebrand, before finding a new home at the Los Angeles based Alyson. While Bechdel has continued writing the strip she began in 1983, there has not been a new "Dykes to Watch Out For" book since 2000, when Firebrand published Post Dykes to Watch Out For. Gay and lesbian booksellers cite the absence of a new title in the series, (which has sold over 200,000 copies) each year as one of the reasons for decreased sales in their stores. Viewing the past 20 years of "Dykes to Watch Out For" is nothing short of a social and cultural history of America viewed through the lens of the lesbian and gay movement. "Dykes to Watch Out For" began in July 1983 as individual unrelated single panel cartoons published in "Womanews," a feminist monthly newsletter. After nine months of single panel cartoons, Bechdel switched to strip format, and after a year began seir-synciicanng tne strip in other news papers. In 1986 she began writing the strip biweekly instead of monthly, and in January 1987 she introduced the characters of Mo and Lois. The strip has been following the saga of life in their community ever since. "Dykes to Watch Out For," while unquestionably political is much more than an editorial cartoon. Unlike "Doonesbury," to which it is often com pared, "Dykes to Watch Out For" reach es deeper than the headlines. The rela tionships, breakups, careers, families, children, and evolving sexuality of Mo, Lois, Clarice, Toni, and Ginger, have spooled across a canvas that becomes richer and richer with time. The plots have certainly shared space with the largest cultural and political stories of the last two decades, but it has been the story of their lives that has kept us com f ing back for more. Front Page: You write in the intro duction to the new book that vou set out to write about a subculture, and now that subculture is disintegrating. Some might say it's evolving. Alison Bechdel: The sodomy ruling yesterday brought up a lot of feelings about this "evolution." Did vou hear about the scene in the Castro yester day? Some gay military vets sang the national anthem, took down the rain bow flag, and raised the American one? FP: Are you serious? AB: for real. Its in the N'Y Times continued on page 6 Queer Eyes forthe Bush Guys c ©2003 BV ALISON BECHDeL THE'T’Re AM EL/fE TEAM of IXSBWsIS WHO HAVE dedicated THEIR UVE5 TO extolling THE SIMPLE VIRTUES of peace, Justice, AMD BcCPfiMG COMMON] semse. THIS WEEK, a MAKEOVER FOR the bush ADMINISTRATION? e OKAV, Volar iraq plan? Lgjk rrs woTA QUAGMiRE, rrs RW A BCEP’JKJG BOTTOMLESS k l§k k VOt-CAMlC *L*P &ATH we're going over to the u.n. first. youil b§g for help cleaning up your S^THEW YOU'LL- MAKE WHATEVER MES CONCESSIONS THEY ASK FOR. YOU'VE GOT SOME SUCKING UP TO Do and x want you on your knccs, buster. im* SPARROW ON DEFENSE _ AF£ YOU FOLLOWING Me, DOhiALV MO PAUL? DO YOU UNOeRSTAMD THAT IM order to Acy*EV£ re*L seciWTY, we weeo to stop trytng to waste THe PeoPLe we re afra/d of? LETTS AWAKE Ki OJR HEARTS- BREATH /HG iKi, WE TAKE ON the sdfterjmg OT ALL SEVTlEWT BREATHJNG OUT, WE SeMT> THEM LOVE A>JD KAPPTWESS. GUYS? UM, YOU! /VrTUULY HAVE wTO BREATHE. CLARICE ON THE ECONOMY -1 ■/OU HAVE TH<S WHOLE "L£5 THfWG GOiKG 0*4. I MtAN, TAK/MG PROM THE POOR AJbJO GJVJMG TO THE RJCH? THAT’S JUST GROSS. toni on PouncAi ^jS||L stwtesv K/5RL whats wm-t Tnese BOU.BECP! power grabs? tod WEED TO BCUCVE INI yourself? rrs all about seer-cowFi dence. repeat AFTER Me: THE GOP CAN WIN rw a FREE AWDFVR ELECTION. isSiott^ML ^ dlpe, rrs Joe^S *0O*TMY. he wawts Hrs PERSOKiAd.rn' back. NC Pride 2003: www.ncpride.
The Front Page (Raleigh, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Sept. 12, 2003, edition 1
1
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75