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Seminal Lesbian Comic 'Dykes to Watch Out For' Gets Audible Adaptation
Alison Bechdel's long-running lesbian comic strip comes to Audible with an all-star cast of queer actors voicing the beloved characters.
A new Audible adaptation is about to pass the Bechdel test!
At a time when there was almost no LBGTQ+ media and many queer people didn't feel safe coming out of the closet, Dykes to Watch Out For provided representation and humor that was sorely needed.
Alison Bechdel’s iconic lesbian comic ran in LGBTQ+ newspapers from 1983 to 2008 and now is being adapted by Audible with the beloved characters being voiced by an all-star cast of queer actors, including Carrie Brownstein (Portlandia), Roberta Colindrez (A League of Their Own), Roxane Gay (New York Times-bestselling author of Bad Feminist), Jenn Colella (Broadway’s Come from Away), and Jane Lynch (Glee).
The groundbreaking lesbian comic ran for 25 years and holds a special place in our hearts, but both long-time fans and newbies will find something to love in this new version.
“I am blown away by this Audible Original based off my graphic work, Dykes to Watch Out For,” Bechdel told The Advocate. “It’s such a great gift to hear the characters and their world come to life on audio, talking and kvetching and playing softball and going to marches. Often when I was drawing the comic strip I would wish it could have the extra dimension of a sound track—and now it does.”
<p>Alison Bechdel’s Legendary Comic Dykes to Watch Out For Comes to Audible With All-Star Cast</p>
— Alison Bechdel (@AlisonBechdel) May 15, 2023
https://t.co/LkmkRSgeP9
The original comic followed the funny, touching and often messy life of Mo and her large group of interconnected queer friends and it sounds like this adaptation will remain faithful to Bechdel's original vision.
“Follow the trials and tribulations of Mo, Lois, Toni, Clarice, and the rest of their friends as they surf the waves of dyke drama from the softball field to the women’s bookstore, from the brunch rush at the vegan Café Topaz all the way to the steps of the Supreme Court, in a very special episode set at the landmark 1987 March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights,” The Audible description reads.
Playwright Madeleine George (Only Murders in the Building) adapted the long-running comic for Audible and it was directed by Tony nominee Leigh Silverman (Violet).
George is just as big of fan of the seminal lesbian comic as the rest of, telling The Advocate, “When I was young and freshly out, I pored over my paperback copies of Dykes to Watch Out For, dreaming that I would one day get to live in a world as progressive, funny, sexy, and frankly dykey as the incredible community Alison Bechdel created.”
Original music by Alana Davis, Faith Soloway, and Bitch will be part of the adaptation and its soundtrack includes hits by Ferron, Holly Near, Sweet Honey in the Rock, Cris Williamson, and Joan Jett.
If like us, you’ve been waiting for more Dykes to Watch Out For content since the comic ended 15 years ago, don’t fret because the Audible adaptation comes out on June 1 — just in time for Pride!
The comic by Alison Bechdel follows Mo and her tight-knit group of queer friends as they try to navigate through life.
Ariel Messman-Rucker is an Oakland-born journalist who now calls the Pacific Northwest her home. When she’s not writing about politics and queer pop culture, she can be found reading, hiking, or talking about horror movies with the Zombie Grrlz Horror Podcast Network.
Ariel Messman-Rucker is an Oakland-born journalist who now calls the Pacific Northwest her home. When she’s not writing about politics and queer pop culture, she can be found reading, hiking, or talking about horror movies with the Zombie Grrlz Horror Podcast Network.
