Alison Bechdel’s Dykes to Watch Out For

by Alison Bechdel, Jane Lynch (Narrator), Carrie Brownstein (Narrator)

Before Lesbian TikTok, before The L Word, before Ellen, there was Dykes To Watch Out For, Alison Bechdel’s seminal comic-strip sensation about the lives and loves of one tight-knit dyke community that was a fixture in gay papers across America for 25 years.
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.

From the fevered mind of Alison Bechdel, MacArthur Genius Award-winning author of Fun Home and Are You My Mother?, Alison Bechdel’s Dykes To Watch Out For is an American classic, brought hilariously to life in this new comedy by a star-studded crew, 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 thecelesbian icon herself, Jane Lynch (Glee).

Adapted by playwright and Pulitzer Prize finalist Madeleine George (Only Murders in the Building), directed by Tony nominee Leigh Silverman (Violet), with original music by Alana Davis, Faith Soloway, and Bitch, and a soundtrack featuring hits by Ferron, Holly Near, Sweet Honey in the Rock, Cris Williamson, and Joan Jett.

Don’t miss Audible’s hottest new queer original, Alison Bechdel’s Dykes To Watch Out For! Coming out...just in time for Pride.

This content contains mature language and adult themes, and discretion is advised.

Now available in Dolby Atmos on Audible.

©2023 Dykes to Watch Out For is based on the comics, characters, and books by Alison Bechdel, including The Essential Dykes to Watch Out For, Copyright © 1986-2022, by Alison Bechdel. (P)2023 Audible Originals LLC

Genres: Audiobook, Queer, LGBT, Fiction, Humor, Lesbian, Romance

3 pages, Audible Audio

First published June 1, 2023

Reviews

[CaseyTheCanadianLesbrarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

This audiobook adaptation of the early chapters of the DTWOF comic strip is absolutely perfect, except for the fact that it's only available from Audible aka evil Amazon. Mo would NOT approve!! That said, I'm glad their money went to a bunch of excellent queer actors (Jane Lynch! Carrie Brownstein! Roberta Colindrez! Roxane Gay!) who did such a great job bringing these 1980s sapphists to life. A great piece of lesbian herstory and a hilarious, politically smart, and heartfelt story. No notes.

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an audible original 3 hour series of short audio performances based on Alison Bechdel's Dykes to Watch Out For, narrated by Jane Lynch (they call her here a celesbian, ha), with Carrie Brownstein (Portlandia, Sleater-Kinney), Roxanne Gay (active on Goodreads, among other things! :)), and many others. Adapted by playwright and Pulitzer Prize finalist Madeleine George (Only Murders in the Building). The arc of these three hours focuses on Mo, played/read by Brownstein, who is an anxious activist who needs. . . a woman. But in the last episode all the complicated threads and characters come together really well. It's funny, in part because the scripts are so good, adapting Bechdel's already funny world to audio (as worked so shockingly well in Bechdel's Fun Home adapted as a Broadway musical), but also, look at all the talent making it happen!

Like Portlandia, Bechdel's world satirizes and hugs/adores the diverse pc lesbian community. Every political movement that the women are involved in gets made fun of, lightly. Veganism, anti-authoritarian, anti-capitalism, and so on. Monogamy gets "debated." This series is set in the eighties, so it's Reagan, and it culminates in many of them driving to DC for a women's march that IS taken seriously, though one underlying reason for Mo going is that she is also accompanied by a woman she is crushing on. Fun stuff.

[Barbara K · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick, fun way to end Pride Month, this "serial saga of the strange world of semi-suburban Sapphists eking out a devious existence in the shadows of decent society" brings characters from Alison Bechdel's comic strip to life in an audio format. It's set in a roughly six month period in 1987 (including a road trip to the March on Washington) and features an all-star cast led by Jane Lynch as the narrator.

This is one of those situations where I'm torn between being thankful to Audible for making this available at all, but also being frustrated because as an "Audible Original" its audience is restricted to Audible subscribers. :-(

[rie · Rating 5 out of 5]

anyway, this was so juicy and fun 🤭 i love some messy ass dykes!! and that’s exactly what this is: messy ass dykery!! i think my favourite characters are mo and lois cuz i love a dramatic anti liberal anti conservative activist dyke and i love a fuckboy dyke 🤷🏽‍♀️. i need a full 10 season soap opera created by alison actually!

[Swaye · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve wanted to dive into the Dykes To Watch Out For comics for YEARS, and the Audible production finally pushed me over the edge, and omg, I’m so glad it did!

Jane Lynch as the narrator? Fucking brilliant. Her delivery is razor-sharp, hilarious, and pitch-perfect in that dry, queer-icon way only she can pull off.

The whole thing is such an utterly iconic slice of sapphic history. It’s heartfelt, witty and genuinely moving. I laughed out loud more than once. It reminded me exactly why Bechdel is a legend.

And now I desperately need Part 2. Like. Yesterday!

[Jamie (TheRebelliousReader) · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars. I usually do not laugh out loud during books. It’s extremely rare but this audiobook had me giggling throughout. What a fun listen! It’s a full cast and everyone did a phenomenal job at bringing these characters to life. I loved this giant cast of characters. Everyone felt real and flawed and the storylines were messy as hell and so incredibly addictive. The dialogue is snappy and sharp and the time period of the 80s was a lot of fun. This was so entertaining and I loved everything about it. Cast full of Queer icons. I mean Jane Lynch was the narrator! What’s not to love? I highly, HIGHLY recommend this it’s such a good time.

[JulesGP · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the Audible audio version based on the iconic comics. They pulled material from a few years of the strip and made 10 short episodes starring people like Jane Lynch, Carrie Brownstein, Roxanne Gay, and my favorite, Roberta Colindrez as the voices for the characters.

Just as you would expect, the performances are fantastic. The pieces are a good window into queer life in the 80’s but also full of self deprecating humor. You don’t have to be familiar with the comics to enjoy the stories and the narration. I want to add that in addition to the humor, there are poignant moments, too, that bring up aids as well as the 1987 March on Washington DC for Lesbian and Gay Rights . It’s amazing how they incorporated the actual chants and speeches. Top notch listen that made me want to re-read some of those classic comic strips.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

5.0 I love this book and the audio book is fantastic. Highly recommend. It’s also interesting to see 1987 from 2023. So much has and has not changed.

[Ivonne Rovira · Rating 2 out of 5]

Let me begin by saying that Alison Bechdel’s extremely gifted. She’s the genius who came up with both the Bechdel Test (Google it) and Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic. But the Audible edition of Alison Bechdel’s Dykes to Watch Out For just doesn’t do it for me.

I used to read Bechdel’s ground-breaking comic strip Dykes to Watch Out For. Bechdel was out of the closet long before being out of the closet was cool. She didn’t care. And her characters were snide and clever. In short, wonderful. But, even with an all-star cast, led by the inimitable Jane Lynch as the narrator, the characters in this recorded version come out as two dimensional, and Mo — poor Mo — should be nicknamed Milquetoast. Who skips Pride? I’m straight, and I love Pride! I listened as long as I could, but I just gave up.

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wait, it ends there?? Ok, ok, I'll read the comics. Loved all the voices, especially Carrie Brownstein as Mo.

[Annika Mathias · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whoever cast Roberta Colindrez as Lois deserves the Nobel Peace Prize

[Juan Rivera · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the 80s, being a lesbian was an act of rebellion and courage. In the pride marches they fought so that they would not be discriminated against.

This audio book tells us about the loves and heartbreaks (which are the same as in heterosexual couples) of these times, their challenges, their achievements.

Today this movement has gone so far that now being straight almost looks bad….

Entertainment for a Sunday afternoon.

[Sunny · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to this one via audiobook and quite enjoyed the soapy nature of the storytelling. I especially recommend to consume this book this way because it’s complete with a whole production and cast.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

:)

[Abby Jimison · Rating 3 out of 5]

thank you Alison Bechdel, aka Lesbian Jesus

[Brooke Traister · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audible Originals released this 3-hour audiobook version of the famed Alison Bechel comic strip just in time for Pride Month — and it’s a truly excellent and enjoyable experience! Although I haven’t read the comic strip, it really felt like I was listening to one — in the very best way.

I love Alison Bechdel and can totally see how this series would have been groundbreaking in the ‘80s and ‘90s for the way it normalizes and celebrates lesbian and queer culture. I’m excited to check out the omnibus collection of other issues now.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Entertaining audiobook adaptation of the beginning of DTWOF. I’m hoping this is the first in a series.

[bianca · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read the essential collection of dtwof last year so I was already familiar with the story but I still loved this production. The performance and sound effects gave the characters a new life while still keeping the heart of the story. It was very fun to listen to!

[theperksofbeingmarissa ;) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg I am so sad that the audiobook is only 3 hours 😢 This is such an entertaining read!

I'm also going to get the DTWOF comics because I'm so invested in these characters now

[Tsipi Erann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a hard one for me to review.

First of all, I guess I just don't like full-cast productions. I don't think this was a bad example of one, it's probably a great example. The few times I've tried them, I didn't make it more than a couple of minutes... This one I finished! But barely.

Second, to whatever extent I got involved in the lives of the characters, I'm now frustrated to know what happens with them. I mean, not a whole lot really happened in this short production to begin with, so I feel incomplete.

Third, I love an all-sapphic work, and I have definite sentiments regarding Alison Bechdel, so these are points in favor.

Fourth, I guess the cast is diverse for its time? There are Black and Latina characters. No one is otherwise disabled, Jewish (maybe they are but we couldn't tell?), and the vibe is transphobic and biphobic, though there is nothing overt.

Which is in line with the fifth point: It's very, very 2nd-wave feminist. Which makes sense, it's from the 2nd wave era. And I am a huge appreciator of many things from the second wave, I wouldn't be the feminist I am without the radical thinkers and activists of that time. But that wave also devolved into TERF fuckery and anti-sex work and other lackings in intersectionality.

I don't expect a work from 1987 to fit my 2024 sensibilities, and in a lot of ways this was nostalgic for me for an era I wasn't a part of... Full disclosure: I'm OLD enough to have been there (at the tail end), but I just wasn't. Where I lived there were no out queers or feminists, and I learned everything I know much later in life. So this is bittersweet for me, and sometimes annoying.

So my emotional rating, just for the listening experience, was maybe a 3. But it's not the work's fault its a full-cast production based a 1980s work, so for the sheer love of queer women in literature (be it comics or audiobooks) I'm giving it a 4.

[Edie Kennard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alison Bechdel’s Dykes to Watch Out For Audible Original is a fascinating and often powerful experience, transforming the iconic comic strip into a unique audio journey. It earns a solid 3.5 out of 5 stars for its historical value and emotional depth, though the format occasionally feels more like a listening challenge than a seamless story.

This production truly feels like a comic strip in your ear, offering a rapid-fire series of vignettes that follow the lives of its core characters. While this style works to capture the original's episodic nature, newcomers might find it slightly disorienting at first. However, the reward for sticking with it is the rich historical context that the series provides.

The production shines brightest in its portrayal of real-world events impacting the queer community. A powerful and unexpected takeaway was the series' reference to the AIDS Quilt. Prior to listening, I was unaware of the scale and significance of this memorial. After finishing the book, I was prompted to do my own research and found it to be a very emotional thing—a moving and humbling piece of history that I am blessed to have been led to learn about through this Audible Original.

Even more impressive is the inclusion of historical audio. The listener is treated to the actual speeches of Jesse Jackson and Whoopi Goldberg at the Second National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights in 1987. These moments elevate the audiobook from mere adaptation to a crucial piece of queer historical documentation, grounding the fictional lives of Mo, Lois, and the gang in genuine political struggle.

While the audio format doesn't always flow with the grace of a typical narrative, its value as a time capsule is undeniable. This Audible Original is a compelling listen for fans of Bechdel, history buffs, and anyone seeking a raw, authentic look at life, love, and activism in the late 20th century.

[Amanda Youngs · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book must have been written back in the 1980s, in an era pre-internet, which was like a different world. Just picking out the stereotypes, as Alison Bechdel did, was a thing of wonder to those of us around at that time.

This was fun and easy to listen to. I particularly enjoyed Jane Lynch, doing for 1980s dykes what the narrator of "Gossip Girl" did for overprivileged American youth! It's a heavily ironic narration, which is probably the best way with material like this - and there are other characters too, so altogether it sounds more like a radio play than a typical audiobook, even one with a few narrators.

Maybe you had to be there, maybe today's young lesbians have no need of anything like this, but we did need it then. Perhaps it's just of interest to those of us of Jane Lynch's generation? I don't know, and for once, I'm not even going to hazard a judgement on it because I remember how precious the rare reflections of lesbian life were back in those days, even the humorous ones - before the internet opened up the world to us all. And because of the rarity of those experiences, I cannot bear to be critical in any way. They were just too valuable to us, and even if today people think this piece only has a historical value, I'm grateful that it exists.

Listen to it quickly, before people forget what life was like for young dykes in those days! There are quite a few historical references that already mean little or nothing to those who weren't there or aren't willing to look it up. This piece will probably not have a long shelf-life, but it is fun.

[Serena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having not been able to get my hands on the "Dykes To Watch Out For" comics, this was a great second option, I really enjoyed hearing about Mo, Lois, Toni, Clarice, and the rest of the Dyke characters. It was mostly upbeat comedy with some fun relationship drama, but when it hit the 1987 March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights episode, I was sobbing, they used recordings from that event in the episode and it hit different.

I was born a year later than that and we just have lost so much of what could have been from queer people of that generation, so I really treasured that episode and it meant a lot to me that this adaptation didn't move the characters forward to the present day like so many reboots do.

Bravo all around, and if you like Dykes to Watch Out For I also recommend the podcast musical "The Flame" as well (thanks to Liv Albert for giving it a shout out on her podcast "Let's Talk About Myths, Baby") about Jamie (Ellie Brigida), an LGBTQ bar owner, and Sam (Jasmin Savoy Brown), the woman selling the building the bar inhabits, and the inevitable sparks that end up flying between them!

[Bree Hatfield · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. I picked this up because I love Alison Bechdel, it was free on Audible, and I’ve never read Dykes to Watch Out For. Because of that, I’m not quite sure how accurate this is. Some sections seem like they easily could be, but because it’s so serialized I have a hard time believing that a ton of liberties weren’t taken. I have a feeling the original, in its original context, might make a little more sense and be just generally funnier. Overall, this was a nice little queer comedy drama. Although I would have liked to see more drama and less tired comedic tropes.

Speaking of comedy, sometimes the comedic style was a little weird. The writers made a big deal out of Mo catastrophizing and being annoying about political action, to the point where it gets very old very quickly. I think they were commenting on how some people don’t put their money/actions where their mouth is, but it was just too much. It would have been fine if it were a few lines or comments, but it was literally every single episode. It got old.

Overall, it was okay. It didn’t feel groundbreaking, but it was fun. The poly representation was amazing, so that’s good.

[Jerry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love the multi-cast performances. I wasn't sure how this would translate to audio but it's so entertaining and I just want more, more, more! All the storylines are so captivating and I feel like I can imagine them. Plus, it proves to the "woke" Millennial and Gen Z generations that lesbians were doing the work and having these conversations for decades before they were even born. A great way to get a glimpse at queer lives before social media and technology took over the curation of them. Bechdel's comics are more than a time capsule, they are essential storytelling!

[Ciara · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.50

I have the comic of Dykes to Watch Out For, but I’ve never cracked it open so I decided to give this a try! I would 100% encourage everyone to listen to the audiobook on audible it is great!

We have a stacked actor cast and they make this audiobook feel like a sitcom in the best way possible. Hearing this audiobook made me WISH the comics were adapted into something.

This book touches topics on intersectionality within the gay community in the funniest but most relatable way possible!!

You will not be disappointed!!

['Nathan Burgoine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listening to this was like time-travel and queerness had a wee baby just for me. The cast was amazing, the introductions and outros by Jane Lynch had me choke-laughing while I walked the dog, and my only true complaint is there isn't already part two out there to continue the journey. Alas.

It made me order a copy of The Essential Dykes to Watch Out For because I just wasn't ready to let them all go now that I'd rediscovered them.

[Maddie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was absolutely incredible. I lived in Burlington for part of my college career, so naturally I read all of Bechdel’s work when I was 18. I’m so glad I revisited them now, as nearly-30-year-old. I understand the storylines in DTWOF on a *much* deeper level now, as I was newly out of the closet in college and now I’ve been surrounded by queer community for over a decade.

I laughed, I teared up, I felt seen while listening to this. My heart is full right now!

[Ingrid Stephens · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first found these comics back in the late 80's and have read them over and over. I was hesitant of an audiobook version of a graphic novel but I was so pleasantly surprised.
Ally old friends, Mo, Lois, Toni, Clarice,and everyone else.
I definitely recommend theying this out. It's free thisonth on audible for members.

[Tali · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to start with the fact that you don’t need to be familiar with the comic to enjoy this audio play.

This is a story told in 10 episodes, which works well as a format. The production quality is great and the cast does a lovely job. Especially enjoyed Jane Lynch’s narration. There is a wide cast of characters but it’s easy to keep track of who is who.