A Life in Words and Pictures

by MplsArtiste on 03 April 2007

Bechdel, best known for her "Dykes to Watch Out For" comic strip, truly shines in this fascinating story of her growing up in a highly less-than-all-American family. While I was
never a devoted fan of DTWOF, she won me over in this wonderfully sustained narrative about an artist in a house full of messed up artists. At the core of the story is her attempt to come to terms with her talented, distant father----a study in contradictions, emotional selfishness and sexual confusion. The artist has much rich material to mine here, and she is fully up to the task. Her confident illustration style and storytelling gifts combine to make this one of the best graphic memoirs around.