The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation recently announced the names of the 21 recipients for their 2014 grant, and guess who got one? Well, okay, you don’t have to, because her name’s in the headline—it’s Alison Bechdel! Hooray!
You probably know Bechdel best for the feminist-friendly film test that bears her name, which comes from a strip of her long-running Dykes To Watch Out For comic in which one character tells another that she refuses to watch any movies movie that don’t have two women talking to each other about something other than a man. Bechdel also writes “tragicomic” graphic novel memoirs such as the 2006 book Fun Home, which was widely acclaimed as one of the best books of that year by numerous outlets, and 2009’s Are You My Mother?
Bechdel is only the second cartoonist to ever receive the price over the course of its 33 year history; the first was Ben Katchor in 2000. The grant comes with a $625,000 cash prize over the five years, which she reportedly plans to use… for her retirement savings. C’mon, Bechdel, this is your moment! Buy a boat.
(via Comic Book Resources)
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- Alison Bechdel’s Fun Home to Be Made Into a Stage Musical
- In 2013, Failing the Bechdel Test Was Bad for Your Movie’s Bottom Line
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