# Fun Home

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Graphic memoir by Alison Bechdel

This article is about the book. For the musical based on the book, see [Fun Home (musical)](/source/Fun_Home_(musical)).

Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic Cover of the hardback edition Author Alison Bechdel Cover artist Alison Bechdel Language English Genre Graphic novel, memoir Published June 8, 2006 (Houghton Mifflin, hardcover); June 5, 2007 (Mariner Books, paperback) Publication place United States Media type Print (hardcover, paperback) Pages 240 p. ISBN 0-618-47794-2 (hardcover); ISBN 0-618-87171-3 (paperback) OCLC 62127870 Dewey Decimal 741.5/973 22 LC Class PN6727.B3757 Z46 2006 Followed by Are You My Mother?

***Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic*** is a 2006 [graphic](/source/Graphic_novel) memoir by the American cartoonist [Alison Bechdel](/source/Alison_Bechdel), author of the [comic strip](/source/Comic_strip) *[Dykes to Watch Out For](/source/Dykes_to_Watch_Out_For)*. It chronicles the author's childhood and youth in rural [Pennsylvania](/source/Pennsylvania), United States, focusing on her complex relationship with her father. The book addresses themes of [sexual orientation](/source/Sexual_orientation), [gender roles](/source/Gender_role), suicide, [emotional abuse](/source/Emotional_abuse), [dysfunctional family](/source/Dysfunctional_family) life, and the role of literature in understanding oneself and one's family.

Writing and illustrating *Fun Home* took seven years, in part because of Bechdel's laborious artistic process, which includes photographing herself in poses for each human figure.[1][2][3][4] *Fun Home* has been the subject of numerous academic publications in areas such as biography studies and [cultural studies](/source/Cultural_studies) as part of a larger turn towards serious academic investment in the study of comics/[sequential art](/source/Sequential_art).[5]

*Fun Home* has been both a popular and critical success, and spent two weeks on the [*New York Times* Best Seller list](/source/New_York_Times_Best_Seller_list).[6][7] In *[The New York Times Sunday Book Review](/source/The_New_York_Times_Book_Review)*, [Sean Wilsey](/source/Sean_Wilsey) called it "a pioneering work, pushing two genres (comics and memoir) in multiple new directions."[8] Several publications named *Fun Home* as one of the best books of 2006; it was also included in several lists of the best books of the 2000s.[9] It was nominated for several awards, including the [National Book Critics Circle Award](/source/National_Book_Critics_Circle_Award) and three [Eisner Awards](/source/Eisner_Award) (winning the [Eisner Award for Best Reality-Based Work](/source/Eisner_Award_for_Best_Reality-Based_Work)).[9][10] A French translation of *Fun Home* was serialized in the newspaper *[Libération](/source/Lib%C3%A9ration)*; the book was an official selection of the [Angoulême International Comics Festival](/source/Angoul%C3%AAme_International_Comics_Festival) and has been the subject of an academic conference in France.[11][12][13] *Fun Home* also generated controversy, being challenged and removed from libraries due to its contents.[14][15][16][17]

In 2013, a [musical adaptation of *Fun Home*](/source/Fun_Home_(musical)) at [The Public Theater](/source/The_Public_Theater) enjoyed multiple extensions to its run,[18][19] with book and lyrics written by [Obie Award](/source/Obie_Award)-winning playwright [Lisa Kron](/source/Lisa_Kron), and score composed by [Tony Award](/source/Tony_Award)-nominated [Jeanine Tesori](/source/Jeanine_Tesori). The production, directed by [Sam Gold](/source/Sam_Gold), was called "the first mainstream musical about a young lesbian."[20] As a musical theatre piece, *Fun Home* was a finalist for the 2014 [Pulitzer Prize for Drama](/source/Pulitzer_Prize_for_Drama), while winning the [Lucille Lortel Award](/source/Lucille_Lortel_Award) for Outstanding Musical, the [New York Drama Critics' Circle](/source/New_York_Drama_Critics'_Circle) Award for Best Musical, and the [Obie Award](/source/Obie_Award) for Musical Theater.[21][22][23][24] The [Broadway production](/source/Broadway_theatre) opened in April 2015[25] and earned twelve nominations at the [69th Tony Awards](/source/69th_Tony_Awards), winning the [Tony Award for Best Musical](/source/Tony_Award_for_Best_Musical).

## Background

Bechdel states that her motivation for writing *Fun Home* was to reflect on why things turned out the way they did in her life. She reflects on her father's untimely death and whether Alison would have made different choices if she were in his position.[26] This motivation is present throughout as she contrasts Bruce's artifice in hiding things with Alison's free and open self. The process of writing *Fun Home* required many references to literary works and archives to both accurately write and draw the scenes. As Bechdel wrote the book, she would reread the sources of her literary references, and this attention to detail in her references led to the development of each chapter having a different literary focus.[27] On the process of writing the book, Bechdel says, "It was such a huge project: six or seven years of drawing and excavating. It was sort of like living in a trance."[28]

*Fun Home* is drawn in black [line art](/source/Line_art) with a gray-blue ink [wash](/source/Wash_(visual_arts)).[2] Sean Wilsey wrote that *Fun Home*'s [panels](/source/Panel_(comics)) "combine the detail and technical proficiency of [R. Crumb](/source/Robert_Crumb) with a seriousness, emotional complexity and innovation completely its own."[8] Writing in the *Gay & Lesbian Review Worldwide*, Diane Ellen Hamer contrasted "Bechdel's habit of drawing her characters very simply and yet distinctly" with "the attention to detail that she devotes to the background, those TV shows and posters on the wall, not to mention the intricacies of the funeral home as a recurring backdrop."[29] Bechdel told an interviewer for *[The Comics Journal](/source/The_Comics_Journal)* that the richness of each panel of *Fun Home* was very deliberate:

It's very important for me that people be able to read the images in the same kind of gradually unfolding way as they're reading the text. I don't like pictures that don't have information in them. I want pictures that you have to read, that you have to decode, that take time, that you can get lost in. Otherwise what's the point?[30]

Alison Bechdel took photographs of herself posing as each character, to use as reference in her drawing. Here, she poses for a drawing of her father.

Bechdel wrote and illustrated *Fun Home* over a seven-year period.[1] Her meticulous artistic process made the task of illustration slow. She began each page by creating a framework in [Adobe Illustrator](/source/Adobe_Illustrator), on which she placed the text and drew rough figures.[2][3] She used extensive [photo reference](/source/Photo-referencing) and, for many panels, posed for each human figure herself, using a [digital camera](/source/Digital_camera) to record her poses.[2][3][4][31] Bechdel also used photo reference for background elements. For example, to illustrate a panel depicting fireworks seen from a [Greenwich Village](/source/Greenwich_Village) rooftop on July 4, 1976, she used [Google Images](/source/Google_Images) to find a photograph of the New York skyline taken from that particular building in that period.[3][32][33] She also painstakingly copied by hand many family photographs, letters, local maps and excerpts from her own childhood journal, incorporating these images into her narrative.[32] After using the reference material to draw a tight framework for the page, Bechdel copied the line art illustration onto plate finish [Bristol board](/source/Bristol_board) for the final inked page, which she then scanned into her computer.[2][3] The gray-blue ink wash for each page was drawn on a separate page of watercolor paper, and combined with the inked image using [Photoshop](/source/Photoshop).[2][3][31] Bechdel chose the bluish wash color for its flexibility, and because it had "a bleak, elegiac quality" which suited the subject matter.[34] Bechdel attributes this detailed creative process to her "barely controlled obsessive-compulsive disorder".[32][35]

## Plot summary

A panel from *Fun Home* depicting
 Bruce (left) and Alison Bechdel (right).

The narrative of *Fun Home* is [non-linear](/source/Nonlinear_(arts)) and recursive.[36] Incidents are told and re-told in the light of new information or themes.[37] Bechdel describes the structure of *Fun Home* as a [labyrinth](/source/Labyrinth), "going over the same material, but starting from the outside and spiraling in to the center of the story."[38] In an essay on memoirs and truth in the [academic journal](/source/Academic_journal) *[PMLA](/source/Modern_Language_Association)*, [Nancy K. Miller](/source/Nancy_K._Miller) explains that as Bechdel revisits scenes and themes "she re-creates memories in which the force of attachment generates the structure of the memoir itself."[39] Additionally, the memoir derives its structure from [allusions](/source/Allusion) to various works of literature, [Greek myth](/source/Greek_mythology) and visual arts; the events of Bechdel's family life during her childhood and adolescence are presented through this allusive lens.[36] Miller notes that the narratives of the referenced literary texts "provide clues, both true and false, to the mysteries of family relations."[39]

The memoir focuses on Bechdel's family, and is centered on her relationship with her father, Bruce. Bruce was a [funeral director](/source/Funeral_director) and high school [English](/source/English_studies) teacher in [Beech Creek](/source/Beech_Creek%2C_Pennsylvania), where Alison and her siblings grew up. The book's title comes from the family nickname for the [funeral home](/source/Funeral_home), the family business in which Bruce grew up and later worked; the phrase also refers ironically to Bruce's tyrannical domestic rule.[40] Bruce's two occupations are reflected in *Fun Home*'s focus on death and literature.[41]

In the beginning of the book, the memoir exhibits Bruce's obsession with restoring the family's [Victorian](/source/Victorian_architecture) home.[41] His obsessive need to restore the house is connected to his emotional distance from his family, which he expressed in coldness and occasional bouts of abusive rage.[41][42] This emotional distance, in turn, is connected with his being a [closeted](/source/The_closet) homosexual.[29] Bruce had homosexual relationships in the military and with his high school students; some of those students were also family friends and babysitters.[43] At the age of 44, two weeks after his wife requested a divorce, he stepped into the path of an oncoming [Sunbeam Bread](/source/Sunbeam_Bread) truck and was killed.[44] Although the evidence is equivocal, Alison concludes that her father died by suicide.[41][45][31]

The story also deals with Alison's own struggle with her sexual identity, reaching a catharsis in the realization that she is a lesbian and her [coming out](/source/Coming_out) to her parents.[41][46] The memoir frankly examines her sexual development, including transcripts from her childhood diary, anecdotes about [masturbation](/source/Masturbation), and tales of her first sexual experiences with her girlfriend, Joan.[47] In addition to their common homosexuality, Alison and Bruce share [obsessive-compulsive](/source/Obsessive-compulsive) tendencies and artistic leanings, albeit with opposing aesthetic senses: "I was [Spartan](/source/Sparta) to my father's [Athenian](/source/History_of_Athens#Classical_Athens). [Modern](/source/Modernism) to his Victorian. [Butch](/source/Butch_and_femme) to his nelly. Utilitarian to his [aesthete](/source/Aestheticism)."[48] This opposition was a source of tension in their relationship, as both tried to express their dissatisfaction with their given [gender roles](/source/Gender_role): "Not only were we [inverts](/source/Sexual_inversion_(sexology)), we were inversions of each other. While I was trying to compensate for something unmanly in him, he was attempting to express something feminine through me. It was a war of cross-purposes, and so doomed to perpetual escalation."[49] However, shortly before Bruce's death, he and his daughter have a conversation in which Bruce confesses some of his sexual history; this is presented as a partial resolution to the conflict between father and daughter.[50]

At several points in the book, Bechdel questions whether her decision to come out as a lesbian was one of the triggers for her father's suicide.[39][51] This question is never answered definitively, but Bechdel closely examines the connection between her father's closeted sexuality and her own open lesbianism, revealing her debt to her father in both positive and negative lights.[39][41][31]

## Themes

Bechdel describes her journey of discovering her own sexuality: "My realization at nineteen that I was a lesbian came about in a manner consistent with my bookish upbringing."[52] Yet, hints of her sexual orientation arose early in her childhood; she wished "for the right to exchange [her] tank suit for a pair of shorts" in Cannes[53] and for her brothers to call her Albert instead of Alison on one camping trip.[54] Her father also exhibited homosexual behaviors, but the revelation of this made Bechdel feel uneasy. "I'd been upstaged, demoted from protagonist in my own drama to comic relief in my parents' tragedy".[55] Father and daughter handled their issues differently. Bechdel chose to accept the fact, before she had a lesbian relationship, but her father hid his sexuality.[56] He was afraid of coming out, as illustrated by "the fear in his eyes" when the conversation topic comes dangerously close to homosexuality.[57]

In addition to sexual orientation, the memoir touches on the theme of gender identity. Bechdel had viewed her father as "a big sissy"[58] while her father constantly tried to change his daughter into a more feminine person throughout her childhood.

The underlying theme of death is also portrayed. Unlike most young people, the Bechdel children have a tangible relationship with death because of the family mortuary business. Alison ponders whether her father's death was an accident or suicide, and finds it more likely that he killed himself purposefully.[59]

## Allusions

The allusive literary references used in *Fun Home* are not merely structural or stylistic: Bechdel writes, "I employ these allusions ... not only as descriptive devices, but because my parents are most real to me in fictional terms. And perhaps my cool aesthetic distance itself does more to convey the Arctic climate of our family than any particular literary comparison."[60] Bechdel, as the narrator, considers her relationship to her father through the myth of [Daedalus](/source/Daedalus) and [Icarus](/source/Icarus).[61] As a child, she confused her family and their [Gothic Revival](/source/Gothic_Revival_architecture) home with [the Addams Family](/source/The_Addams_Family) seen in the cartoons of [Charles Addams](/source/Charles_Addams).[62] Bruce Bechdel's suicide is discussed with reference to [Albert Camus](/source/Albert_Camus)' novel *[A Happy Death](/source/A_Happy_Death)* and essay *[The Myth of Sisyphus](/source/The_Myth_of_Sisyphus)*.[63] His careful construction of an aesthetic and intellectual world is compared to *[The Great Gatsby](/source/The_Great_Gatsby)* by [F. Scott Fitzgerald](/source/F._Scott_Fitzgerald), and the narrator suggests that Bruce Bechdel modeled elements of his life after Fitzgerald's, as portrayed in the biography *[The Far Side of Paradise](/source/The_Far_Side_of_Paradise)*.[64] His wife Helen is compared with the protagonists of the [Henry James](/source/Henry_James) novels *[Washington Square](/source/Washington_Square_(novel))* and *[The Portrait of a Lady](/source/The_Portrait_of_a_Lady)*.[65] Helen Bechdel was an amateur actress, and plays in which she acted are also used to illuminate aspects of her marriage. She met Bruce Bechdel when the two were appearing in a college production of *[The Taming of the Shrew](/source/The_Taming_of_the_Shrew)*, and Alison Bechdel intimates that this was "a harbinger of my parents' later marriage".[66] Helen Bechdel's role as Lady Bracknell in a local production of *[The Importance of Being Earnest](/source/The_Importance_of_Being_Earnest)* is shown in some detail; Bruce Bechdel is compared with [Oscar Wilde](/source/Oscar_Wilde).[67] His homosexuality is also examined with allusion to [Marcel Proust](/source/Marcel_Proust)'s *[In Search of Lost Time](/source/In_Search_of_Lost_Time)*.[68] The father and daughter's artistic and obsessive-compulsive tendencies are discussed with reference to [E. H. Shepard](/source/E._H._Shepard)'s illustrations for *[The Wind in the Willows](/source/The_Wind_in_the_Willows)*.[69] Bruce and Alison Bechdel exchange hints about their sexualities by exchanging memoirs: the father gives the daughter *Earthly Paradise*, an autobiographical collection of the writings of [Colette](/source/Colette); shortly afterwards, in what Alison Bechdel describes as "an eloquent unconscious gesture", she leaves a library copy of [Kate Millett](/source/Kate_Millett)'s memoir *Flying* for him.[70] Finally, returning to the Daedalus myth, Alison Bechdel casts herself as [Stephen Dedalus](/source/Stephen_Dedalus) and her father as [Leopold Bloom](/source/Leopold_Bloom) in [James Joyce](/source/James_Joyce)'s *[Ulysses](/source/Ulysses_(novel))*, with parallel references to the myth of [Telemachus](/source/Telemachus) and [Odysseus](/source/Odysseus).[71]

The chapter headings, too, are all literary allusions.[72] The first chapter, "Old Father, Old Artificer", refers to a line in [Joyce's](/source/James_Joyce) *[A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man](/source/A_Portrait_of_the_Artist_as_a_Young_Man)*, and the second, "A Happy Death", invokes the Camus novel. "That Old Catastrophe" is a line from [Wallace Stevens](/source/Wallace_Stevens)'s "[Sunday Morning](/source/Sunday_Morning_(poem))", and "In the Shadow of the Young Girls in Flower" is the literal translation of the title of one of the volumes of [Marcel Proust](/source/Marcel_Proust)'s *In Search of Lost Time*, which is usually given in English as *[Within a Budding Grove](/source/Within_a_Budding_Grove)*.

In addition to the literary allusions which are explicitly acknowledged in the text, Bechdel incorporates visual allusions to television programs and other items of [pop culture](/source/Popular_culture) into her artwork, often as images on a television in the background of a panel.[29] These visual references include the film *[It's a Wonderful Life](/source/It's_a_Wonderful_Life)*, [Bert and Ernie](/source/Bert_and_Ernie) of *[Sesame Street](/source/Sesame_Street)*, the [Smiley](/source/Smiley) Face, [Yogi Bear](/source/Yogi_Bear), *[Batman](/source/Batman_(TV_series))*, the [Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote](/source/Wile_E._Coyote_and_Road_Runner), the resignation of [Richard Nixon](/source/Richard_Nixon) and *[The Flying Nun](/source/The_Flying_Nun)*.[29][73]

## Analysis

Heike Bauer, a professor at the University of London, categorizes *Fun Home* as part of the queer transnational archive for its contribution towards the "felt experiences" of the LGBTQ community.[26] Bauer argues that books provide a relatable source, or a felt experience, as Alison uses literature to understand her own feelings in a homophobic society.[26] Bauer notes that as Alison finds relatable literature for her experiences, *Fun Home* itself becomes a similar outlet for its readers by increasing representation of LGBTQ literature.[26]

Valerie Rohy, an English professor at the University of Vermont, questions the authenticity of Alison's archives in the book.[74] Rohy explores how Alison uses her diary in her childhood and readings in her young adulthood to both document her life and learn about herself through written works. On the uncertainty relating to Bruce's cause of death, Rohy says Alison concludes it to be a suicide to fill in her knowledge gap of the situation, similar to her use of books to fill in gaps in her own understanding of her childhood.[74]

Judith Kegan Gardiner, a professor of English and Gender and Women's Studies at the University of Illinois, Chicago, views *Fun Home* as queer literature that bends the literary norms of the graphic novel genre,[75] arguing Bechdel combines both tragedy, normally associated with men, and humor, normally associated with women, by discussing her father's death using a comic book style and dark humor. Gardiner argues Bechdel takes control of creating an open culture for lesbian feminist work through *Fun Home* by focusing less on Bruce's wrongdoings regarding minors, and more on the tragedy faced by Alison and the guilt towards his subsequent death after her coming out. She also says that by breaking the gender norms of the genre, particularly within lesbian and gay literature, *Fun Home* has dramatically affected representation.

## Publication and reception

*Fun Home* was first printed in hardcover by [Houghton Mifflin](/source/Houghton_Mifflin) ([Boston](/source/Boston), New York City) on June 8, 2006.[76] This edition appeared on the *New York Times*' Hardcover Nonfiction bestseller list for two weeks, covering the period from June 18 to July 1, 2006.[6][7] It continued to sell well, and by February 2007 there were 55,000 copies in print.[77] A [trade paperback](/source/Paperback#Trade_paperback) edition was published in the United Kingdom by [Random House](/source/Random_House) under the [Jonathan Cape](/source/Jonathan_Cape) imprint on September 14, 2006; Houghton Mifflin published a paperback edition under the [Mariner Books](/source/Mariner_Books) imprint on June 5, 2007.[76][78]

The French edition of *Fun Home*, published by [Éditions Denoël](/source/%C3%89ditions_Deno%C3%ABl)

In the summer of 2006, a French translation of *Fun Home* was serialized in the Paris newspaper *[Libération](/source/Lib%C3%A9ration)* (which had previously serialized *[Persepolis](/source/Persepolis_(comic))* by [Marjane Satrapi](/source/Marjane_Satrapi)).[11] This translation, by Corinne Julve and Lili Sztajn, was subsequently published by [Éditions Denoël](https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89ditions_Deno%C3%ABl) on October 26, 2006.[79] In January 2007, *Fun Home* was an official selection of the [Angoulême International Comics Festival](/source/Angoul%C3%AAme_International_Comics_Festival).[12] In the same month, the [Anglophone](/source/English_language) Studies department of the [Université François Rabelais, Tours](/source/University_of_Tours) sponsored an academic conference on Bechdel's work, with presentations in Paris and [Tours](/source/Tours).[13] At this conference, papers were presented examining *Fun Home* from several perspectives: as containing "trajectories" filled with [paradoxical](/source/Paradox) tension; as a text interacting with images as a [paratext](/source/Paratext); and as a search for meaning using [drag](/source/Drag_(clothing)) as a metaphor.[80][81][82] These papers and others on Bechdel and her work were later published in the peer-reviewed journal *GRAAT* (*Groupe de Recherches Anglo-Américaines de Tours*, or Tours Anglo-American Research Group).[83][84]

An Italian translation was published by [Rizzoli](https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rizzoli_Editore) in January 2007.[85][86] In Brazil, [Conrad Editora](/source/Conrad_Editora) published a Portuguese translation in 2007.[87] A German translation was published by [Kiepenheuer & Witsch](/source/Kiepenheuer_%26_Witsch) in January 2008.[88] The book has also been translated into Hungarian, Korean, and Polish,[89] and a Chinese translation has been scheduled for publication.[90]

In Spring 2012, Bechdel and literary scholar [Hillary Chute](/source/Hillary_Chute) co-taught a course at the [University of Chicago](/source/University_of_Chicago) titled "Lines of Transmission: Comics and Autobiography".[91]

### Reviews and awards

*[The Times](/source/The_Times)* of London described *Fun Home* as "a profound and important book;" [Salon.com](/source/Salon.com) called it "a beautiful, assured piece of work;" and *[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)* ran two separate reviews and a feature on the memoir.[8][41][92][93][94] In one *New York Times* review, [Sean Wilsey](/source/Sean_Wilsey) called *Fun Home* "a pioneering work, pushing two genres (comics and memoir) in multiple new directions" and "a comic book for lovers of words".[8] [Jill Soloway](/source/Jill_Soloway), writing in the *[Los Angeles Times](/source/Los_Angeles_Times)*, praised the work overall but commented that Bechdel's reference-heavy prose is at times "a little opaque".[95] Similarly, a reviewer in *[The Tyee](/source/The_Tyee)* felt that "the narrator's insistence on linking her story to those of various [Greek myths](/source/Greek_mythology), [American novels](/source/American_literature) and classic plays" was "forced" and "heavy-handed".[33] By contrast, the *[Seattle Times](/source/Seattle_Times)*' reviewer wrote positively of the book's use of literary reference, calling it "staggeringly literate".[96] *[The Village Voice](/source/The_Village_Voice)* said that *Fun Home* "shows how powerfully—and economically—the medium can portray autobiographical narrative. With two-part visual and verbal narration that isn't simply synchronous, comics presents a distinctive narrative idiom in which a wealth of information may be expressed in a highly condensed fashion."[36]

Alison Bechdel at a London signing for *Fun Home*

Several publications listed *Fun Home* as one of the best books of 2006, including *[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)*, [Amazon.com](/source/Amazon.com), *[The Times](/source/The_Times)* of London, *[New York](/source/New_York_(magazine))* magazine and *[Publishers Weekly](/source/Publishers_Weekly)*, which ranked it as the best comic book of 2006.[97][98][99][100][101][102] [Salon.com](/source/Salon.com) named *Fun Home* the best nonfiction debut of 2006, admitting that they were fudging the definition of "debut" and saying, "*Fun Home* shimmers with regret, compassion, annoyance, frustration, pity and love—usually all at the same time and never without a pervasive, deeply literary irony about the near-impossible task of staying true to yourself, and to the people who made you who you are."[103] *[Entertainment Weekly](/source/Entertainment_Weekly)* called it the best nonfiction book of the year, and *[Time](/source/Time_(magazine))* named *Fun Home* the best book of 2006, describing it as "the unlikeliest literary success of 2006" and "a masterpiece about two people who live in the same house but different worlds, and their mysterious debts to each other."[104][105]

*Fun Home* was a finalist for the 2006 [National Book Critics Circle Award](/source/National_Book_Critics_Circle_Award), in the memoir/autobiography category.[106][107] In 2007, *Fun Home* won the [GLAAD Media Award](/source/GLAAD_Media_Awards) for Outstanding Comic Book, the [Stonewall Book Award](/source/Stonewall_Book_Award) for non-fiction, the [Publishing Triangle-Judy Grahn Nonfiction Award](/source/Judy_Grahn#Awards), and the [Lambda Literary Award](/source/Lambda_Literary_Award) in the "Lesbian Memoir and Biography" category.[108][109][110][111] *Fun Home* was nominated for the 2007 [Eisner Awards](/source/Eisner_Award) in two categories, Best Reality-Based Work and Best Graphic Album, and Bechdel was nominated as Best Writer/Artist.[112] *Fun Home* won the Eisner for Best Reality-Based Work.[10] In 2008, *Entertainment Weekly* placed *Fun Home* at No. 68 in its list of "New Classics" (defined as "the 100 best books from 1983 to 2008").[113] *[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian)* included *Fun Home* in its series "1000 novels everyone must read", noting its "beautifully rendered" details.[114]

In 2009, *Fun Home* was listed as one of the best books of the previous decade by *The Times* of London, *Entertainment Weekly* and Salon.com, and as one of the best comic books of the decade by *[The Onion](/source/The_Onion)*'s [A.V. Club](/source/The_A.V._Club).[9][115]

In 2010, the *[Los Angeles Times](/source/Los_Angeles_Times)* literary blog "Jacket Copy" named *Fun Home* as one of "20 classic works of gay literature".[116] In 2019, the graphic novel was ranked 33rd on *[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian)*'s list of the 100 best books of the 21st century.[117] In 2024, *The* *New York Times* ranked it #35 of the 100 best books of the 21st century.[118]

### Challenges and attempted banning

#### 2006: Marshall, Missouri

In October 2006, a resident of [Marshall, Missouri](/source/Marshall%2C_Missouri), attempted to have *Fun Home* and [Craig Thompson](/source/Craig_Thompson)'s *[Blankets](/source/Blankets_(graphic_novel))*, both graphic novels, [removed](/source/List_of_banned_books) from the city's public library.[119] Supporters of the books' removal characterized them as "pornography" and expressed concern that they would be read by children.[14][120] Marshall Public Library Director Amy Crump defended the books as having been well-reviewed in "reputable, professional book review journals", and characterized the removal attempt as a step towards "the slippery slope of censorship".[119][120] On October 11, 2006, the library's board appointed a committee to create a materials selection policy, and removed *Fun Home* and *Blankets* from circulation until the new policy was approved.[121][122] The committee "decided not to assign a prejudicial label or segregate [the books] by a prejudicial system", and presented a materials selection policy to the board.[123][124] On March 14, 2007, the Marshall Public Library Board of Trustees voted to return both *Fun Home* and *Blankets* to the library's shelves.[15] Bechdel described the attempted banning as "a great honor", and described the incident as "part of the whole evolution of the graphic-novel form."[125]

#### 2008: University of Utah

In 2008, an instructor at the [University of Utah](/source/University_of_Utah) placed *Fun Home* on the syllabus of a mid-level English course, "Critical Introduction to English Literary Forms".[126] One student objected to the assignment, and was given an alternate reading in accordance with the university's religious accommodation policy.[126] The student subsequently contacted a local organization called "No More Pornography", which started an online petition calling for the book to be removed from the syllabus.[16] Vincent Pecora, the chair of the university's English department, defended *Fun Home* and the instructor.[16] The university said that it had no plans to remove the book.[16]

#### 2013: Palmetto Family

In 2013, [Palmetto Family Council](/source/Palmetto_Family_Council), a conservative South Carolina group affiliated with [Focus on the Family](/source/Focus_on_the_Family) and the [Family Research Council](/source/Family_Research_Council), challenged the inclusion of *Fun Home* as a reading selection for incoming freshmen at the [College of Charleston](/source/College_of_Charleston).[17][127][128] Palmetto Family president Oran Smith called the book "pornographic".[127] Bechdel disputed this, saying that pornography is designed to cause sexual arousal, which is not the purpose of her book.[17] The controversy made its way to the Senate and House of Representatives. In the Senate they were voting on whether or not to make budget cuts to the summer reading program for incoming freshmen. Senator [Brad Hutto](/source/Brad_Hutto) used a four-hour filibuster to delay the voting process and felt that this was "a challenge to academic freedom and an act that would shame our state."[129] There was an alternative for students who find that the selection of reading chosen by their institution is offensive: they are offered a College Reads! as the alternative. The past president of College of Charleston, Glenn McConnell, had contradicting opinions on *Fun Home*. When asked about the reading he stated that professors have academic freedom when it comes to what they teach in the classroom, but they should also ask themselves if it is worth it and "it certainly wouldn't be my book of choice."[129] The punishment given to the college was a cut to funding to prevent the institution from exploring identity and sexuality. Many tried to fight this because it was seen as a restriction and became a "battlefield in a full-blown culture war."[130]

College provost George Hynd and associate provost Lynne Ford defended the choice of *Fun Home*, pointing out that its themes of identity are especially appropriate for college freshmen.[17] However, seven months later, the Republican-led [South Carolina House of Representatives](/source/South_Carolina_House_of_Representatives) Ways and Means Committee cut the college's funding by $52,000, the cost of the summer reading program, to punish the college for selecting *Fun Home*.[131][132] Rep. Garry Smith, who proposed the cuts, said that in choosing *Fun Home* the university was "promoting the gay and lesbian lifestyle".[132][133] Rep. Stephen Goldfinch, another supporter of the cuts, said, "This book trampled on freedom of conservatives. ... Teaching with this book, and the pictures, goes too far."[134] Bechdel called the funding cut "sad and absurd" and pointed out that *Fun Home* "is after all about the toll that this sort of small-mindedness takes on people's lives."[135] The full state House of Representatives subsequently voted to retain the cuts.[136] College of Charleston students and faculty reacted with dismay and protests to the proposed cuts, and the college's [Student Government Association](/source/Student_governments_in_the_United_States) unanimously passed a resolution urging that the funding be restored.[137][138][139] A coalition of ten free-speech organizations wrote a letter to the [South Carolina Senate](/source/South_Carolina_Senate) Finance Committee, urging them to restore the funds and warning them that "[p]enalising state educational institutions financially simply because members of the legislature disapprove of specific elements of the educational program is educationally unsound and constitutionally suspect".[138][140][141] The letter was co-signed by the [National Coalition Against Censorship](/source/National_Coalition_Against_Censorship), the [ACLU](/source/American_Civil_Liberties_Union) of South Carolina, the [American Association of University Professors](/source/American_Association_of_University_Professors), the [Modern Language Association](/source/Modern_Language_Association), the [Association of College and Research Libraries](/source/Association_of_College_and_Research_Libraries), the [American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression](/source/American_Booksellers_Foundation_for_Free_Expression), the [Comic Book Legal Defense Fund](/source/Comic_Book_Legal_Defense_Fund), the [Association of American Publishers](/source/Association_of_American_Publishers), the [National Council of Teachers of English](/source/National_Council_of_Teachers_of_English) and the [American Library Association](/source/American_Library_Association).[141][142] After a nearly week-long debate in which *Fun Home* and Bechdel were compared to slavery, [Charles Manson](/source/Charles_Manson) and [Adolf Hitler](/source/Adolf_Hitler), the state Senate voted to restore the funding, but redirect the funds towards study of the [United States Constitution](/source/United_States_Constitution) and *[The Federalist Papers](/source/The_Federalist_Papers)*; the university was also required to provide alternate books to students who object to an assignment due to a "religious, moral or cultural belief".[143][144][145] Governor [Nikki Haley](/source/Nikki_Haley) approved the budget measure penalizing the university.[146]

#### 2015: Duke University

In 2015, the book was assigned as summer reading for the incoming class of 2019 at [Duke University](/source/Duke_University). Several students objected to the book on moral and/or religious grounds.[147]

#### 2018: Somerset County, New Jersey

In 2018, parents challenged *Fun Home* in the [Watchung Hills Regional High School](/source/Watchung_Hills_Regional_High_School) curriculum. The challenge was rejected, and the book remained in the school. One year later, a lawsuit was filed in May 2019 against the administrators of the school asking for removal of the book. The lawsuit claims that if the book is not removed, "minors will suffer irreparable harm and that New Jersey statutes will be violated."[148] After the Watchung Hills High School challenge, administrators at nearby North Hunterdon High School removed *Fun Home* from their libraries as well, but the book was later restored in February 2019.[149]

#### 2022: Wentzville, Missouri

In January 2022, the [Wentzille](/source/Wentzville%2C_Missouri) school board in Missouri voted 4–3 to ban *Fun Home*, going against the review committee's 8–1 vote to retain the book in the district's libraries.[150] The ban included three other books, as well: [George M. Johnson](/source/George_Matthew_Johnson)'s *[All Boys Aren't Blue](/source/All_Boys_Aren't_Blue)*, [Toni Morrison](/source/Toni_Morrison)'s *[The Bluest Eye](/source/The_Bluest_Eye)*, and [Kiese Laymon](/source/Kiese_Laymon)'s *Heavy*.[150]

#### 2022: Rapid City, South Dakota

In May 2022, parents challenged *Fun Home* in the [Rapid City Area Schools](/source/Rapid_City_Area_Schools), claiming the book is "pornographic" and the overall picture of having books similar to *Fun Home* in schools is a "Marxist Revolution." Some teachers disagreed because the book represents the highly marginalized voices of the LGBTQ+ community. The school board decided to temporarily remove the book.[151]

#### 2023: Sheboygan, Wisconsin

In January 2023, [Sheboygan South High School](/source/Sheboygan_South_High_School) principal, Kevin Formolo, removed *Fun Home* from the school's library after community members expressed outrage about the book's inclusion. Supporters of the principal's decision say the sexual content of the book is inappropriate in a school setting. Others equated the removal of the book from the school's library to discrimination.

Two other books were also removed from the library by the principal, [Alison Bechdel](/source/Alison_Bechdel)'s *[Are You My Mother?](/source/Are_You_My_Mother%3F_(memoir))* and [Maia Kobabe](/source/Maia_Kobabe)'s *[Gender Queer](/source/Gender_Queer)*.[152]

#### 2025: Alberta, Canada

See also: [Book censorship in Canada § Alberta Public Schools](/source/Book_censorship_in_Canada#Alberta_Public_Schools)

In July 2025, the conservative provincial government of [Alberta](/source/Alberta), led by Premier [Danielle Smith](/source/Danielle_Smith), issued an order to school libraries restricting books with "explicit sexual content".[153] Alberta’s Education and Childcare Minister [Demetrios Nicolaides](/source/Demetrios_Nicolaides) did not provide a list of books to be removed, but provided four examples of sexually explicit content: *Fun Home* by Bechdel, *[Gender Queer](/source/Gender_Queer%3A_A_Memoir)* by [Maia Kobabe](/source/Maia_Kobabe); *[Blankets](/source/Blankets_(comics))* by [Craig Thompson](/source/Craig_Thompson); and *[Flamer](/source/Flamer_(novel))* by [Mike Curato](/source/Mike_Curato). Notably, all four examples of objectionable materials are [graphic novels](/source/Graphic_novel) depicting coming-of-age and LGBTQ subjects.[154]

In August 2025, the [Edmonton Public School Board](/source/Edmonton_Public_Schools)'s internally distributed a list of over 200 books to be removed from library shelves in order to comply with the new policy.[155] The list included literary classics including *[The Handmaid's Tale](/source/The_Handmaid's_Tale)*, *[Brave New World](/source/Brave_New_World)*, and *[I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings](/source/I_Know_Why_the_Caged_Bird_Sings)*. When the list was leaked to the public, major backlash[156][157][158] ensued forcing the government to pause implementation.[159]

In September 2025, the government announced a revised policy that requires removal of only visual representations deemed sexually explicit.[160] The examples of objectionable materials continue to include [Bechdel](/source/Alison_Bechdel)'s Fun Home.

## Adaptations

### Stage musical

Main article: [Fun Home (musical)](/source/Fun_Home_(musical))

*Fun Home* has been adapted into a [stage musical](/source/Musical_theatre), with a book by [Lisa Kron](/source/Lisa_Kron) and music by [Jeanine Tesori](/source/Jeanine_Tesori). The musical was developed through a 2009 workshop at the [Ojai Playwrights Conference](/source/Ojai_Playwrights_Conference) and workshopped in 2012 at the [Sundance Theatre Lab](/source/Sundance_Institute#Sundance_Theatre_Program) and [The Public Theater](/source/The_Public_Theater)'s Public Lab.[161][162][163] Bechdel did not participate in the musical's creation. She expected her story to seem artificial and distant on stage, but she came to feel that the musical had the opposite effect, bringing the "emotional heart" of the story closer than even her book did.[164]

The musical debuted [Off-Broadway](/source/Off-Broadway) at The Public Theater on September 30, 2013.[18] The production was directed by [Sam Gold](/source/Sam_Gold) and starred [Michael Cerveris](/source/Michael_Cerveris) and [Judy Kuhn](/source/Judy_Kuhn) as Bruce and Helen Bechdel. The role of Alison was played by three actors: Beth Malone played the adult Alison, reviewing and narrating her life, [Alexandra Socha](/source/Alexandra_Socha) played "Medium Alison" as a student at Oberlin, discovering her sexuality, and Sydney Lucas played Small Alison, at age 10. It received largely positive reviews,[165][166][167] and its limited run was extended several times until January 12, 2014.[19] The musical was a finalist for the 2014 [Pulitzer Prize for Drama](/source/Pulitzer_Prize_for_Drama); it also won the [Lucille Lortel Award](/source/Lucille_Lortel_Award) for Outstanding Musical, the [New York Drama Critics' Circle](/source/New_York_Drama_Critics'_Circle) Award for Best Musical, and the [Obie Award](/source/Obie_Award) for Musical Theater.[21][22][23][24] Alison Bechdel drew a one-page comic about the musical adaptation for the newspaper *[Seven Days](/source/Seven_Days_(newspaper))*.[168]

A [Broadway](/source/Broadway_theatre) production opened at [Circle in the Square Theatre](/source/Circle_in_the_Square_Theatre) in April 2015. The production won five [2015 Tony Awards](/source/2015_Tony_Awards), including [Best Musical](/source/Tony_Award_for_Best_Musical),[169] and ran for 26 previews and 582 regular performances until September 10, 2016, with a national tour that began in October 2016.[170] Kalle Oskari Mattila, in *[The Atlantic](/source/The_Atlantic)*, argued that the musical's marketing campaign "obfuscates rather than clarifies" the queer narrative of the original novel.[171]

### Potential musical film

In January 2020, [Jake Gyllenhaal](/source/Jake_Gyllenhaal) and a partner secured the rights to produce a film version of the musical, planning to star Gyllenhaal as Bruce Bechdel with [Sam Gold](/source/Sam_Gold) directing and [Amazon MGM Studios](/source/Amazon_MGM_Studios) distributing.[172] In 2023, according to Alison Bechdel, she will not have direct involvement on the project and Gyllenhaal was no longer involved in any upcoming film adaptation. She did, however, say "They're still trying to make this movie happen, but it will have a different star."[173] However, on April 2, 2024, Gyllenhaal was confirmed to remain involved on the film as a producer when he and his [Nine Stories Productions](/source/Nine_Stories_Productions) banner signed a [first-look deal](/source/First-look_deal) with Amazon MGM.[174]

## See also

- [Comics portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Comics)
- [Feminism portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Feminism)

- [List of feminist comic books](/source/List_of_feminist_comic_books)

- *[Dykes to Watch Out For](/source/Dykes_to_Watch_Out_For)*

- [Portrayal of women in comics](/source/Portrayal_of_women_in_comics)

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1. **[^](#cite_ref-27)** Chute, Hillary L.; Bechdel, Alison (2006). "An Interview with Alison Bechdel". *MFS Modern Fiction Studies*. **52** (4): 1004–1013. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1353/mfs.2007.0003](https://doi.org/10.1353%2Fmfs.2007.0003). [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [1080-658X](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/1080-658X). [S2CID](/source/S2CID_(identifier)) [161730250](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:161730250).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-28)** Cooke, Rachel (November 5, 2017). ["Fun Home creator Alison Bechdel on turning a tragic childhood into a hit musical"](https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/nov/05/alison-bechdel-interview-cartoonist-fun-home). *The Guardian*. [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [0261-3077](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0261-3077). Retrieved November 26, 2019.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-glrw_29-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-glrw_29-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-glrw_29-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-glrw_29-3) Hamer, Diane Ellen (May 2006). ["My Father, My Self"](https://web.archive.org/web/20070718235030/http://glreview.com/issues/13.3/13.3-hamer.php). *Gay & Lesbian Review Worldwide*. **13** (3): 37. [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [1532-1118](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/1532-1118). Archived from [the original](http://www.glreview.com/issues/13.3/13.3-hamer.php) on July 18, 2007. Retrieved August 16, 2007.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-30)** Emmert, p. 46. Print edition only.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-velvetpark_31-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-velvetpark_31-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-velvetpark_31-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-velvetpark_31-3) [Bechdel, Alison](/source/Alison_Bechdel). ["Alison Bechdel: Comic Con 2007"](https://web.archive.org/web/20070822053331/http://www.velvetparkmagazine.com/blogit/). *[Velvetpark](/source/Velvetpark)* (Interview). Interviewed by [Michelle Paradise](/source/Michelle_Paradise). Archived from [the original](http://www.velvetparkmagazine.com/blogit/) ([Flash Video](/source/Flash_Video)) on August 22, 2007. Retrieved August 24, 2007.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-afterellen_32-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-afterellen_32-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-afterellen_32-2) Swartz, Shauna (May 8, 2006). ["Alison Bechdel's Life in the Fun Home"](https://web.archive.org/web/20070809164841/http://www.afterellen.com/archive/ellen/Print/2006/5/bechdel.html). *[AfterEllen.com](/source/AfterEllen.com)*. Archived from [the original](http://www.afterellen.com/archive/ellen/Print/2006/5/bechdel.html) on August 9, 2007. Retrieved August 7, 2007.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-tyee_33-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-tyee_33-1) Brooks, Carellin (August 23, 2006). ["A Dyke to Watch Out For"](https://thetyee.ca/Books/2006/08/23/FunHome/). *[The Tyee](/source/The_Tyee)*. Retrieved August 7, 2007.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-34)** Emmert, pp. 47–48. Print edition only.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-35)** Emmert, p. 45. Print edition only.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-villagevoice_36-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-villagevoice_36-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-villagevoice_36-2) Chute, Hillary (July 11, 2006). ["Gothic Revival"](https://web.archive.org/web/20060719065125/http://www.villagevoice.com/books/0628%2Cchute%2C73800%2C10.html). [The Village Voice](/source/The_Village_Voice). Archived from [the original](http://www.villagevoice.com/books/0628,chute,73800,10.html) on July 19, 2006. Retrieved August 7, 2006.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-37)** Deppey, Dirk (January 17, 2007). ["12 Days"](http://tcj.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=510&Itemid=70). *[The Comics Journal](/source/The_Comics_Journal)* (Web Extras ed.). Retrieved August 16, 2007.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-rutgers_38-0)** Bechdel, Alison (Interviewee), Seidel, Dena (Editor) (2008). [*Alison Bechdel's Graphic Narrative*](https://web.archive.org/web/20080411200603/http://wh.rutgers.edu/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=140%3Aalison-bechdels-graphic-narrative&catid=52%3AwarVideos&Itemid=91) (Web video). [New Brunswick](/source/New_Brunswick%2C_New_Jersey), New Jersey: [Rutgers University](/source/Rutgers_University) Writers House. Event occurs at 04:57. Archived from [the original](http://wh.rutgers.edu/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=140:alison-bechdels-graphic-narrative&catid=52:warVideos&Itemid=91) ([Flash Video](/source/Flash_Video)) on April 11, 2008. Retrieved April 16, 2008.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-pmla_39-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-pmla_39-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-pmla_39-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-pmla_39-3) Miller, Nancy K. (March 2007). "The Entangled Self: Genre Bondage in the Age of the Memoir". *[PMLA](/source/Modern_Language_Association)*. **122** (2): 543–544. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1632/pmla.2007.122.2.537](https://doi.org/10.1632%2Fpmla.2007.122.2.537). [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [0030-8129](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0030-8129). [S2CID](/source/S2CID_(identifier)) [163034462](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:163034462).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-40)** [Bechdel, Alison](/source/Alison_Bechdel) (2006). [*Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic*](https://archive.org/details/funhomefamilytra00bech_0/page/36). New York: [Houghton Mifflin](/source/Houghton_Mifflin). p. [36](https://archive.org/details/funhomefamilytra00bech_0/page/36). [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-618-47794-2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-618-47794-2).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-nyt2_41-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-nyt2_41-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-nyt2_41-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-nyt2_41-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-nyt2_41-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-nyt2_41-5) [***g***](#cite_ref-nyt2_41-6) Gustines, George Gene (June 26, 2006). ["'Fun Home': A Bittersweet Tale of Father and Daughter"](https://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/26/books/26gust.html?ex=1155009600&en=88647dc021a0b412&ei=5070) (free registration required). *The New York Times*. Retrieved August 7, 2006.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-42)** Bechdel, *Fun Home*, pp. 11, 18, 21, 68–69, 71.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-43)** Bechdel, *Fun Home*, pp. 58–59, 61, 71, 79, 94–95, 120.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-44)** Bechdel, *Fun Home*, pp. 27–30, 59, 85.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-45)** Bechdel, *Fun Home*, pp. 23, 27–29, 89, 116–117, 125, 232.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-46)** Bechdel, *Fun Home*, pp. 58, 74–81,

1. **[^](#cite_ref-47)** Bechdel, *Fun Home*, pp. 76, 80–81, 140–143, 148–149, 153, 157–159, 162, 168–174, 180–181, 183–186, 207, 214–215, 224.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-48)** Bechdel, *Fun Home*, p. 15.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-49)** Bechdel, *Fun Home*, p. 98.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-50)** Bechdel, *Fun Home*, pp. 220–221.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-51)** Bechdel, *Fun Home*, pp. 57–59, 86, 117, 230–232.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-52)** Bechdel, *Fun Home*, p. 74.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-53)** Bechdel, *Fun Home*, p. 73.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-54)** Bechdel, *Fun Home*, p. 113

1. **[^](#cite_ref-55)** Bechdel, *Fun Home*, p. 58.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-56)** Bechdel, *Fun Home*, pp. 76–81.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-57)** Bechdel, *Fun Home*, p. 219.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-58)** Bechdel, *Fun Home*, p. 97

1. **[^](#cite_ref-59)** Bechdel, *Fun Home*, pp. 27–29.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-60)** Bechdel, *Fun Home*, p. 67

1. **[^](#cite_ref-61)** Bechdel, *Fun Home*, pp. 3–4, 231–232.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-62)** Bechdel, *Fun Home*, pp. 34–35.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-63)** Bechdel, *Fun Home*, pp. 27–28, 47–49.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-64)** Bechdel, *Fun Home*, pp. 61–66, 84–86.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-65)** Bechdel, *Fun Home*, pp. 66–67, 70–71.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-66)** Bechdel, *Fun Home*, pp. 69–70.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-67)** Bechdel, *Fun Home*, pp. 154–155, 157–158, 163–168, 175, 180, 186.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-68)** Bechdel, *Fun Home*, pp. 92–97, 102, 105, 108–109, 113, 119–120.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-69)** Bechdel, *Fun Home*, pp. 130–131, 146–147, 150.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-70)** Bechdel, *Fun Home*, pp. 205, 207–208, 217–220, 224, 229.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-71)** Bechdel, *Fun Home*, pp. 201–216, 221–223, 226, 228–231.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-72)** Chute, Hillary L. (2010). *Graphic Women: Life Narrative and Contemporary Comics*. New York: [Columbia University Press](/source/Columbia_University_Press). [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9780231150637](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780231150637).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-73)** Bechdel, *Fun Home*, pp. 10–11 (*It's a Wonderful Life*), 14 (*Sesame Street*), 15 (Smiley Face), 92 (Yogi Bear), 130 (*Batman*), 174–175 (Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote), 181 (Nixon), 131, 193 (*The Flying Nun*).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:03_74-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:03_74-1) Rohy, Valerie (2010). ["In the Queer Archive: Fun Home"](https://muse.jhu.edu/article/382220). *GLQ: A Journal of Lesbian and Gay Studies*. **16** (3): iv-361. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1215/10642684-2009-034](https://doi.org/10.1215%2F10642684-2009-034). [S2CID](/source/S2CID_(identifier)) [145624992](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:145624992).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-75)** Judith Kegan Gardiner, Queering Genre: Alison Bechdel's *Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic* and *The Essential Dykes to Watch Out For*, *Contemporary Women's Writing*, Volume 5, Issue 3, November 2011, Pages 188–207, [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1093/cww/vpr015](https://doi.org/10.1093%2Fcww%2Fvpr015)

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-houghtonmifflin_76-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-houghtonmifflin_76-1) Bechdel, Alison (2007). ["Fun Home"](https://web.archive.org/web/20090302042844/http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/catalog/titledetail.cfm?textType=reviews&titleNumber=694163). *[Houghton Mifflin](/source/Houghton_Mifflin) website*. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-618-87171-1](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-618-87171-1). Archived from [the original](http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/catalog/titledetail.cfm?textType=reviews&titleNumber=694163) on March 2, 2009. Retrieved August 14, 2007.

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1. **[^](#cite_ref-78)** ["Book Details for Fun Home"](https://web.archive.org/web/20110519184300/http://www.randomhouse.co.uk/catalog/book.htm?command=Search&db=main.txt&eqisbndata=0224080512). *[Random House](/source/Random_House) UK website*. Archived from [the original](http://www.randomhouse.co.uk/catalog/book.htm?command=Search&db=main.txt&eqisbndata=0224080512) on May 19, 2011. Retrieved August 14, 2007.

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1. **[^](#cite_ref-80)** Chabani, Karim (March 2007). ["Double Trajectories: Crossing Lines in *Fun Home*"](http://www.graat.fr/bechdel001aaaa.pdf) (PDF). *GRAAT*. on-line edition (1). [Tours](/source/Tours): [Université François Rabelais](/source/University_of_Tours). Retrieved August 8, 2007.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-81)** Muller, Agnés (March 2007). ["Image as Paratext in Alison Bechdel's Fun Home"](http://www.graat.fr/bechdel002aaaa.pdf) (PDF). *GRAAT*. on-line edition (1). [Tours](/source/Tours): [Université François Rabelais](/source/University_of_Tours). Retrieved August 8, 2007.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-82)** Tison, Hélène (March 2007). ["Drag as metaphor and the quest for meaning in Alison Bechdel's *Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic*"](http://www.graat.fr/bechdel003aaaa.pdf) (PDF). *GRAAT*. on-line edition (1). [Tours](/source/Tours): [Université François Rabelais](/source/University_of_Tours). Retrieved August 8, 2007.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-83)** Tison, Hélène, ed. (March 2007). ["Reading Alison Bechdel"](http://www.graat.fr/backissueabechdel.htm). *GRAAT*. on-line edition (1). [Tours](/source/Tours): [Université François Rabelais](/source/University_of_Tours). Retrieved October 14, 2008.

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1. **[^](#cite_ref-86)** ["Libro Fun Home"](http://rizzoli.rcslibri.corriere.it/libro/1608_fun_home_bechdel.html). *Libraria Rizzoli* (in Italian). [RCS MediaGroup](/source/RCS_MediaGroup). Retrieved August 14, 2009.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-87)** Magnani, Deborah (March 20, 2010). ["Fun Home: Uma Tragicomédia Em Família"](https://web.archive.org/web/20160117025819/http://cubo3.com.br/?p=1661). *cubo3* (in Portuguese). Archived from [the original](http://cubo3.com.br/?p=1661) on January 17, 2016. Retrieved May 21, 2010.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-88)** ["Fun Home"](https://web.archive.org/web/20080416023934/http://www.kiwi-verlag.de/36-0-buch.htm?isbn=9783462039221) (in German). Kiepenheuer & Witsch. January 2008. Archived from [the original](http://www.kiwi-verlag.de/36-0-buch.htm?isbn=9783462039221) on April 16, 2008. Retrieved April 16, 2008.

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1. **[^](#cite_ref-90)** Bechdel, Alison (August 14, 2008). ["china, translated"](http://dykestowatchoutfor.com/china-translated). *dykestowatchoutfor.com*. Retrieved August 14, 2008.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-91)** ["Lines of Transmission: Comics and Autobiography"](https://web.archive.org/web/20140826184810/https://graycenter.uchicago.edu/experiments/lines-of-transmission-comics-and-autobiography). *Gray Center for Arts and Inquiry*. [University of Chicago](/source/University_of_Chicago). 2012. Archived from [the original](http://graycenter.uchicago.edu/experiments/lines-of-transmission-comics-and-autobiography) on August 26, 2014. Retrieved July 28, 2013.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-92)** Wolk, Douglas (June 5, 2006). ["Fun Home"](https://web.archive.org/web/20080418182635/http://www.salon.com/books/review/2006/06/05/bechdel/index.html). *[Salon.com](/source/Salon.com)*. Archived from [the original](http://www.salon.com/books/review/2006/06/05/bechdel/index.html) on April 18, 2008. Retrieved August 12, 2006.

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1. **[^](#cite_ref-94)** Bellafante, Ginia (August 3, 2006). ["Twenty Years Later, the Walls Still Talk"](https://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/03/garden/03bechdel.html?_r=2&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&ref=garden&adxnnlx=1154913282-+1SNH8sRkuz5azY4XDISuQ) (paid archive). *The New York Times*. Retrieved August 7, 2006.

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1. **[^](#cite_ref-96)** Pachter, Richard (June 16, 2006). [""Fun Home": Sketches of a family circus"](https://web.archive.org/web/20080115161817/http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/texis.cgi/web/vortex/display?slug=funhome18&date=20060616&query=%22Fun+Home%22+Alison+Bechdel). *[Seattle Times](/source/Seattle_Times)*. Archived from [the original](http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/texis.cgi/web/vortex/display?slug=funhome18&date=20060616&query=%22Fun+Home%22+Alison+Bechdel) on January 15, 2008. Retrieved August 9, 2007.

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1. **[^](#cite_ref-100)** Gatti, Tom (December 16, 2006). ["The 10 best books of 2006: number 10 — Fun Home"](http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,923-2504697,00.html). *[The Times](/source/The_Times)*. London. Retrieved December 18, 2006.[*[dead link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Link_rot)*]

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1. **[^](#cite_ref-164)** Bechdel, Alison. ["Alison Bechdel Draws a Fun Home Coda"](https://web.archive.org/web/20190126221012/https://www.vulture.com/2015/04/alison-bechdel-fun-home/slideshow/). *Vulture*. Archived from [the original](https://www.vulture.com/2015/04/alison-bechdel-fun-home/slideshow) on January 26, 2019. Retrieved January 25, 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-165)** Brantley, Ben (October 23, 2013). ["Family as a Hall of Mirrors"](https://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/23/theater/reviews/fun-home-a-new-musical-at-the-public-theater.html). *The New York Times*. Retrieved October 23, 2013.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-166)** Dziemianowicz, Joe (October 22, 2013). [""Fun Home," theater review. Public Theater musical about a small-town family is dark but magnificent"](http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/music-arts/fun-home-theater-review-article-1.1492941). *New York Daily News*. Retrieved October 23, 2013.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-167)** McNulty, Charles (October 23, 2013). ["Awkwardness adds to 'Fun Home' charm Muddled beginning, smudgy staging and distracting songs in this musical ultimately add up to a tender honesty"](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/culture/la-et-cm-fun-home-review,0,2137887.story#axzz2iaWFTM87). *Los Angeles Times*. Retrieved October 23, 2013.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7days_strip_168-0)** [Bechdel, Alison](/source/Alison_Bechdel) (July 2, 2014). ["Fun Home! The Musical!"](http://www.sevendaysvt.com/vermont/fun-home-the-musical/Content?oid=2393463). *[Seven Days](/source/Seven_Days_(newspaper))*. Burlington, Vermont: Da Capo Publishing. Retrieved July 23, 2014.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-169)** Sims, David (June 8, 2015). ["Fun Home's Success Defines the 2015 Tony Awards"](https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2015/06/fun-home-caps-a-triumphantly-diverse-tony-awards/395153/). *[The Atlantic](/source/The_Atlantic)*. Retrieved June 8, 2015.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-170)** Gordon, Jessica Fallon. ["Photo Coverage: *Fun Home* Closes on Broadway with Emotional Final Curtain Call"](http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Photo-Coverage-FUN-HOME-Closes-on-Broadway-with-Emotional-Final-Curtain-Call-20160911), BroadwayWorld.com, September 11, 2016

1. **[^](#cite_ref-171)** Mattila, Kalle Oskari. ["Selling Queerness: The Curious Case of *Fun Home*"](https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2016/04/branding-queerness-the-curious-case-of-fun-home/479532), *The Atlantic*, April 25, 2016. Retrieved November 23, 2017

1. **[^](#cite_ref-172)** Lefkowitz, Andy. ["Jake Gyllenhaal to Produce & Star in Movie Musical Adaptation of *Fun Home*"](https://www.broadway.com/buzz/198003/jake-gyllenhaal-to-produce-star-in-movie-musical-adaptation-of-fun-home), Broadway.com, January 3, 2020

1. **[^](#cite_ref-173)** Lickteig, Mary Ann. ["Cartoonist Alison Bechdel Headlines the Green Mountain Book Festival"](https://www.sevendaysvt.com/vermont/cartoonist-alison-bechdel-headlines-the-green-mountain-book-festival/Content?oid=39188274), *[Seven Days](/source/Seven_Days_(newspaper))*, September 27, 2023

1. **[^](#cite_ref-174)** ["Jake Gyllenhaal's Nine Stories Signs First-Look Deal with Amazon MGM"](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/jake-gyllenhaal-movies-amaozon-mgm-1235864460/). *[The Hollywood Reporter](/source/The_Hollywood_Reporter)*. April 2, 2024.

## External links

- [Houghton Mifflin's *Fun Home* press release](http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/booksellers/press_release/bechdel/), with excerpts from the book and video of Bechdel's artistic process

- [dykestowatchoutfor.com](https://web.archive.org/web/20070715222036/http://www.dykestowatchoutfor.com/index.php), author Alison Bechdel's blog and official website

- [What the Little Old Ladies Feel: How I told my mother about my memoir.](http://www.slate.com/id/2162410/) *[Slate](/source/Slate_(magazine))* article by Bechdel

v t e GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Comic Book Combined award (1992–2021) The Flash (1992) Maggie Sawyer, Metropolis S.C.U. (1996) Death: The Time of Your Life (1997) For Better or For Worse (1998) Supergirl (1999) Strangers in Paradise (2000) Pedro and Me (2001) Green Lantern (2002–2003) Catwoman (2004) Luba (2005) Young Avengers (2006) Fun Home (2007) Strangers in Paradise (2008) Buffy the Vampire Slayer (2009) Detective Comics (2010) X-Factor (2011) Batwoman (2012) Kevin Keller (2013) Young Avengers (2014) Rat Queens (2015) Lumberjanes (2016) The Woods (2017) Black Panther: World of Wakanda (2018) Exit, Stage Left!: The Snagglepuss Chronicles (2019) Star Wars: Doctor Aphra (2020) Empyre, Lords of Empyre: Emperor Hulkling, Empyre: Aftermath Avengers (2021) Outstanding Comic Book (2022–present) Crush and Lobo (2022) Poison Ivy (2023) Star Wars: Doctor Aphra (2024) Suicide Squad: Dream Team (2025) Avengers Academy: Marvel's Voices (2026) Outstanding Graphic Novel/Anthology (2022–present) Cheer Up: Love and Pompoms (2022) Young Men in Love (2023) Four-Color Heroes (2024) Becoming Who We Are: Real Stories About Growing Up Trans (2025) Gaysians (2026)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Fun Home](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fun_Home) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fun_Home?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.