# Is "Dykes to Watch Out For (first collection)" by Alison Bechdel a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Dykes to Watch Out For (first collection) by Alison Bechdel (Firebrand Books, 1986) is identified by: First edition, first printing softcover, Firebrand Books, October 1986 (ISBN 0932379176). The strip began in the early 1980s and was syndicated by the mid-1980s; the 1986 Firebrand softcover is the first book collection.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition, first printing softcover, Firebrand Books, October 1986 (ISBN 0932379176)
- Full title on the book is Dykes to Watch Out For: Cartoons
- Correct publisher/imprint: Firebrand Books

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Alison Bechdel |
| Publisher | Firebrand Books |
| Year | 1986 |
| True first | world edition |
| Format | Comic / graphic novel |
| Key point | First edition, first printing softcover, Firebrand Books, October 1986 (ISBN 0932379176) |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First edition, first printing softcover, Firebrand Books, October 1986 (ISBN 0932379176). Full title on the book is Dykes to Watch Out For: Cartoons.

## Is this the true first?
The strip began in the early 1980s and was syndicated by the mid-1980s; the 1986 Firebrand softcover is the first book collection. Numerous later Dykes to Watch Out For collections are each first-thus of their own content.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings and collections are each first-thus of their respective content; the 1986 first printing lacks later-printing indicators.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Dykes to Watch Out For (first collection)* by Alison Bechdel a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/dykes-to-watch-out-for-first-collection
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.