Dyer was born in Louisiana, went to college in Gainesville, Florida and then moved to New York City.

In 1992, Dyer created and began distributing the Action Girl Newsletter, a review zine listing zines and mini-comics created by female writers and artists.

In 1995, Dyer created the all-female comics anthology Action Girl Comics, which showcased comics and mini-comics by female artists and writers, as well as Dyer's own Action Girl series. In addition to her work with comics, Dyer has self-published manuals and articles on topics ranging from zine publishing to cooking to making clothing, all firmly rooted in DIY philosophy.

Dyer worked with her husband, Evan Dorkin, on the pilot episode for Welcome to Eltingville in 2002.

She also wrote for Space Ghost Coast to Coast, Superman Adventures, and Batman Beyond. Additionally, she contributed to the 2006 English language version of the anime Shin Chan.

She donated zines accumulated through reviewing for Action Girl Newsletter to Duke University, where it formed the core of their Zine Collections.

Dyer is married to fellow comics writer/artist Evan Dorkin.