Howard Cruse
Howard Cruse (born May 2, 1944) is a notable cartoonist and gay activist.
Born in 1944 to a Baptist preacher, Cruse grew up in a small house in Springville. He attended Indian Springs School and edited the "ISSINFO" school newspaper. In high school he worked as a camp counselor at Utopia School Camp. The already-prolific teenager had panels published in The Baptist Student and Mad Magazine knock-offs Fooey and Sick. He carried on a correspondence with Milton Caniff, the creator of "Terry and the Pirates" and "Steve Canyon" comic strips. His week-long visit to New York City highlighted by lunch at Sardi's with Caniff (and a two day stay at the Sloane House YMCA) made the Post-Herald.
He went on to Birmingham-Southern College where a four-page comic strip satirizing the John Birch society earned the disdain of the faculty advisor to the Quad literary magazine. It ran, but with a full-page disclaimer. He was a contributor to the 'zine "Granny Takes a Trip founded by fellow student Julie Brumlik.
Cruse was active in the Birmingham-Southern theater under director Arnold Powell, performing in "The Visit", "One Way Pendulum", "The Imaginary Invalid", and Samuel Beckett's "Endgame". He also met "the first love of his life" Don Higdon, while at college. Cruse's mainstay comic strip, "Barefootz" got its first serial run in the University of Alabama's Crimson White and survived the 1970s in a variety of publications, and was reincarnated as a web comic .
After graduating, he worked as an assistant art director for WAPI 13 and co-created a children's show for the start-up ETV public educational tv network. From there he moved on to become the puppeteer on the Sergeant Jack Show on WBMG 42.
In 1977, Cruse moved to New York to try his hand at becoming a full-time cartoonist. He got a one year job as art director for Starlog magazine before realizing his goal. In New Yok he also met his current partner Eddie Sedarbaum (a gay activist and 1998 candidate for New York State Senate). The couple moved to North Adams, Massachusetts in 2003 and were married in 2004.
From 1980-84, Cruse edited an anthology for gay and lesbian cartoonists called Gay Comix. Then, from 1983-1985 and 1986-1989 he drew a gay-themed strip called "Wendel", which was published in the Advocate. The magazine gave Cruse freedom to depict sexuality and social issues with unusual frankness in an era when AIDS and homosexual rights were daily news. He also contributed frequently to the Village Voice.
Cruse's 1995 graphic novel "Stuck Rubber Baby" has garnered favorable critical comparisons to landmarks of the genre like Maus. So far it has been translated into German, French and Italian, with Spanish and Dutch editions planned.
Publications
- Cruse, Howard. (1985) Wendel New York: Gay Presses of New York. ISBN 0914017101
- Cruse, Howard. (1986) Howard Cruse's Barefootz: The Comix Book stories. Renegade Press. ASIN B00072X5YY
- Cruse, Howard. (1987) Dancin' Nekkid with the Angels. St Martin's Press. ISBN 0312011040
- Cruse, Howard. (1989) Wendel on the Rebound. St Martin's Press. ISBN 0312030029
- Cruse, Howard. (1990) Early Barefootz. Fantagraphics Books. ISBN 1560970529
- Cruse, Howard. (1995) Stuck Rubber Baby. Paradox Press. ISBN 1563892553
- Cruse, Howard. (2001) Wendel All Together. Olmstead Press. ISBN 1587540126
- Shaffer, Jeanne E. (April 2004) "The Swimmer with a Rope in his Teeth" illustrated by Howard Cruse. Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books. ISBN 1591021812
External links
- Howard Cruse website
- Interview with Howard Cruse at popimage.com
References
- "Young Artist Lunches With Great One" (July 18, 19__) Birmingham Post-Herald.