Howard Cruse is one of the pioneers of LGBT comics with his work in the underground comix world of the 1970s and 1980s. Lois may not have been subject to the whims of Mort Weisinger inspired, twisted plots to trap Superman into marriage, but sexuality and relationships in mainstream comics were still subject to Comics Code Authority approval. Not so with underground comix whose portrayals of sexuality depicted sex in graphic and sometimes gratuitous details, but even then cartoonists’ subjects were straight. Cruse was one of a very small handful of people breaking that barrier, unknowingly paving the way for others to follow. The world of LGBT comics would be poorer without the works of Barefootz, Gay Comix (and Gay Comics), Wendel, and Stuck Rubber Baby.
This Gayleague 15th anniversary giveaway is for a sealed copy of Stuck Rubber Baby hard cover, the 2011 edition published by Vertigo.
Stuck Rubber Baby is described as:
“In the 1960s American South, a young gas-station attendant named Toland Polk is rejected from the Army draft for admitting “homosexual tendencies,” and falls in with a close-knit group of young locals yearning to break from the conformity of their hometown through civil rights activism, folk music and upstart communality of race-mixing, gay-friendly nightclubs. Toland’s story is both deeply personal and epic in scope, as his search for identity plays out against the brutal fight over segregation, an unplanned pregnancy and small-town bigotry, aided by an unforgettable supporting cast.”
To be considered for the giveaway, please leave a comment about Cruse or his work, your favorite indy creator or piece of fiction (LGBT or not), your curiosity about Cruse or indy comics if you’re a spandex only comics fan, or send me authentic, nude or even shirtless pics of John Barrowman.
Deadline for comments is Tuesday, May 29th at 11:59 Eastern. Winners within the past thirty days are not eligible. US residents only. The winner will be contacted by email for hers or his mailing address. Please reply to email within 72 hours or an alternate winner will be chosen.
