Bio: Howard Cruse is the creator of Wendel, the 1980s comic strip about a circle of gay friends that was collected in its entirety in 2001 in a book called Wendel All Together. His 1995 graphic novel, Stuck Rubber Baby, won both Eisner and Harvey Awards in 1996, and has since won awards in England and Germany. An Italian translation of SRB has also been published and Spanish translations of both SRB and Wendel All Together are now in production. Stuck Rubber Baby's French edition won the Prix de la critique at the Angouleme comics festival in 2002. Many of Howard's underground comix were compiled more than a decade ago in the books Early Barefootz and Dancin' Nekkid With the Angels.

The Swimmer With a Rope in His Teeth, Howard's illustrated adaptation of a fable by Jeanne Shaffer, was published by Prometheus Press in April of 2004. Many of his comic strips, both old and recently drawn, are archived on his extensive website, Howard Cruse Central. Recently completed projects are new comics created for inclusion in future edition's of Jennifer Camper's Juicy Mother series and the second Robert Kirby-David Kelly Boy Trouble book collection plus a five-page gay webcomic drawn for Tim Fish's Young Bottoms In Love. Howard's newest book, From Headrack to Claude, is a compilation of Howard's gay-themed comix covering, with the exception of the Wendel series and Stuck Rubber Baby, the 33-year span between 1976 and 2008. Like his recently repackaged 1983 satirical fable Felix's Friends (subtitled "A Story for Grown-Ups and Unpleasant Children"), Howard is self-publishing From Headrack to Claude on a print-on-demand basis Lulu.com.

An array of Howard's drawings are decorating tee-shirts, mugs, mouse pads and other cool merchandise at his online merchandise shop, Cruse Goodies at CafePress. And for regular bulletins from Howard's life and ruminatory processes, link up to Loose Cruse: The Blog and see what's happening in Cruseland.

BUY BOOKS AT AMAZON.COM

Dancin' Nekkid With the Angels
Early Barefootz
Stuck Rubber Baby
The Swimmer With a Rope in His Teeth
Wendel All Together

RECENT PRISM COMICS FEATURES

NEW LGBT COMICS DEBUTS AT COMIC-CON 2010! REPORT #1 WITH HOWARD CRUSE, ED LUCE & BRAD RADER!
[News, Posted 7/25/10]
Loads of new LGBT comics debuted at Comic-Con this year from creators such as Justin Hall, Howard Cruse, Brad Rader, Brian Andersen, Ed Luce, Dave Davenport, Steve MacIsaac, Jon Macy, Desmond Miller, Dylan "NDR" Edwards, Sean-Z, John Hahn, Walter Mayer, Michael Dimotta, Steven Bereznai, Michael Troy to name but a few (okay, can’t count). Prism’s expanded booth meant more space for us to host LGBT creators than ever before, our way of bringing artists and writers (and editors and our…

THIRD QUEER PANEL REPORT FROM COMIC-CON! "WRITING QUEER" MODERATED BY JUSTIN HALL!
[News, Posted 7/24/10]
My third queer panel on Thursday of Comic-Con was the Prism-sponsored “Writing Queer: Creating and Writing LGBT Characters” panel moderated by Justin Hall (True Travel Tales, winner of the Queer Press Grant for Glamazonia: The Uncanny Super Tranny, and Prism’s Talent and Industry Relations Chair) who could easily have enough to talk about on his own, but was joined by some of the biggest names in both mainstream and indie comics: Gilbert Hernandez (Love and Rockets),…

COMIC-CON’S SPOTLIGHT PANEL ON HOWARD CRUSE!
[News, Posted 7/23/10]
Continuing my Geek-O-Rama convention report, I next attended Comic-Con’s ‘”Spotlight Howard Cruse”. It was not a Prism panel, but might as well have been, as Howard is one the most acclaimed and famous LGBT comic artists ever and an icon for our organization. His Eisner and Harvey award-winning graphic novel, Stuck Rubber Baby has just been reprinted in a 15th Anniversary edition with a forward by Alison Bechdel. This year, Howard attends Comic-Con as a Special Guest of the…

PRISM COMICS SEEKING SUBMISSIONS FOR 2010 QUEER PRESS GRANT!
[News, Posted 7/19/10]
Prism Comics is accepting submissions for the 2010 Queer Press Grant, with a deadline of September 15, 2010. The annual grant was established by Prism Comics to assist in the publication and promotion of LGBT comics. Prism will be offering portfolio review at the upcoming San Diego Comic-Con International for those interested in applying to the grant. Howard Cruse (Stuck Rubber Baby), Eric Shanower (Age of Bronze), Paige Braddock (Jane’s World), Bob…

PRISM REVEALS THE GAY AGENDA FOR COMIC-CON 2010! HOWARD CRUSE, PANELS, SUPERHERO PARTY, MORE BOOTH SPACE AND MORE LGBT CREATORS THAN EVER
[News, Posted 7/14/10]
Prism Comics, a nonprofit supporting LGBT comics, creators, and readers, has unveiled its slate of activities for San Diego Comic-Con International 2010, one of the world’s largest pop-culture gatherings, at the San Diego Convention Center from Wednesday, July 21st through Sunday, July 25th. Prism will host four jam-packed panels including Andy Mangels' legendary “Gays in Comics” panel, the 6th annual “Heroes vs. Villains” party, appearances by Howard Cruse (Stuck Rubber Baby) and the largest roster of LGBT Creators ever at its expanded booth, now filling three exhibit spaces (#2049/2146/2148). All the details are available in The Gay Agenda, Prism’s guide to everything LGBT at Comic-Con, which can be picked up at the Prism booth or downloaded in PDF format.

RECENT OFFSITE FEATURES

REVIEW: STUCK RUBBER BABY BY HOWARD CRUSE
[Source: Lambda Literary, Added: 7/26/10]
It struck me, while reading Stuck Rubber Baby so many years after its publication in 1995, that its setting, what its author Howard Cruse refers to as “Kennedytime,” makes it the perfect...

COMIC-CON WEEKEND MUSTS: "GAYS IN COMICS" AND "GLEE" PANELS
[Source: San Diego Gay & Lesbian News, Added: 7/24/10]
Comic-Con International 2010 is still going strong this weekend at the Convention Center. Two particular events are of keen interest to the LGBT community.

GAY COMIC-CON 2010
[Source: Gay and Lesbian Times, Added: 7/22/10]
Prism Comics will be at Comic Con 2010 with nearly a dozen major comic creators attending for panels, meet and greets, creator signings and portfolio review.

PRISM COMICS SETS UP "QUEER CENTRAL" AT SAN DIEGO COMIC CONVENTION
[Source: Passport Magazine, Added: 7/20/10]
With their toned heroes and heroines sporting skin-tight super suits, what’s not to love about comics? Prism Comics makes it their mission to support the LGBT comics, creators, and readers who...

'STUCK RUBBER BABY' BRILLIANTLY ILLUSTRATES THE COMPLEX ERA OF 'KENNEDYTIME' IN AMERICAN HISTORY
[Source: PopMatters, Added: 7/12/10]
In this new edition of this excellent work of graphic fiction, Howard Cruse never suggests the battles against racism and homophobia were won -- or even that they ever could be.