Cruse with some of his most famous creations, including Barefeetz and Wendel
Bio
Howard Cruse is an American comic artist and writer who has spent decades promoting LGBT rights through his work. Famous for comics such as Wendel, Stuck Rubber Baby, and Barefeetz, Cruse has cemented himself as an important name in the American comics canon, especially among LGBT comic readers and authors.
Cruse grew up in a small town in rural Alabama in the 1950s. He loved art and comics from a young age– drawing his own characters and making small strips from the time he was young. His family supported his love of comics– Cruse has drawn about his father giving him a high quality cartooning pen when he was just eight years old because of how much time he spent drawing comics at even such a young age. (Comic linked here) Cruse began being published while he was still in highschool at a number of small magazines and his school’s local paper, and he became nationally published while still in college. Cruse writes about dropping comics for a few years in college, due to a love of arts of all kind and spending time in the theater. He even worked on Television when the medium was still young, doing voice work and art assets for children’s shows. Cruse but he always eventially came back to his first love.
Cruse was a member of the “comix” scene of underground comic artists that boomed in the 70s in a big way. At the time, this was the only real way to get comics featuring LGBT characters published, as well as comics with sexual themes, and Cruse wanted to write about both. His art style, while sometimes considered childish, proved to be an asset in creating interesting, multi faceted comics. Cruse talks unabashedly about sex and sexuality in most of his works, with gay and straight characters alike. Cruse didn’t include anything overtly gay in Barefeetz or Tops & Button, some of his earlier works, but even Barefeetz’ constant denial of any attraction to the woman who pursues him could be read as somehow queer.
Denis Kitchen, editor and friend of Cruse got the idea for an anthology focused on Gay and Lesbian comics by Gay and Lesbian comic artists in 1979. He called Cruse up to be editor, and Cruse originally balked at the idea, worried that publicly printing he was gay could be a death sentence for a young artist as himself. He decided to take the plunge, however, and became editor for the 15 volume anthology. The Comics Code and Authority had heavily cracked down on any sort of sexual promiscuousness in comics, especially LGBT sexuality, so Gay Comix was a breath of fresh air. Cruse met his husband of over 40 years during this time, Eddie Sedarbaum, and the two are still married to this day.
Cruse had a huge impact in the world of comics–Alison Bechdel credits Cruse as being one of the reasons she herself became a comic artist, and credits Wendel as helping to inspire her on her famous Dykes to Watch out for. Although the Comix age of the 70s is long over, underground published and online comics are not, and it is anthologies like Gay Comix that help to start these trends in the first place. Howard Cruse, who now lives in Vermont with his husband and their dogs, is an icon of both LGBT artists and writers alike, and has forever shaped the scene of gay comics in ways that he never could have imagined.
Cruse’s writing is still incredibly relevant today– one piece I would recommend is It’s Orwell and Good, which feels incredibly relevant in the modern polical climate (Linked Here)
You can read about Howard Cruse’s life in his own words (and images!) here!
Resources:
Howard Cruse’s Free collection of online comics: Linked Here
You can purchase any of Cruse’s books Here
You can support Howard Cruse directly through his Patreon Here
Howard Cruse’s Personal webpage: Linked Here
Howard Cruse’s Twitter is Here