An award-winning cartoonist who is known as one of America's most prominent gay comic writers will speak as the University Libraries Graphic Novel Speaker Series' final guest tonight in Foster Auditorium.
Howard Cruse, most well known for his critically acclaimed graphic novel Stuck Rubber Baby, is scheduled to speak at 7 p.m. about his life as a cartoonist in a lecture titled, "Comix, Closets, and Life: Gay Cartoonist Howard Cruse Talks about Stuck Rubber Baby, Wendel and their Funny Book Roots."
"The lecture is mainly going to focus on how comics can strike a deeper chord than they are given credit for," Cruse said. "Another aspect that will be talked about is how life experiences can alter your work."
Eileen Akin, coordinator of the Fred Waring Collection in the Special Collection Library, said Cruse was selected as the series' final speaker based on his award-winning work, as well as his innovative style of comic writing.
Akin said she initially tried to get Cruse to visit during Pride Week, but the LGBTA community had so many activities going on that they decided to make tonight's speech a "post-Pride Week event."
"Mr. Cruse's work really centers around many diversity issues," she said. "We all can learn so much from people of different background, and I feel that everyone can definitely learn from an artist like Mr. Cruse."
With the evolution of the Internet, Cruse said budding cartoonists can easily gain more experience and quickly expand their fanbase.
"I am looking forward to reaching out to readers and telling them about my work," Cruse said. "After all, there has never been a better time to be a part of the comic industry."
Another focus of the lecture will be Cruse's award-winning Stuck Rubber Baby, a coming of age story about a gay man growing up in the South during the civil rights movement.
"I put a lot of my heart and soul into this graphic novel," he said. "It includes both aspects from my youth and incidents from my life. Stuck Rubber Baby was part of an individual vision I had, and I knew that it was a wonderful opportunity to be able to write such a wonderful story."
Not only has Cruse been acknowledged for positively portraying his lifestyle in his work, but he has also been given several awards for his innovative comic writing. He was a finalist for two awards, an American Library Association Gay/Lesbian Fiction Award and a Lambda Literary Award. He also won numerous other awards for his works, which include Eisner and Harvey Awards for Stuck Rubber Baby, plus a United Kingdom Comic Art Award and a British Comics Creators' Guild Award.
"His work resonates with all types of readers," Akin said. "He tells stories in a compelling and interesting way that is really different from many other cartoonists."
