So glad to see this modern classic back in print - an essential read for anyone interested in some of the more chilling parts of modern US history. Eye-opening, authentic, heart-wrenching, made all the more immediate through the graphic novel medium.

I was blown away by this book. The art is amazing - the crosshatching and period detail are so immersive and this is a style you really don't see today. Realizing he drew all this with a pen blew my mind. And the story was even more powerful - a look at homophobia (internalized and systematic) in the civil rights era deep south in a fictionalized Birmingham, Alabama was amazing. Juxtaposing the personal with the political, homophobia with racism, the well meaning white closeted protagonist with his friends who are so much more active (and have so much more to lose), the happiness with utter dejection and tragedy made this an incredibly powerful story. And reading it when I did, during the 2020 election year, it was a nice reminder that what looks simple and inevitable in retrospect was a result of messy stops, starts, setbacks, arguments, and a hell of a lot of individuals persevering and working and dealing with crap and overcoming. The work is hard and not always personally safe or gratifying or easy, but things can't change without the work and friends and allies.

Howard Cruse is a very significant figure in underground comix and this collection is a great way to bring the work to a modern audience. The Civil Rights in the south and LGBTQ topic matter is just as important now. In fact the protest scenes could be in contemporary America. It is quite a long read and dry at times, but the art is evocative and gives each person an identity.

Stuck Rubber Baby by Howard Cruse is a coming of age graphic novel set in small-town America during the Civil Rights movement. Toland Polk, the son of a Southern carpenter, must navigate his own “otherness” as a gay man as the fictional town of Clayfield fights, some for and some against, segregation.

Things that worked for me:
The line work and art style is bold and suited to the era of the story (but I would recommend reading a physical copy of this book and not an ebook).
I was initially weary of reading about a white male protagonist and his involvement in such an important moment in history, but did appreciate Cruse’s characterization of Toland as he grew - he was able to reflect on his self-centeredness as an older man. Toland is not written as a white savior, but a participant and observer of the movement, both conflicts woven together in a way that was complementary.
The examination of the relationship between race and sexuality.
The “memoir” feel to the writing.
I would recommend this to any reader interested in the graphic novel medium, especially foundational works.

Things that didn’t:
There are many characters and a lot going on besides Toland’s journey, and the historical moment, which was difficult to keep track of at times without rereading.
While the art style wasn’t bothersome to me, I would check it out before picking this piece up.

Thank you to NetGalley and First Second publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is the story of Toland, a teen growing up in the South during the "Kennedy Times". He gets drafted to the Vietnam War, but when he checks the box for "homosexual," his life changes drastically. There are a lot of time jumps forward and backward that make the narrative slightly hard to follow. There is also masterbation and nudity as Toland struggles to be straight even though he's not. The illustrations are very cartoony. There are large amounts of text on every page that detract from the illustrations at times.

It couldn’t be a more appropriate time for this one.. Cruse takes the reader back to the 1960s, the era of unrest and activism regarding the Vietnam War and civil rights for Blacks. He skillfully weaves these issues into the main character’s narrative of coming of age and coming out as a gay man. Perhaps due the choice to cover all of these areas with genuine detail, the book runs quite long for a graphic novel. At times I feel it moves too slowly, and the power of the critical topics tends to get lost in that pacing. There is a real danger of readers losing interest. Strengths and weaknesses are about equal for me in this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and First Second publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was thrilled for the first 3/4 of the book, which is not to say that I didn't like the last fourth of it, though. The memoir just never seems to really wrap up, or leave you hanging. It leaves you confused as to why that is the ending, and never really explains some essential things (like who is the other narrator?)

The art is fantastic. I agree with some other readers that some of the pages are a bit cluttered, but I appreciate his animated-realistic style. While this doesn't top "Fun Home" in the graphic memoir category, there were definite times where I enjoyed it equally as much.