Howard Cruse è stato un fumettista alternativo americano noto per la sua esplorazione di temi gay nei suoi fumetti. Il suo lavoro spesso approfondiva la ricerca di identità e appartenenza all'interno della società in generale. Cruse ha utilizzato il suo stile visivo unico e il suo approccio satirico per indagare le complessità delle relazioni umane e delle norme sociali. È stato un pioniere nel rappresentare la vita queer e la sua influenza sui fumetti che trattano temi LGBTQ+ è innegabile.
Just in time for its twenty-fifth anniversary, First Second is republishing Howard Cruse's groundbreaking intersectional graphic novel about coming out and finding your voice during the civil rights movement.
As a young gay man leading a closeted life in the 1960s American South, Toland Polk tries his best to keep a low profile. He’s aware of the racial injustice all around him—the segregationist politicians, the corrupt cops, the violent Klan members—but he feels powerless to make a difference. That all changes when he crosses paths with an impassioned coed named Ginger Raines.Ginger introduces him to a lively and diverse group of civil rights activists, folk singers, and night club performers—men and women who live authentically despite the conformist values of their hometown. Emboldened by this new community, Toland joins the local protests and even finds the courage to venture into a gay bar.No longer content to stay on the sidelines, Toland joins his friends as they fight against bigotry. But in Clayfield, Alabama, that can be dangerous—even deadly.