Bughouse Volume 1

By Steve Lafler

by Steve Lafler Set in an "insect noir" Manhattan of the early fifties, BugHouse is the tumultuous story of Tenor saxophonist, Jimmy Watts, as he leads his talented jazz band of "bugs" from the swing era into the uncharted maelstrom of Bop. Never before has the art of music felt more alive and real on the printed page. And never before has a more "human" portrait of drug addiction been depicted in comics.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1891830139
• ISBN13: 9781891830136
• Release Date: May 2000
• Publisher: Top Shelf Productions
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.1" x 9.1"
• Age Range: 16 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 11 and higher

Customer Reviews

Gimme some Bug Juice!

This graphic novel is great! The Booklist reviewer above compared Lafler's anthropomorphism to that of Maus. Not a bad sound bite, but while this book lacks the gravitas of Maus, it is thoroughly enjoyable as a Jazz age tale of addiction and redemption. Lafler's dialogue is spot-on, and his drawings are fantastic. He really sucks you into this alternate world and leaves you wanting more. The storyline(s) are nothing novel (substitute heroin or alcohol for bug juice and almost any addicted musician for the bugs and you get a familiar true life story) but his telling of the tale is fantastic. Once again, Top Shelf has given us something really worthy of addition to any collection of alternative comix. Buy this!