STUCK RUBBER BABY 601
Th e third and fi nal volume of the series is the longest of the three, running from
issues 17 to 90. Moore intertwines the romantic and noir plots to keep the reader won-
dering about the future of the love triangle and the infl uence of the crime syndicate in
the characters’ lives. For diff erent reasons, David and Katchoo become the main play-
ers in the future of the criminal organization; at the same time, Francine falls in love
with a doctor and gets married. She seems destined to have the life her mother always
dreamed of for her; however, Francine’s miscarriage and David’s terminal tumor bring
the trio together again. Ultimately, David’s death pushes Francine and Katchoo to be
together. During this lengthy third volume, Moore pauses the main story line to tell
three other stories: the beginning of Katchoo and Francine’s friendship in high school;
David’s youth and the context of the crime he committed; and the story of Molly Lane,
a crime narrative that combines elements of terror, suspense, and some romance.
Strangers in Paradise is often described as a comic book to recommend to female
readers and non-comic-book readers. Th e reasons for this are that SiP features strong
and genuine female characters and develops a story line focused on the characters’ lives
and feelings. Th e presence of two main female protagonists has also drawn comparisons
to the Locas subnarrative of Love and Rockets. Th e artwork is presented in black and
white with the exception of the fi ve issues published by Homage. Currently, the only
pages available in color in the paperback editions are the ones drawn by Jim Lee for the
beginning of volume three. Th e length of SiP allows the reader to appreciate the devel-
opment of Moore’s art. From the fi rst issues, the reader sees his past eff orts to become
a newspaper strip cartoonist. Th is past reveals itself in the many comical pages where
Charles Schulz or Bill Watterson seem to have taken over Moore’s pencil. His drawing
style is realistic, clean, and highly eff ective at connecting the reader and the story. Th e
construction of the page is not fi xed, varying from a fairly regular six-panel grid to other
pages where Moore explores diff erent designs to evoke moods and express intense feel-
ings. A distinctive characteristic of SiP is Moore’s artistic use of long portions of text,
poetry, songs, and music notations to convey complex emotions and create a complete
experience.
Selected Bibliography: Moore, Terry. Strangers in Paradise: Treasury Edition. New
York: Perennials Currents, 2004; Moore, Terry. “ Terry Moore Interview.” Th e Comics
Journal ( June 2006): 60–99.
Lucia Cedeira Serantes
STUCK RUBBER BABY. First published under DC’s short-lived Paradox imprint, Stuck
Rubber Baby (1995) presents the story of Toland Polk, a southern white male coming
of age in the 1950s and 1960s. Written and illustrated by the underground cartoon-
ist Howard Cruse (1944–), the book off ers a multilayered account of race, class, and
homosexuality in the era of Eisenhower, Kennedy, and Johnson. Stuck Rubber Baby
was nominated for the American Library Association’s Gay and Lesbian Book Award
as well as the Lambda Literary Award, and was named Best Graphic Novel by the
