BugHouse (Top Shelf)

(Top Shelf, 2000, 2002, 2005)
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Many good writers are adept at creating and developing strong and well-rounded characters; after all, more often than not, great characterization makes for great stories. But there are other aspects that are often overlooked by even some of the best writers. How many stories are set in present-day New York, for example, solely for the reason of convenience—or even laziness?

Creator Steve Lafler gives the setting a little more thought than that; he not only has a love for his characters, but their surroundings, as well. Carefully choosing the locale, era, and backdrop, Lafler concocts a rich blend of a story that’s far more fascinating than it could have been otherwise. Seasoned with elements of Mexican culture, 1950s gangsters, and the self-proclaimed “jazz-noir” scene, Baja is a story that would have succeeded solely on the merits of its already–rich characters.

For the record, the story’s main character is a small–time jazz bassist named Bones who’s on the lam and hiding in Mexico. Things start out bad but begin to look better when he falls in love and better still when his music gig starts to take off. Lafler’s characters are easily recognizable due to his odd anthropomorphic melding of insectoid heads and human bodies. But his characters are unique in every sense of the word. So is this novel.

— Jim Johnson

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#2

February, 2002
Cover Price: $9.95
1 copy available for $14.99

Steve Lafler