Steve Lafler launched his opening cartooning salvo with Mean Cat several decades ago, a comic book brimming with energetic surrealism fronted with a garish purple and pink screenprint cover. Ever the maverick marching to his own beat, this comics auteur enjoyed long runs of his improvised Dog Boy comic book, as well as the jaunty, unhinged Buzzard anthology. Lafler has several graphic novels to his credit, notably BugHouse From the Top, a history of bebop jazz realized with an all-insect cast.