This "what if" take on mid-century Manhattan is the jolly conceit of cartoonist Steve Lafler in 1956 Movie Star—enjoy as you lean into that transcendent Coltrane solo over a martini just past midnight in New York City, smack in the center of 1956.

Meet Susie and Jack, wholesale buyers for the McCurdy's chain of Department stores. These two are gunning for the same job: Chief Buyer. Of course the friendly rivals make the classic mistake: They hop in bed together!

Susie and Jack's fates become entwined with a pair of talented young women, Ramona Lopez and Nikki Garcia. Ramona is an aspiring transgender model & actor. Nikki is writing a draft of her first novel. These ambitious Latinas strive to leave the mean streets behind.

Praise for 1956 Book One: Sweet Sweet Little Ramona:

“The really remarkable thing, though, is that despite some of this book’s admittedly lurid subject matter (our boys from the buying office do not behave themselves), there’s an elegance to it all, even a romanticism. A lot of that is down to Lafler’s admittedly gorgeous and smooth line, his attention to detail seldom wavering — but part of it’s also down to the narrative tone he adopts, most evident in the layer of mystery he shrouds his lead character with and the rich atmosphere he positively soaks the jazz world in.”

            — Ryan Carey, Four Color Apocalypse

Published by Cat Head Comics

 6" x 9", 72 pages. $12.99
Full-color covers with b+w interior. Perfect-bound