Series VII contains material from Howard Cruse's family, personal life, and education. Written work, school publications, and very early comic books produced by Cruse as a student at Indian Springs School are in this series. Cruse was an active member of the Indian Springs School alumni association throughout his life; as a result, the series also contains a significant amount of alumni newsletters and fundraising materials on the school's history dating from the 1970s through the 2010s. Material from Cruse's undergraduate years (1964-1968) at Birmingham-Southern College is also located in Series VII. These include posters he designed for the college's theatrical productions, mechanicals and clippings of the comic he published in the student newspaper, The Cruse Nest, and materials from the satirical newsletter he edited with Julie Brumlik, Granny Takes a Trip. Material from Cruse's years as an employee of the Birmingham, Alabama television station WBMG, as well as a group of drawings and other artworks created under the influence of LSD, is in this series. Finally, the series contains a pair of puppets made by Howard Cruse and his partner Don Higdon in 1971 or 1972.
Series VII contains the most photographs in the collection. They include a Cruse family photograph album from the 1940s, as well as photographs of Howard Cruse with his friends, family members, and romantic partners dating from the 1960s through the 1990s. Some of these photographs were taken at Pride parades and gay rights demonstrations in New York City in the 1980s and 1990s and at the 1987 March on Washington for Gay and Lesbian Rights.
Box 48 Folder 1-6
Cruse family photograph album, 1941-1954, 6 folders
Box 28 Folder 1
Childhood photographs, 1944-circa 1960
Some scanned and labeled with file names on verso.
Box 28 Folder 2
Family photographs, circa 1950s-2000s
Box 23 Folder 1
Indian Springs School publications: ISS MSS, 1955-1961
Student literary magazine
Box 23 Folder 2-3
Indian Springs School publications, 1955-1962, 2 folders
Box 23 Folder 4
Indian Springs School, 1958-1961
Box 27 Folder 8
ISSINFO, student newspaper at Indian Springs School, 1958-1962
Box 23 Folder 5
Indian Springs School memorabilia, 1959-1961
Box 53 Folder 9
Indian Springs Glee Club LP covers designed by Howard Cruse, circa 1960s, 1 folders
Box 23 Folder 6
Indian Springs School publications: Reuben Album, circa 1960
Cartoons about a dog by Howard Cruse
Box 23 Folder 7
Awards, 1958, 1985-2003
Box 28 Folder 3
Photographs of young Howie, circa 1960-1995
Box 86 Folder 3-4
Birmingham-Southern College Theatre posters, circa 1960s-1970s, 2 folders
Box 65 Folder 1
Birmingham, Alabama theatrical posters by Howard Cruse, circa 1960s-1970s, 1 folders
Box 23 Folder 8
Fooey magazine, 1961
Box 23 Folder 9
Sick magazine, 1965
Box 41 Folder 9
Birmingham Southern Hilltop News "The Cruse Nest" comics clippings, 1966-1967, 1 folders
Box 41 Folder 10
Birmingham Southern Hilltop News "The Cruse Nest" mechanicals, 1966-1967, 1 folders
Box 54 Folder 7
Granny masthead original art, circa 1969, 1 folders
Box 65 Folder 2
Watercolor of a young girl, 1969, 1 folders
Box 65 Folder 3
Watercolor of a young boy, 1969, 1 folders
Box 47 Folder 2
Full color artwork on board, circa 1970, 1 folders
Box 65 Folder 8-10
Early, unidentified inked art, circa 1970-1977, 3 folders
Some psychedelia, some illustrations.
Box 86 Folder 5
Psychedelic line art for Dracula poster, 1970, 1 folders
Box 23 Folder 10
Kirk Grunge, 1970, undated
Photostats of psychedelic art signed with Cruse's "Kirk" pseudonym.
Box 65 Folder 4-6
Art "drawn while tripping or inspired by acid", 1970, undated, 3 folders
Box 47 Folder 3-8
Art "drawn while tripping or inspired by acid", 1970-1971, undated, 6 folders
Full color, ink, pencil, and crayon line art.
Box 27 Folder 9
Photostats of art "drawn while tripping or inspired by acid", 1970-1971, undated, 1 folders
Box 88 Item 1
Sergeant Jack television show material, circa 1970-1973, 1 open reel videotapes (2")
WBMG-TV show to which Howard Cruse was a contributor
Box 88 Item 2
Animation and miscellany film, circa 1970-1973, 1 film reels (16mm)
Mapcase 15-L-7 Folder 11
Psychedelic line art, circa 1970-1974, 1 folders
One piece with collage photograph of Howard Cruse
Box 88 Item 3
"Cable Fable" animation for South Central Bell, by Howard Cruse at Luckie and Forney, circa 1970s, 1 film reels (Super 8)
Box 29
Handmade puppets: "Howard Cruse" by Don Higdon and "Georgeous O'Toole" by Howard Cruse, 1970, 1972
Box 65 Folder 7-8
Art by Don Higdon, 1970-1973, 2 folders
Box 28 Folder 5
Photographs with Don Higdon, 1971-1973, 1981
Box 65 Folder 9
Three full color psychedelic paintings on panels, 1972, 1 folders
Box 54 Folder 8
Cruse News family newsletter masthead, 1973, 1 folders
Box 86 Folder 6
Full color psychedelic art, 1973, 1 folders
Box 23 Folder 11-14
Indian Springs School alumni publications, 1972-2001, 4 folders
Box 88 Folder 25-26
Mike Lantrip, 1976, 2 audiocassettes
Tape 1: "65 Miles to Nashville," "Alabama Tag in Tucson," "It's Not LIke the Picture," and "Jimmy Joe" (lyrics by Howard Cruse). Tape 2: "Old," "Tonight Alone," "Life Passes By," "She's Gone," and "Jimmy Joe."
Box 28 Folder 6
Photographs of Howard Cruse by Walter Bachner, 1978
Box 27 Folder 10-11
Photographic Portraits taken by Wolff (Walter) Bachner in Return for Original Art, 1978
Box 28 Folder 7
Photographs with Eddie Sedarbaum, 1979-2010s
Box 28 Folder 10
Photographs and slides of Howard Cruse and Ed Sedarbaum by David Hutchison, circa 1980s
Box 28 Folder 11
Photographs with friends, 1980s-2000s
Box 54 Folder 9
Family Christmas card illustration, 1986, 1 folders
Box 28 Folder 13
Photographs of Howard Cruse by Tim Luddy, 1989
Box 28 Folder 14
Photographs of Howard Cruse by Gene Bagnato, circa 1990s
Box 87 Folder 10
Howie and Eddie's back to school party poster and George print, circa 1990s, 1 folders
Box 28 Folder 15
Photographs of Howard Cruse and Ed Sedarbaum by Lilyan Aloma, circa 1990s
Mapcase 15-L-7 Folder 10
Stephen Rolfe Powell "Peacock Cheeks Johnson" poster, circa 1990s, 1 folders
Box 88 Item 41
Kaypro translations, circa 1990s-2000s
Box 88 Item 34-35
Unlabeled discs, circa 1990s-2000s
Box 28 Folder 16
Nude photographs by Geoff Manasse, 1990
Box 23 Folder 15-16
Indian Springs School Development and Alumni publications and correspondence, 1993-1995, 2006, 2 folders
Box 47 Folder 9
Block print by John R. Benson of art by Howard Cruse, 1993, 1 folders
Box 28 Folder 18
Photographs of Pam, Kim (and Emily and Ethan), Raymond and Montanaro clan, 1994-2001
Box 28 Folder 19
Photographs of Howard Cruse by Robert Giard, 1995
Box 23 Folder 17
Birmingham Freaks: The Heritage of the Beat Generation
, 1995
MA thesis by Julie Caldwell
Box 23 Folder 18
Indian Springs School boarding controversy, 1999-2001
Box 61 Folder 19
Relief print, probably by John Benson, circa 2000s, 1 folders
Box 47 Folder 10
"Lulu considers a break in her diet" sketch, circa 2000s, 1 folders
Does not appear to be by Howard Cruse.
Lulu was Howard Cruse and Ed Sedarbaum's dog.
Box 23 Folder 19
Potluck / Second Sundays, 2004
Box 23 Folder 20
Who's Who In America, 2004
Box 24 Folder 1
Main Street Stage, 2004-2012
Box 24 Folder 2
Birmingham trip, 2008 November
For Birmingham-Southern College class reunion
Box 24 Folder 3
Samuel French Playwriting Competition, 2009-2010
Competition announcements only
Box 24 Folder 4
Grants: Taconic Foundation Boschen Fund, circa 2010
Box 24 Folder 5
Many Howies, 2010
Box 24 Folder 6
Howard Cruse Central, 2011
Website hosting information
Box 24 Folder 7
Notes about My Life, 2013
Timeline of events in Howard Cruse's life (personal and professional)
Box 45 Folder 7-10
Drawings from cartoonist friends for Howard Cruse's 70th birthday, 2014, 4 folders
Box 65 Folder 10
70th birthday poster from Keren and Richard Oberfield, 2014, 1 folders
Box 24 Folder 8
Brothers, Allan's 2015 birthday drawing, 2015
Box 24 Folder 9
Indian Springs School, 2017, 2019
Box 53 Folder 10
"Nyet!" Soviet propaganda poster reproduction, undated, 1 folders
Box 88 Item 8
Unidentified film reel, undated, 1 film reels (16mm)