Dog Boy

Dog Boy is Steve Lafler's underground-flavored alternative comics character, an oddball figure with a distinctly countercultural sensibility who starred in his own self-titled Fantagraphics series and appeared in anthologies including Critters and Centrifugal Bumble-Puppy.

Few characters capture the freewheeling spirit of early Fantagraphics quite like Dog Boy, who bounded onto the alternative comics scene in 1983 courtesy of creator Steve Lafler. A Bronze Age original with a distinctly underground sensibility, this oddball figure found a home in eclectic anthologies like Critters and Centrifugal Bumble-Puppy alongside his own self-titled series. The fact that Lafler kept returning to the character across a remarkable 24-year span — stretching all the way to 2007 — speaks to a stubborn, endearing vitality that outlasted countless trendier concepts. For collectors drawn to the wilder, more personal corners of the comics medium, Dog Boy is a genuine artifact of indie publishing at its most inventive.