Jonk!: A Bughouse Fable

Steve Lafler’s Jonk!: A Bughouse Fable, launched by Cat-Head Comics in 1998, is a single-issue, self-contained graphic novella that blends jazz-age rhythms with a surreal, beatnik fable. Lafler, the sole writer and artist, crafts a visually kinetic tale of a cat named Jonk navigating a world of smoky clubs, eccentric characters, and existential whimsy. This debut stands as a distinctive artifact of 1990s alternative comics, showcasing Lafler’s signature loose, expressive linework and his fascination with music and counterculture.