Guernica Interview: Gilbert Hernandez: I Saw My Neighborhood as the World

I'm a big Gilbert fan -of course, Jaime, too!- so I know what I'll be reading this evening!

*****************************************************************************8

The elder statesman of alt comix looks back on the legendary series he co-created, Love and Rockets.

Gilbert Hernandez
Photo courtesy of Carol Kovinick Hernandez.
In 1981, at a time when the comics landscape consisted mainly of children’s, superhero, and genre comics, Gilbert, Jaime, and Mario Hernandez revitalized the medium with their character-driven tales of life in California and Mexico in their series Love and Rockets. A mashup of superheroes, sci-fi, and sometimes romance, the work of Los Bros Hernandez, as they’re often known, signaled a significant transition in comics, one that expanded the possibilities of the form and revealed not only that comics need not be solely for children but also that the medium could offer emotionally nuanced and keenly observed literary narratives.

Love and Rockets, published by Fantagraphics, was principally produced by Gilbert and Jaime. Whereas Jaime tapped into LA punk culture, Gilbert focused on more universal motifs: coming-of-age, familial drama, and romantic love in the mythical village of Palomar. The Mexican American brothers featured Latino and Latina characters in their comics at a time when the industry was comprised almost entirely of white men. In Love and Rockets, Gilbert introduced one of the most memorable and complex female characters of the era–the fierce Luba, whose matriarchal presence invigorated Palomar and, more broadly, the world of independent comics.

You can read the full interview here: https://www.guernicamag.com/daily/gilbert-hernandez-i-saw-my-neighborhood-as-the-world/