Love & Rockets, by Los Bros Hernandez

Spurred by the recent Previews episode from CGS, here are some thoughts on one of my all-time favorite comic series:  Love & Rockets.

Los Bros Hernandez--Jaime, Gilbert, along with Mario, at times--have crafted some of the most poignant, affecting, brilliant, and beautiful comics over their thirty-plus year careers. I didn't finally read L&R until the first giant omnibus came out, roughly ten years ago, collecting (to that point) Gilbert's Palomar stories. They. Are. Awesome. And, I would argue, the best way to introduce yourself to L&R. More soap operatic, telling the stories of myriad characters in the small, Mexican town of Palomar, Gilbert's early work in this series is more assured than his brother, Jaime's, whose earliest issues suffer a bit from strange anachronisms and a tendency to be wordy with his dialogue.

Which isn't to say the early Locas stories from Jaime are not enjoyable. He quickly finds his footing and launches into one of the most real friendships in all of comics, and, it could be argued, one of the best in all of literature. Hopey and Maggie fall in and out of love, struggle through hardships together, and apart, while continually moving forward, seeking answers about life and what it all means. (and if that sounds like hyperbole, there certainly is a pinch of that included, but, for the most part, I'd argue my description stands up)

The real strength of this series comes from its longevity. Jaime and Gilbert have taken each of their collections of characters and allowed them to grow old, to have families, to lose friends and loved ones, discover new friends, have adventures, feel pain and sorrow, and love and joy, and experience lives that feel genuine, feel real, feel lived in. And their age has not diluted their storytelling abilities on bit. One of the most heartfelt and heartbreaking moments came a few years ago, in Jaime's "Browntown," which was built on the stories that had come before. It was an amazing piece of comic storytelling and comic art, that could not have been done without the accumulation of stories, over the prior decades, that came before. It was an exclamation point, driven into readers' (or, at least, my own) heart(s), and it's one of those handful of comics stories that has stuck with me, since I read it.

But it's not just their storytelling. Jaime & Gilbert are two of the best cartoonists working today, and two of the best ever, in my opinion. Their ability to evoke emotion and replicate body language utilizing an economy of line is beyond impressive. This, to me, is some of the most beautiful artwork I've seen in comics. Really incredible.

Now, I know it can be daunting to start a book that has this much history (see: Cerebus). But Fantagraphics has a page that can help you find where to start reading, here.

And the collections they've done for Gilbert & Jaime's work are great--a good size, with a healthy collection of stories, at a good price. Well worth picking up, here. Or on Amazon or at In Stock Trades. Or, if you want, see if your local library can request them for you through their Interlibrary Loan department, which allows libraries to borrow items from other libraries, across the country.

These are, seriously, some of the best comics ever made. Do yourself the favor of seeking them out and reading them. Now.

-chris

NEW COMICS: Love & Rockets (New Stories) #4

I came late to the party where Love & Rockets is concerned. But, thanks to my wonderful wife, I got introduced to the amazing cartooning of Los Bros Hernandez the right way when she bought me the omnibus editions of Palomar and then Locas a few years back. From page one of Beto's Palomar stories (which came out a year before Jaime's Locas collection), I was hooked.


At that point, Fantagraphics was producing volume II of L&R, in a smaller comic-sized format. I got all 20 of those issues and have continued on with volume III, which offers new stories from these master cartoonists in annual 100-page chunks, with Jaime and Gilbert each taking roughly half of each book.



If you have never read Love & Rockets, and you are a fan of great comics or just great storytelling, you need to remedy that situation. There are few cartoonists working today of this caliber. Their stories are poignant or fanciful or cute or heartbreaking or involve any number of emotions along one's mental spectrum. And their simple, yet elegant art (with Beto having a softer, more rounded look to Jaime's very precise, sharper lines) illuminate these stories so perfectly.


The Hernandez Brothers (including, from time to time, Mario) are also pioneers in graphic storytelling, utilizing the page and its inherent rhythms and boundaries to evoke these emotions and tell their stories in new and inventive ways, despite having done this for nearly three decades. It is a testament to their mastery of the medium that, with this latest iteration of Love & Rockets, one still finds something new within their work to be amazed at.

For example, take a look at this double-page spread encapsulating the relationship between Maggie and Ray through the years. Simply brilliant:



And, if you want, here are those two pages at a larger size, for a better comparison:






In particular, the work of Jaime in these last two installments of the "New Love & Rockets" has been breathtaking. In issue #3, he ripped my heart out with the understated narrative he offered, illuminating facets of the Chascarrillo family (Maggie's family of Hopey & Maggie) that put many of his previous stories into a whole new light. It was an amazing, heartbreaking story full of very authentic emotions, but handled so deftly that it resonated more.


And Jaime followed that up with equally heartfelt and emotional chapters of Maggie's story in this latest issue. The way he continues to tell these characters' stories - while also allowing them to actually grow old and evolve into similar, yet new, characters - and add more to what has come before without it growing stale is a joy to experience.



Gilbert's offerings in this volume are equally enjoyable, if less "earth-shattering." In recent years, Beto has been enjoying recounting the B-movies of his character Rosalba "Fritz" Martinez. They are fun, over-the-top, stories that allow Beto to show a fanciful side, which has always been present in his work. But I don't want to downplay his contributions. The beauty of these stories has been the little bits of humanity lurking beneath the slick veneer of the main narrative. The moments when we see Fritz away from the movie set, able to be human and relate her own feelings and dreams. These are the gems that elevate his recent narratives.



The humanity and the artistry found between the covers of any Love & Rockets book is a wonder to behold. Every new edition jumps to the top of my to-read pile, even trumping the novels I may be reading at the time. And this newest iteration of Love & Rockets is a nice hefty package that affords Los Bros Hernandez to produce longer works that keep them invested in the material, which was part of the reason for the change in format. The subtle differences in art style, along with the different stories each brother wants to tell (and did I mention that Jaime was producing a superhero story with his characters in the initial two issues of the "New Love & Rockets"?) provides a nice balance within each issue.


You cannot go wrong with Los Bros Hernandez and Love & Rockets. Seek it out. Now. You won't regret it.

chris

FYC Replay: Chance in Hell by Gilbert Hernandez

Another of my columns from late 2007. This one was a big deal for me because I am such a fan of Love & Rockets. Though I came to the book late (not until the oversized omnibi of Jaime's & Beto's work were published by Fantagraphics), I quickly became a huge fan, especially of Beto's Palomar stories. The way he and his brother use the comic page to tell a story - it's really like no one else - and their cartooning is second to none. Pared down, beautiful drawings with poignant and moving narratives. Los Bros Hernandez are deservedly revered, and they exemplify the best of what is possible in the comics medium.

FRONT PAGE: Since 1982, Gilbert Hernandez – along with brothers Jaime and Mario – has been creating beautifully human stories with a wide cast of characters in the comic Love & Rockets. His latest book, Chance in Hell, is his second long-form graphic novel, and the first to be published by Fantagraphics, the publishing home of L & R. A challenging book replete with the distinctive characters and lush brushwork that are Hernandez’s trademarks, this book is an important step in the evolution of one of the seminal cartoonists working today.

The 411:

Chance in Hell

Art & Story by Gilbert Hernandez

120 pages, black and white

HC: $16.95

Fantagraphics Books

What It Is (with apologies to Dave the Thune):

Empress is a little girl living in the wastes outside of the city. A place where the refuse of society are left to make their way the best they can, most everyone inhabiting this cesspool were orphaned years ago, left by parents who didn’t care enough to keep them, and Empress is no exception. Scavenging for food in the mountains of trash that spot the barren landscape, the young girl is also a target as the older boys and men prey upon her innocence, raping her as payment for temporary shelter.

Eventually, Empress finds someone she can trust. Both Soldier, a roving vigilante with a semi-automatic weapon, as well as the leader of one of the many packs of boys running around take it upon themselves to watch over her. They do this not for their own selfish gains, but out of an inherent morality and sensitivity to her helplessness.

This is a unique attitude. For the most part, the people consigned to these wastes care little for anyone outside their own spheres. Meanwhile, those in the city complain of the stench emanating from this sad piece of geography. It is an unpleasant existence, full of pain and hunger and bloodshed. Despite all this, Empress still retains a sense of hope, proclaiming to any man within earshot the two words, “my daddy,” searching for that which she has been denied.

In a cruel twist of fate, when Empress walks off from the boy who pledged to protect her, he panics. Running back to their makeshift shelter, he crosses paths with Soldier, who joins him. Arriving upon a scene they misinterpret – believing the boy standing over Empress was forcing himself upon her – Soldier raises his gun and pulls the trigger, leading to a bloodbath that not only sees the death of this boy, but also of Soldier and three more including the one who was looking out for Empress.

Empress is the only one left unharmed, and she is snatched up by a man that had been wandering around and spoken to her earlier. A literature professor from the city, he grew up close to where the carnage ensued and is one of the few that actually survived the wastes and made something of himself. His reason for taking Empress is to offer her the opportunities he has been afforded. And so, the young girl takes up residence with the professor where she learns more than could have ever been expected out in the wastes. But some of the lessons acquired will lead to tragedy later in her life, something to which Empress has become readily accustomed.

Gilbert Hernandez is a master storyteller, and within the comics medium, his work – along with that of his brothers, Jaime and Mario – has paved the way for more adventurous writers and artists to bring their own visions to the printed page. Eschewing any accepted “rules” of writing, his work feels organic in a manner that very few artists’ do. Like life, his tales are sprinkled with random bits of kindness or pain punctuating generally quiet narratives. Hernandez’s stories wend their way through the pages of his comics with scenes ending in the middle of a page and transitions that are unexpected, but these detours from convention are always in service to the story, allowing it to progress naturally toward its end.

As with any good writer, Hernandez understands that the best drama comes from interesting characters. He does not try to force any tensions into his narratives, but instead exults in the very human moments that all of us experience on a daily basis. Eschewing the over-the-top plotting that hampers so many comics, his stories come alive with a vibrancy and honesty that is all too often lacking in much of today’s fiction – whether it be prose or comics.

Hernandez’s writing is matched equally by his artwork. With a pared-down style that is smooth and lush, he has perfected an ideal that allows him to convey his stories to a wide audience. His clean, unfettered artwork allows readers to project themselves onto the characters, affording them an opportunity to fall into his stories in a manner that a more rigid and photo-realistic style could not. In this way, he engages his audience early, and holds their attention with the subtle artistry of his writing. Hernandez’s fluid storytelling is aided greatly by his elegant art style, which evokes more emotion through a single sweep of his brush than a thousand cross-hatchings on the most rendered image.

Chance in Hell is a visually stunning book that challenges its readers with a story that does not fit neatly into any genre. A book that forces readers to think and ask questions, this is a disturbingly tragic story that is still able to engage its readers. It is a book that dares to walk over the edge of what is expected, and with an able guide such as Gilbert Hernandez, one can be sure of landing softly as the ground swiftly approaches.

An Interview with Gilbert Hernandez:

Chris Beckett: Why comics? What was it that attracted you to this storytelling medium and has kept you motivated for the last twenty-five years?

Gilbert Hernandez: I was born with a comic book in my hand. My older brother Mario collected comics since I could remember. Our mother collected comics when she was a kid, so she thought it was ok for us to read them. I can't imagine life without comics. That's the first reason I do them myself, the other reason is the medium lends to self expression like no other for me.

Beckett: Where did the inspiration for Chance in Hell come from?

Hernandez: I'd been wanting to do graphic novels for years, but the intense workload of serializing stories in Love and Rockets didn't allow me much time for outside projects. I've ended the serials in L&R, giving me room to experiment more. Chance in Hell is the first long, self contained story I've been left alone to do. Being the first in a series of books, I wanted it to grab the readers and have them wanting more. The jury's still out on that one.

The story itself was something I wanted to do for years, but I never felt I was ready for it. A story where almost nothing good happens yet the reader is still engaged. An anti-feel good story, but where you can still care.

Beckett: The way in which you tell a story seems so effortless, sometimes flowing along in what feels like a random manner – just like life. When working on a story, particularly a longer work like Chance in Hell, what is your creative process like?

Hernandez: I work almost entirely intuitively, feeling the story out as I'm writing and sketching it at the same time. I rarely have an ending for any story I do, but one always comes by the time I need it. It's murder with proposals, though.

Beckett: The storytelling for Chance in Hell is decidedly different from the stories typically found within Love & Rockets. You allow the imagery to move the narrative along, and that final page seems to come out of nowhere, leaving it open for more than one interpretation. Were you conscious of this as you worked on the book, and what did you hope to accomplish with Chance in Hell?

Hernandez: My goal as an artist is always to entertain the adult reader, hopefully to stimulate and amuse and satisfy him with a work that is worth his time and money.

Beckett: What other projects are you working on that you would like to tell readers about?

Hernandez: The 2nd book in the series is called The Troublemakers, a tale of low trash grifters that are their own worst enemies.

The new format of L&R will be a 100 page annual. This way the reader can enjoy a more satisfying read without having to remember what happened last issue.

Speak of the Devil is a 6 issue mini series from Dark Horse that is about a girl peeping tom and how her escapades evolve into some pretty serious violence. This will be my first real horror story and will test the readers' tolerance.

Jaime Hernandez knows comic art

I finished reading the latest edition of Love & Rockets: New Stories last week and, as always, was amazed. Gilbert and Jaime are masters of the medium. Beautiful art, simple yet poignant narratives, characters that have evolved as their creators have grown, and stories that build on one another, though it may not be evident until years down the road. I didn't come to the L&R universe until the first oversized collection from Fantagraphics, Palomar, and after that, I was all in.

I was very anxious to receive this book, as Jaime's offerings in this third annual issue were being touted as possibly the best work of his career. Though I've read most of his L&R work, I am not as familiar with it as I would like, so I can't say one way or the other. But I can say that "Browntown," which is the centerpiece here, and "The Love Bunglers" parts one and two are incredibly moving tales. Jaime eases you into the narrative, showcasing fairly simple situations from the Chascarillo family's history. And then, he punches you in the gut with the core of his narrative, which ripples out across all of the stories involving Maggie, in particular, and Hopey by default. "Browntown" is a story that will make you uncomfortable, will make you angry, and will make you cry, all in the course of thirty pages. Jaime really is at the top of his game.

And, as a small sample, here's a detail from one of the story's pages, which showcases how effortlessly Jaime seems able to convey emotion through his artwork. In this 3-panel tier we see young Maggie come to a horrific realization. With little dialogue or its proper context, I expect you can tell what has happened.

And in the details of the first and third panels below, you can see how Jaime so perfectly captures the emotions we wear on our faces every day. Just a few lines, and a slight modification to Maggie’s mouth and eyes, and we feel what she feels.

chris