Thirty Years of Love and Rockets

I arrived at the party just slightly late, discovering Love and Rockets upon the 1983 publication of its third issue, but I've been at the front of the fan line ever since. Back in those early 1980s this creation of the Hernandez Brothers was not nearly as well known as it has come to be, and I tried to do what I could to spread the word. Up above I am happy to share for the first time in many years my drawing of Maggie the Mechanic as it appeared in my commentoonie published in 1984's The Buyer's Guide for Comic Fandom #539.

Fantagraphics was promoting heavily at last week's San Diego Comicon that 2012 marks the thirtieth anniversary of Love and Rockets, and rightly so. Gary Groth and his associates have enriched the world of comics by publishing this masterpiece for all these years. By the way, the publisher has tweeted out a website where the writer Sean T. Collins blogged effusively every day for a week about all things L & R and you might enjoy taking a look.

Do you know, though, that new Love and Rockets stories are being published currently? Way to keep a secret, guys. How this flew under my radar I can't begin to guess, but it is my pleasure to once again climb to the summit and proclaim the Hernandez glory. Love and Rockets: New Stories began being published annually in 2008, though I discovered it only a couple of months ago! Late to the party again, but at least I have my foot in the door. 

Jaime, Gilbert, Mario, everything that ever drew you Love and Rockets is up and running again. And plenty of it! Four issues have been published so far (with number 5 due this fall) and each one is over 100 squarebound pages. Honestly I prefer this hefty and solid format to even the magazine-sized format that started it all. Now that I've joined the party again, I hope I'll see you over there.