The Love and Rockets Reader: From Hoppers to Palomar started as a series of
blog posts attempting to answer the deceptively simple question: “what
makes Love and Rockets so great?” Over the next six years, it quickly grew
into a meticulously researched study containing in-depth analysis of and
commentary on the series. Author Marc Sobel delves into the comics’
themes, symbols and influences, as well as the Hernandez Brothers’
artistic development.
Organized into seven main chapters, one for each of
the first seven Love and Rockets trade paperback collections (representing the
original Love and Rockets Vol. I), the book also includes: the comics’
origins in the Hernandez Brothers’ roots, such as their involvement in the
Southern California punk scene, their adventures in self-publishing, and their
vital partnership with Fantagraphics; an examination of the Hernandez
Brothers’ ill-fated Mister X (a science-fiction series) collaboration; a
review of Mario’s solo book, Brain Capers; and a paradigm-changing
analysis of Gilbert’s vastly underappreciated erotic graphic novel,
Birdland. As an “extra,” The Love and Rockets Reader also includes
Jaime’s very
first published work: the never-before-reprinted four-page
story, “Another Time, Another Place,” from 1977. An essential
resource for scholars and enthusiasts alike, this book will enlighten and deepen
even the most ardent fans’ appreciation of this groundbreaking
series.
