'Love and Rockets': Documentary celebrates sci-fi comic book created by Oxnard natives
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A new documentary showcases 40 years of "Love and Rockets," an alternative comic book series written and drawn by Oxnard natives Gilbert and Jaime Hernandez.
"Love and Rockets: The Great American Comic Book" aired on Oct. 5 on donor-supported KCET as part of the Emmy award-winning arts and culture series ARTBOUND. The nearly hour-long documentary can be viewed on YouTube or at kcet.org/shows/artbound/episodes/love-rockets.
At a young age, the Hernandez brothers became absorbed in the world of comic books. Born and raised in Oxnard in the 1950s and 1960s, they grew up in what's referred to as the Silver Age of comic books. During that time, the art form saw renewed popularity.
Their older brother, Mario, collected as many comics as he could, which the rest of the household read.
The brothers read the popular superhero genre, but Gilbert and Jaime Hernandez said in the documentary they were drawn to comics that depicted the life of an average American family, such as "Dennis the Menace" and the "Adventures of Little Archie."
The colorful panels and action-packed stories inspired Mario, Gilbert and Jaime Hernandez to draw their own comics. Gilbert Hernandez said he was 5 when he drew his first comic.
“We did them for ourselves, for our entertainment,” he said. “We just kept going, and most of the time, we just kept drawing and made comics.”
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The three brothers practiced through the 1970s, and in 1981, they self-published the first issue of "Love and Rockets." It featured original artwork and science fiction stories where characters battled giant monsters.
Two of Jaime Hernandez’s most well known characters, Maggie and Hopey, also made their first appearance.
The first issue was republished in the summer of 1982 by Fantagraphics. The company continues to publish "Love and Rockets" to this day.
In time, Mario Hernandez became less involved with the comic, only making sporadic contributions for special editions. Meanwhile, Gilbert and Jaime kept churning out the issues.
"Love and Rockets" slowly moved away from science fiction elements over the years and instead focused on the relationships between the characters.
“The people love the characters and interactions,” Gilbert Hernandez said. “They were different from mainstream comics and television.”
Gilbert Hernandez’s stories featured characters in the fictional Central American village of Palomar, while Jaime Hernandez’s focused on characters Maggie and Hopey and the American punk rock scene.
Love and Rockets’ characters also aged, allowing readers to grow up with the series and watch their beloved heroes go through similar life experiences.
Gilbert Hernandez said he and his brother will continue writing and drawing "Love and Rockets" for at least another 10 years so the comic book series can celebrate its 50th anniversary.
Brian J. Varela covers Oxnard, Port Hueneme and Camarillo. He can be reached at brian.varela@vcstar.com or 805-477-8014. You can also find him on Twitter @BrianVarela805.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: KCET documentary celebrates comic book 'Love and Rockets'
