Gilbert Hernandez Please Make This Crazy F***ed-up 1970s Kids Show into a Comic

video via

This is "Outerscope" a puppet-serial aired in the 70s during the VEGETABLE SOUP program on PBS.  I remember the later less-nightmarish version vividly, probably having buried the above version deep in my subconscious.  It was about a group of ethnically diverse kids having adventures in a spaceship they built in an old junkyard or vacant lot, can't recall exactly. What a great all-ages sci-fi, horror comic this would make if adapted into comics by Gilbert Hernandez.

According to tvrage VEGETABLE SOUP aired weekdays from September 1975 to December 1978. Here's a blog post by Nick Sagan that covers some history of VEGETABLE SOUP, "Outerscope," and, "Outerscope 2." This page from IMDBpro provides some names of perpetrators...er, people that contributed to the VEGETABLE SOUP program.

Love and Rockets Links: August edition

image via

review: Greg McElhatton reviews FATIMA 1 for Comic Book Resources.
review: Charles Meier reviews FATIMA 1 for Darling Dork.
review: JK Parkin at Robot 6 gives us three views of FATIMA 1.
review: John Kane of "Savage Critics" reviews FATIMA 1 and 2.
preview: cover and six pages of FATIMA 1 on The Beat. Only Gilbert could be compared, in the same post,  to Jodorowsky, Russ Meyers, Roger Corman, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, and Fletcher Hanks.
review: Tucker Stone reviews LOVE AND ROCKETS NEW STORIES 5 on tcj.com, he says the Fuck word so watch out.

music: Jen Vaughn of Flog Blog links to music playlists for Jaime's Locas and Gilbert's Palomar.
Love: Jade at the Drawn and Quarterly Bookstore blog, "211 Bernard," shares her prized copy of LRNS 5 signed by all three Hernandez brothers, and a some great Love and Rockets shelf porn from the store!
inspiration: Leela Corman says, in an interview with The Millions, the Hernandez brothers are an influence on her, and her new book UNTERZAKHN.
inspiration: Joseph Lambert shares a panel from his story in NOBROW 7 which was inspired by a panel from Jaime's "Bay of Threes."

scholarly: Derek Royal's "The Hernandez Brothers' Love and Rockets" academic paper can be found here, download requires login via academia.edu or facebook, though.

clarification: Scott Dunbier said at Comic Con that "Jaime Hernandez turned me down" on the question of doing one of those IDW Artist's Editions on his work, sorry for not catching that for our last links edition. I'd love to beg until Jaime relented as his work looks so much better the bigger it's reproduced, but I really couldn't afford that sort of book. anyway. 

twitter: @amandecherie shares links to that NPR Jaime story, the tweet is in French so that's pretty much why I'm linking.
twitter: Sean P. Belcher tweet links to our book release post.  Hmm...if I link to a tweet that links to the blog from which I'm linking will the internet explode?  Hey kids, click here and find out!
twitter: the mysterious lady cosplayed as Boot Angel at Comic Con has identified herself.
twitter: KH Perkins asks a good question.  Maybe he talks to much about baseball and hemorrhoids in his tweets.
twitter: Jaime's wife tweet links that NPR Jaime story, and Jaime's Comic Con memories news story.
twitter: a couple folks had this Locas trailer from @gal_editora posted on twitter, here's Mauricio Muniz's well-backgrounded posting. Oh, here's another one from Mauricio.
twitter: Jordan Crane + Jaime Hernandez. Why haven't you clicked on the link yet??
twitter: Melanie B. Glover: a hometown fan of Jaime and Locas.
twitter: not a fan of not Jaime.
twitter: news of Gal Editora's Brazillian edition of LOCAS: MAGGIE, A MECANICA, 152 pages, 21x26cm dimensions.
twitter: Eva Marie Saavedra links to a list of "writers of color" on which is the great Gilbert. Sounds vaguely racist to me, but I guess it's meant well.
twitter: John Linton Roberson endorses Gilbert's BIRDLAND.
twitter: Tom Spurgeon is hilarious, and he's the only person to become more well-known after leaving The Comics Journal editorial board.  Well, there's Tom Heintjes and frickin' Frank Young, and...shutting up now.
twitter: this is creepy.
twitter: Oli Arditi writes of his love for Gilbert's work.
twitter: Missed it. Sean T. Collins tweet links to his review of FATIMA 1 at tcj.com, it's a good one.
twitter: Michael DeForge tweets his thoughts on Gilbert's work.

Gilbert and Jaime Hernandez Book Release Dates 2012-13

*Gilbert Hernadez THE ADVENTURES OF VENUS now in stock at Fantagraphics. video via

*Jaime Herandez GOD AND SCIENCE now in stock at Fantagraphics. video via
*Gilbert Hernandez MARBLE SEASON due October 2 as per amazon.com

via

*Gilbert and Jaime Hernandez LOVE AND ROCKETS NEW STORIES 5 due October 5 as per amazon.com; due in September and available for pre-order now from Fantagraphics

via

*Jaime Hernandez (excerpt only) BEST AMERICAN COMICS 2012 due October as per Jen Vaughn on Flog Blog
*Marc Sobel THE LOVE AND ROCKETS READER: FROM HOPPERS TO PALOMAR due October 24 as per amazon.com; due tentatively Ocotber 24 as per Fantagraphics
*Gilbert and Jaime Hernandez LOVE AND ROCKETS: THE COVERS due November 21 as per amazon.com; due tentatively November 21 as per Fantagraphics
*Marc Sobel and Kristy Valenti LOVE AND ROCKETS COMPANION: 30 YEARS AND COUNTING due December 21 as per amazon.com; due tentatively September 26 as per Fantagraphics
*Gilbert Hernandez JULIO'S DAY due January 9, 2013 as per amazon.com; due tentatively December 7, 2012 as per Fantagraphics
*Gilbert Hernandez NEW TALES OF OLD PALOMAR (hardcover) due out April 10, 2013 as per amazon.com and comicsreporter.com
*Gilbert Hernandez and Jaime Hernandez PETER BAGGE'S OTHER STUFF due out April 13, 2013 as per amazon.com
*Jaime Hernandez and Todd Hignite THE ART OF JAIME HERNANDEZ available now as a digitial release on Comixology for only 12.99
*Gilbert Hernandez and Jaime Hernandez LOVE AND ROCKETS NEW STORIES 1-4 available now as digital releases from Comixology for 7.99 each

Thanks to Jacq Cohen at Fantagraphics for information regarding their upcoming 2012 Hernandez books.

Love and Rockets Links: Comic Con Overview

Photos: Nice photos and short bios of all three Hernandez brothers on the Special Guest list at the Comic Con website.
List: LA Times "Hero Complex" posts Jaime's "30 Memories from 30 Years of the big Con in San Diego.[...]"  My favorite is #27: "I remember when people were still friendly with Gary Groth." via Comic Reporter
List: Eric Reynolds shares his 30 years of San Diego Comic Con memories, including "Drunk late-night walks with Jaime back to the hotel."
Preview: Comic Book Resources gives us large-size scans of all the Love and Rockets 30th Anniversary t-shirts sold at Comic Con.
Analysis: On the Monday before Comic Con Tom Spurgeon wrote a great "Plea To My Peers" about how fellow comics reporters or reporters should write articles about Los Bros Hernandez and their 30 year legacy in conjuction with the "30th Anniversary" celebration of Love and Rockets and Los Bros.
Follow Up: Jen Vaughn posts links to all the Love and Rockets 30th Anniverary coverage on Flog Blog, an excellent effort (I'm Jealous).
Photos: Jen Vaughn posted many great Los Bros-themed photos from the Con on Flog Blog, including the Fantagraphics staff modeling those popular Love and Rockets t-shirts; Gilbert, Jaime, and Miss Hernandez at one of their signing marathons; screen shot of all three Hernandez Bros. on MTV; another signing with Gilbert and Jaime looking at Chris Duffy; the hated Matt Fraction showing off his LRNS 5, Gilbert sketch, Jacques Tardi book, AND copy of Gary Panter's Dal Tokyo (talent and good taste, what's wrong with this guy!); the only Love and Rockets costumed fan in history, a perfect Boot Angel outfit; and, finally, a nice shot of Jaime and cartoonist Ed Piskor.
Tribute: @TheSindiecate tweet links to a Coleen Coover Gilbert tribute for Love and Rockets 30th Anniversary at Comic Con.
Tribute: Marc Palm tweets a link to the original art to his Jaime tribute for the Comic Con program book. Nice work, @swellzombie.
News: "Celebrating 30 Years of Love and Rockets at Comic-Con International" press release written by Jen Vaughn detailing all the various events and merchandise connected to this anniversary.
News: For history's sake here are all the Los Bros signings scheduled for the Love and Rockets 30th Anniversary celebration at Comic Con. press release by Janice Headley on Flog Blog.

• Wednesday 7:00pm-8:00pm GNM
• Thursday 12:00pm-2:00pm GNJM
• Thursday 3:30pm-5:30pm GNJM
• Friday 10:30am-12:00pm GNJM
• Friday 2:00pm-3:30pm GNJM
• Saturday 11:00am-12:30pm GNJM
• Saturday 3:00pm-5:00pm GNJM
• Sunday 11:30am-1:30pm GNJM

News: Preview Night (Wednesday) at Comic Con with Tom Spurgeon has him hearing from Fantagraphics that Love and Rockets products were a good seller that night.
News: Publishers Weekly's Calvin Reid writes about Comic Con Preview night.
Weird: Jen Vaughn has the dreaded "meat sweats" with Jacq Cohen and Gilbert at Comic Con Preview night.
Photo: Fantagraphics posts a good photo of Mario and Gilbert at Comic Con Preview night.
Photo: Jody Culkin tweets an excellent father-daughter image from Comic Con Preview night. More photos by Jody here.
Video: Fantagraphics co-publisher, Eric Reynolds, has some choreographic advice for Jaime.
Photo: Los Bros eye-view of the folks waiting in line for a Thursday signing at Comic Con.
Photo: Five photos from Thursday by Mike Baehr, of various Hernandez's, posted on Flog Blog.
Sketch: Kylie Klein garnered a Hopey sketch from Jaime on Thursday at Comic Con.
News: On Thursday @PopCultureHound reported IDW editor Scott Dunbier was interested in publishing a Jaime Artists Edition.
News: AV Club's Noel Murray mentions hearing "that Fantagraphics had to bring in more copies of the new Love and Rockets book because it had sold out its supply by Thursday."
Photo: Sarah Oleksyk captures our favorite LOCAS artist at 2am Friday morning, he's looking a little blurry hope it's just the phone pic!
Photo: Great family portrait posted by Fantagraphics, Carol, N., Gilbert, and Jaime on Friday at Comic Con.
Sketch: Ben Levin got a pensive Maggie sketch from Jaime on Friday at Comic Con and shares it via twitter.
Photo: Gilbert captured in a disturbingly relaxed moment, getting made up for the  Los Bros interview on MTV Friday.
Profile: Peter Rowe writes about "30 years of Love and Rockets" for U-T San Diego on Saturday.
Photos: Mike Baehr posts four photos, on Flog Blog, of Los Bros (and friends) from Saturday and Sunday signings at the Fantagraphics booth.
Photo: Flaming Carrot creator Bob Burden caught in line at a Los Bros signing on Saturday at Comic Con. Didn't know aging cartoonists attracted the babes like it shows in this photo, or should I say intelligent female readers!
Photo: PW Comics World tweets a photo of Jaime and Mario walking at Comic Con on Saturday.
Video: tcj.com posts the video for the "Love and Rockets 30th Anniversary Panel" hosted by Gary Groth and featuring Mario, Gilbert, and Jaime Hernandez.
News: @NorrinR links to a Bleeding Cool report of Los Bros Hernandez all being awarded Inkpot Awards, a first for Mario.
News: Saturday at Comic Con 2012 with Tom Spurgeon has him chastising Gary Groth for only covering the first few years of Love and Rockets at the "30th Anniversary" panel for Los Bros., also Spurgeon counts 200 people at that panel, and news that Mario won an Inkpot Award.
News: Sunday at Comic Con 2012 with Tom Spurgeon, has him talking with Ed Brubaker, Matt Fraction, and Shelton Drum at the Jaime Hernandez signing at the Fantagraphics booth, and the Love and Rockets t-shirts were a "big hit."
Sketch: Sudro Brown II's friend Rob got a sketch of Luba, by Gilbert of course, in his hardcover LUBA book on Sunday.
Profile: Steve Appleford interviews Jaime Hernandez for the Pasadena SUN on Sunday
Analysis: Tom Spurgeon goes over his memories of Comic Con 2012 and at point #9 discusses how the show seemed to go for Los Bros Hernandez.
News: Tom Spurgeon recalls in his final Con article, "Jaime Hernandez suggested a lot of his Locas characters would return in future Love and Rockets stories."
Photos: Jessica Campbell, formerly of D&Q, posts tons of photos from Comic Con 2012 including many quality photos of Gilbert and his immediate family (and, I believe, some questionable photos of Tom Spurgeon. Hmm...).
Memories: Janice Headley talks briefly about second-generation Hernandez, Miss Hernandez, in her Comic Con report for Flog Blog.
Memories: Kate Beaton attended a Comic Con dinner with Gilbert, and she's a fan of his Palomar stories. Please go fall in a hole if I have to explain who Kate Beaton is.
Free: Read the COMIC CON ANNUAL 2012 online with an article on the 30th Anniversary of Love and Rockets by Charles Brownstein.
thanks to comics reporter and flogblog for all the great coverage of Los Bros at SAN DIEGO Comic Con 2012.

Love and Rockets Links: Celebrity Twitter Edition

Recently-retired Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward tweeted from Comic Con International about our favorite cartoonists, Gilbert and Jaime.

Mr. Ward played for the Steelers from 1998-2011, was the MVP of Super Bowl XL, and had a small role as a kick-returner on "The Dark Knight Rises."
image via. (c)2012 Pittsburgh Steelers. All Rights Reserved.

Love and Rockets Links: May 7

news: Mike Baehr at FlogBlog previews the covers to LOVE AND ROCKETS NEW STORIES 5, to be released at the upcoming Comic Con International amidst the 30th anniversary festivities for L&R.
news: Mike also showed us that advance copies of GOD & SCIENCE: THE RETURN OF THE TI-GIRLS are in the house and some of you have already (or will) purchased copies at recent conventions.
obituaries: Two more celebrations of the life of Josep Maria Berneguer (1944-2012) by Hernan Migoya and Tom Spurgeon.
news: Chris Mautner's "MoCCA Photo Diary" includes talk from the Fantagraphics table of the above mentioned GOD AND SCIENCE advance copies selling out at that show. Way to go super-sellers.
twitter: Everything you need to know about Jaime and Gilbert's appearance at this years Small Press Expo in Maryland.
twitter: Phil Jackson links to a post of one of those great ads for Fantagraphics original LOVE AND ROCKETS 1, as drawn by Beto.
twitter: @MsMcLallen makes the best of a bad Free Comic Day experience.
twitter: An unattributed quote from Gilbert.
twitter: I love foreign-language tweets, nice one by @Zpravycz.
preview: Apparently Gilbert has an illustration in the upcoming GRAPHIC ELVIS book, not sure if he was included in the Free Comic Book Day version.
preview: LEAPING TALL BUILDINGS by Christopher Irving, Seth Kushner, and Erik Skillman a photo/art book featuring Jaime among many others.
review: Red Clover is tough on Gilbert's SLOTH graphic novel.
a fan's life: a nice piece about her decade of reading LOVE AND ROCKETS by Alicia Korenman in her "Graphic Novelities" column. (Sorry if this has been posted elsewhere)
what the f???: Torsten Adair, at The Beat, writes of his great finds at the recent MoCCA festival, including a fellow named Bob Stevenson who had a 1984 San Diego Con mini-comic titled HOW TO DRAW FLIES with a contribution by Jaime. How's that for obscure?
review: Here's a nice take on Jaime's "The Love Bunglers" by Chris Randle at Back to the World.
review: Nick Gazin's Comic Book Love-In #56.  A short, honest review of Gilbert and Mario's CITIZEN REX hardcover.

Next month should see the release of Gilbert's new fun and gruesome Dark Horse series:
FATIMA: THE BLOOD SPINNERS 1 due out June 20, 2012
FATIMA: THE BLOOD SPINNERS 2 due out July 18, 2012

Love and Rockets Links: May 1

Fantagraphics co-publisher Eric Reynolds brought sad news of the passing of La Cupula publisher Josep Maria Berenguer, who brought the world Spanish-language editions of LOVE AND ROCKETS and so many other underground and alternative cartoonists. image above: cover to La Cupula edition of Gilbert's LUBA hardcover.
twitter: "Scoop" Sobel digs up the long-awaited collected edition of Gilbert's JULIO'S DAY on Amazon
twitter: Fantagraphics links to Jason doing some Human Diastrophism-era Gilbert characters
twitter: some whining by retailer Secret Headquarters
twitter: Page 45 drumming up some interest in Gilbert's FATIMA
twitter: entrecomics links to their posting of that video interview of Los Bros floating around the internet, includes spanish-language comments by a Juan O.
twitter: Aki gives her view on LOVE AND ROCKETS
twitter: Richie Baez compares Gilbert and David Lynch
twitter: JC Jimenez is reading LOVE FROM THE SHADOWS (I'm jealous, I don't have that one yet)
twitter: Americaware links to an Iowans review of the YEAH! collection
twitter: I like this comment, though I may not agree with it
twitter: Long live the lists of favorite cartoonists with absolutely no context (Hey Fantagraphics where's the Mariscal retrospective book?)
twitter: @juliascheele look for the LOVE AND ROCKETS LIBRARY: THE LOCAS COLLECTION
flogblog: I don't usually link to FlogBlog since anyone who likes Tres Bros should already be reading that everyday. However, it's great news from editor Kim Thompson that Jaime's new 50 pages (or so) are in the house and ready to go for LOVE AND ROCKETS NEW STORIES 5.
ebay: Does nobody want a vintage Beto sketch for $10.00? I don't know who's selling it, but everyone should take a look at least.

Fantagraphics Books Updated Release Dates: Jaime, Gilbert, and Jaxon

LOVE AND ROCKETS NEW STORIES 3 (2nd Printing) pre-order available now, due May 2012.
GOD AND SCIENCE: RETURN OF THE TI-GIRLS (reprints Jaime's two-part story with additional materials in quality hardcover) not available for pre-order yet can be ordered from the current PREVIEWS, due July 2012.
THE ADVENTURES OF VENUS (square hardcover reprinting "Venus" stories from Gilbert's late-lamented MEASLES anthology) pre-order available now, due June 2012.
JACK JACKSON'S AMERICAN HISTORY: LOS TEJANOS & LOST CAUSE is not available for pre-order yet, currently due August 2012.

Stuff You Can Own Today:
FBI MINI 04: BEFORE LOVE AND ROCKETS is still available as a premium with the purchase of any LOVE AND ROCKETS release.  I've got a copy and the quality of reproduction is very high, on some fun old Los Bros work.
MAGGIE AND HOPEY COLOR FUN 1 available again, or found behind the couch at FB headquarters.
GOODY GOOD COMICS 1 still in print, nice one-shot anthology edited by Gilbert.

Love and Rockets Links: April

ebay: Original cover art for Gilbert's supremely weird GRIP 2.
ebay: take a look at this vintage concert poster by Gilbert. Whatever happened to Dr. Know?

There was a blow up on twitter earlier in the month over Jaime's work in LRNS 4 not being nominated for an Eisner award. We remain neutral on the subject of idiots that can't identify great work among the mediocrity that is the goal of most comics these days. Hower, read some folks who had a real opinion on the subject: Tom Spurgeon; Chris Mautner; Rob Martin; Evan Dorkin; Marc Sobel (nice background art, Marc); Dustin Harbin; Evan Dorkin 2; Woodrow Phoenix; Evan Dorkin 3; Ed Brubaker; Ed Brubaker 2; Will Pfeifer; Marc Sobel 2; and, class guy that he is I found no tweets pertaining to this subject in Jaime twitter activity of the time.

The Hooded Utilitarian site is posting a number of articles on Jaime's LOCAS series: Corey Creekmur; Robert Stanley Martin; Jason Michelitch; Eric Berlatsky 1; Eric Berlatsky 2; Jenny Gonzalez-Blitz; Richard Cook; James Romberger; Derik Badman; Marc Sobel; Noah Berlatsky; and, Deb Aoki. Hopefully these links still work, although you aren't really missing much if they don't.

review: Brian reviews LOVE AND ROCKETS NEW STORIES 4 for the River Readers section of the Missouri River Regional Library's MO Book Challenge Team site (whew).
preview: Andy Khouri previews Dark Horse releases for July, including Gilbert's FATIMA: THE BLOOD SPINNERS 2. image at top also via Comics Alliance, and (c)2012 Gilbert Hernandez.

baseball girls image (c)2012 Time, Inc. Taken July 7, 1950 by Howard Sochurek. via

Love and Rockets Links: 2/6

Tom Spurgeon reported recently on the triumphant return of two much missed former founders of Fantagraphics Books to the company: Mike Catron and Preston (Don't-Call-Him-Peppy) White. Mike Catron was an original co-conspirator on THE NOSTALGIA (COMICS) JOURNAL, and for readers of this site Preston White is credited with color separations for the iconic cover of the first issue of LOVE AND ROCKETS (as well as Production work on the issue). FlogBlog also announces the hirings here.

There were many birthday wishes for Gilbert on the web last Wednesday, this one by Sterg Botzakis doubles as a good capsule biography of the artist.

We try not to repeat news from FlogBlog, but they got a real scoop on the guest list of APE 2012. The San Francisco show will feature all three Hernandez brothers (well, there's more, but the ones that do comics!) in connection with their Love and Rockets 30th Anniversary tour. Sounds like a good Fall weekend for you northern California fans to get all your Los Bros 2012 releases signed.

The Secret of My Success: Ed Brubaker reveals his inspiration back in his LOWLIFE days.

twitter: @freenezwandring has just discovered Gilbert

twitter: @JorgeJaramilloV tweet links to a review of SLOTH in spanish

twitter: @RoxannneYvonne expresses her feelings for Gilbert

twitter: I don't know what this says, but she seems to have good taste in comics

twitter: facebook has destroyed Ed Choy Moorman's life

twitter: not sure what this refers to, which means I'm either hopelessly out of touch with reality or it's about a DC comic

twitter: Cartoon Art Museum announces an exhibit in conjuction with the Love and Rockets 30th Anniversary this Fall. (the link is to facebook and may not work, by the way)

twitter: @GCDcomics tweet links to their gallery of Gilbert Hernandez covers in honor of his birthday. highly recommended!

twitter: I love this Sonia Harris description of Gilbert's BIRDLAND

twitter: we always support funny fake news about Los Bros

twitter: David Hine goes back to the eighties and RENEGADE ROMANCE #2

twitter: it's in French and it's got something to do with LOVE AND ROCKETS

twitter: Las Hermanas Hernandez???

twitter: Octavio Beares tweet links to his review of the LaCupula edition of Jaime's THE GHOST OF HOPPERS (nice repro of the cover to the LaCupula book)

twitter: Amazon new listing of Gilbert's forthcoming MEASLES collection THE ADVENTURES OF VENUS

ebay: I don't have any experience with this seller, but look at that stack of LOVE AND ROCKETS from when I first started buying the title

ebay: rare bookplate by Jaime

Jack Jackson's American History Part 3: Comics Journal Resource Guide

UPDATE: The first volume of JACK JACKSON'S AMERICAN HISTORY has been tentatively rescheduled for April 2012. However, it is not listed in the distributors catalogue (linked to on the Fantagraphics home page) for titles previewed for April-August.

Following is a listing of Jack Jackson's interviews, panel appearances, and a few reviews in THE COMICS JOURNAL late-lamented print edition (links provided to the issues still in print from the publisher, some material may be accessed through the tcj.com archive possibly):

THE COMICS JOURNAL #61 (Winter 1981) "Tejano Cartoonist: An Interview with Jack Jackson" pages 100-102 104-111. Conducted 8-28-1981 by Bill Sherman. This is an in-depth exploration of Jaxon's earliest underground comics efforts through his transition to historical narratives. Here's the quote that may have given birth to Fantagraphics Books:

"[BILL] SHERMAN: Has the response [to the COMANCHE MOON graphic novel] been good enough at least to gaurantee a similar paperback package for the Sequin
books?
JACKSON: Not so far. I don't think sales have been enough to justify my
interest in pursuing it, frankly. I've been working on finishing the story-like
I did all that additional material for the Quanah Parker book-but I doubt if it
will be published. I'm just doing it for myself. Until that other market, that
straight market outside of regular underground readers, is tapped it probably
won't ever be published under one cover. In Germany they're interested in the
Seguin books, based on COMANCHE MOON's success over there. The book sells well
in Europe-they do it up in a real glossy package, too-but even good sales over
there is small compared to the normal underground market. They think in the
thousands instead of the tens-of-thousands." (pages 108-109)

THE COMICS JOURNAL #70 (January 1982) "Fantagraphics Schedules Five New Books: Coming in 1982: Two X-Men Books, Kane's SAVAGE, and LOS TEJANOS" pages 14-15. Press release written by Dwight R. Decker. Quote pertaining to Jackson's LOS TEJANOS:

"JACKSON'S HISTORICAL VOLUME: No firm release date has been set for Jack
(Jaxon) Jackson's LOS TEJANOS volume, but late Spring is considered
likely.
LOS TEJANOS will publish all of Jaxon's Texan history trilogy between two
covers. Parts I and II have already appeared separately as underground comics
from Last Gasp Comics, but Part III has never appeared before and will consist
of 32 pages of new material. The book will also include historical information
about the main character, Juan Seguin.
Gary Groth called LOS [TEJANOS] 'one of the most serious and ambitious
efforts ever attempted in the alternative press. When we heard that Jaxon was
finishing the trilogy, we contacted him immediately about publishing the entire
work in a single volume.
LOS TEJANOS will be over 120 pages long and is priced tentatively at
$7.95." (page 15)

THE COMICS JOURNAL #75 (September 1982) "Gil Kane" pages 52-54 57-58 60-61. Speech given 6-11-1982 at the 1982 Dallas Fantasy Fair; "Jack Jackson" pages 75-76 78-80 82-84. Convention panel conducted by Gary Groth 6-10-1982 at the same 1982 Dallas Fantasy Fair.

"[This Gil Kane speech turned into a debate as Jack Jackson asked questions
from the audience, and promptly received a beatdown from the veteran]
"JACKSON: That was the thrust of my initial question to you. I don't think
I quite got that across. Do you see a person as they get more mature with their
style tending to simplify or going on down the technical proficiency
route?
"KANE: I seem to feel that what you're looking for is a justification for
your own approach. But my feeling is that I don't think it really matters. I
think it's amazing how some people...I'll give you an idea. My favorite artist
at this point is an artist, Giraud, who signs his work Moebius. I tend to think
he is the finest artist working today.
"JACKSON: Very simple stuff.
"KANE: Well, yes and no. When he's simple he's simple, and when he's not
simple, he's not simple. The point is that whatever he does, works.[...]

[And, this goes on for half a page. This is one of my favorite Jack Jackson appearances in The Journal, plus the Gary Groth interview-later in the issue-is hilarious as Mr. Groth is flabbergasted by Jack Jackson's saying he thinks he should give up historical graphic novels and go do JONAH HEX comics!] (page 58)

THE COMICS JOURNAL #100 (July 1985) "Jack Jackson" pages 111-114. Interview conducted by Gary Groth. This interview is illustrated with some real rarites: a photo of Jack and Tina Jackson at a book signing for LONG SHADOWS; an illustration from LOS MESTENOS; a panel from the then-unpublished "Why Do Texans Hate Yankees So Much?" (which looks suspiciously like a panel from LOST CAUSE); an unsourced fantasy illustration; and, a SingingTrees Dairy Goats t-shirt illustration. There's also an interesting discussion of missed opportunities where Mr. Groth and Jack Jackson discuss his short-lived Marvel Comics career illustrating for SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN (short as in never-happened).

THE COMICS JOURNAL #144 product page at fantagraphics.com list a Jack Jackson review of Jean Giraud's "Blueberry" graphic albums.

THE COMICS JOURNAL #210 (February 1999) "The Top 100 (English-Language) Comics of the Century" "no. 95, LOS TEJANOS, 1982, Jack Jackson" page 38. 1/2 page entry written by Gary Groth.

THE COMICS JOURNAL #213 (June 1999) "Beyond the Grid: Critique Revisited, Interview With Jack Jackson" pages 83-88. Interview conducted by Gary Groth.

"Lost Cause, Jack Jackson" pages 89-90. Review by Ron Evry (his Contributor Notes entry in this issue reads: "Ron Evry is a freelance writer and comics historian. In addition to writing on comics, sports, and computers for a wide range of magazines, he is the web page editor for the National Cartoonists' Society[...]"). The interview and review are in response to a September 18, 1998 Austin CHRONICLE review of LOST CAUSE by Michael Ventura and accompanying essay on John Wesley Hardin by Jesse Sublett, calling the book, it's main character, and Jackson racist. Jackson was given no chance to respond to this charge in the pages of The Austin CHRONICLE, so editor Gary Groth stepped up and not only let Jackson speak his mind, but commissioned a more fair and balanced review of the book.

THE COMICS JOURNAL #264 (November 2004) "Underground Comix Publishers" pages 113-115. Interview conducted May 18, 1972 by Patrick Rosenkranz.

"Photo" page 113. 1972 photo of Jack Jackson taken by Patrick Rosenkranz.

[This is a quite detailed oral history of the origins and day to day workings of Rip Off Press as witnessed by Jackson.]

THE COMICS JOURNAL #278

(October 2006) "Jack Jackson's Long Rough Ride Comes To An End" pages 20-26. Obituary/biography by Patrick Rosenkranz. There's a fascinating section describing how difficult it was for Jack Jackson to actually physically produce his life's work:

"Drawing became slow and difficult as his hands became more crippled over
time. According to Jackson's son, 'He couldn't even hold his pen like most
people do. He had to hold it a different way, just out of his hand. It's amazing
how he did all that work. How he did what he did.'
"The artist explained, 'What happens is these muscles in your hands waste
away and your fingers get hooked and drawn and all of that. In bad cases you
won't even be able to juxtapose your thumb because the muscles atrophy so bad. I
had muscle transplants out there. They take muscles out of your lower arms and
sew them into your hands, in place of the ones that have gone away. It works
pretty well. It's one of those ordeals that you don't like to go through, but it
worked out OK.'
"[Michael] Priest said, 'To watch him draw was so astounding, because he
had to curl his four fingers around the pen staff and stab it inside this space
because he couldn't close his hands like we can close our hands. The most
astounding part was that he would do all lettering by hand and he didn't make
mistakes and there weren't any typos and the spacing was good and consistent.
But to watch Jackson cut Zipatone with an X-acto knife was just about the most
astounding thing. When talking about Jackson's drawing style, it's very
important to note that he used old-fashioned quill pens that you had to dip in
the ink just like everybody throughout the ages. He even turned me onto the nibs
he used that gave his lines that delicious tapering quality. It was also one of
the secrets of his lettering style.'" (page 24)

"Photo" page 20. photo of Jack, Tina, and Sam Jackson courtesy of Tina Jackson.

"A Tribute To Jaxon" pages 27-38. Interviews with Robert Crumb, Kim Deitch, Spain Rodriguez, S. Clay Wilson, Gilbert Shelton, Frank Stack, Bill Griffith, Leonard Rifas, and Victor Moscoso conducted by Gary Groth.

"Rip Off Press: The Golden Era" pages 29-32. 1988 comics story by Jack Jackson.

"Recurden Jack Jackson" pages 39-40. Memoir by Gary Groth.

"Nits Make Lice" pages 41-48. 1975 comics historical story by Jack Jackson.

Love and Rockets Links: Dark Horse Comics Spotlight

image via (c)2012 Gilbert Hernandez

Though Gilbert Hernandez has spent the majority of his career at Fantagraphics Books, he has worked for many other comics companies in the past thirty years. Dark Horse Comics has published many of Gilbert's books, including GIRL CRAZY, SPEAK OF THE DEVIL, CITIZEN REX, and various anthology stories. It was announced 1/13 that Gilbert will be doing another mini-series for Dark Horse this year titled, FATIMA: THE BLOOD SPINNERS. The first issue of this zombie-themed series will be out June 20, 2012, just in time for Comic Con International. original press release here.

A preview of the CITIZEN REX collection can be found on the Dark Horse website here.

Here's an odd job: THE GUILD: VORK with cover only by Gilbert.

The press release for the first slate of Dark Horse Originals back in November 2010 can be viewed here. This included CITIZEN REX by Mario and Gilbert.

Previews from individual issues of CITIZEN REX are still online: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. This series is not available for digital download.

Gilbert's mini-series SPEAK OF THE DEVIL also has some previews still online: 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, collection. The collection is still in print, while all the single issues are available for digital download.

Gilbert's first series from Dark Horse, GIRL CRAZY, is not available in print, digital download, or free preview. However, there is still a product page posted on the Dark Horse website.

According to Grand Comics Database, Gilbert's first published work for Dark Horse was in BETTIE PAGE COMICS 1 (March 1996), a six-page story co-written with Dave Stevens and drawn by Tony Meers. This issue also included promo material for his GIRL CRAZY series which debuted a few months later.

Going way to a few years after LOVE & ROCKETS started, Dark Horse has Los Bros Hernandez version of MISTER X back in print in an Archives hardcover-type format. Preview of three pages can be found here.

A not-so-old one is still online for free viewing: "Dreamstar" by Gilbert from 2009 from MySPACE DARK HORSE PRESENTS.

Dark Horse has been reprinting the work of the unjustly overlooked Jesse Marsh in it's hardcover TARZAN ARCHIVES: THE JESSE MARSH YEARS. Of interest to L&R fans is Jesse Marsh is an early influence of Gilbert Hernandez, in the following preview pages you can still spot similarities in figure- and line-work between the two. Here are links to free previews of the ten volumes so far: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten.

Love and Rockets Links: 1/10

charity: Jaime donated items for the successful fundraising campaign over the holiday season for the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund.

preview: Kim Thompson provides us with a glimpse of the back cover to Jaime's much-anticipated GOD AND SCIENCE: THE RETURN OF THE TI-GIRLS.

Gilbert Gets Some, Love That Is: Michael DeForge influenced by, and Marjorie Liu reading his POISON RIVER book.

ebay: Here's a rare French editon of "Death of Speedy"-era Jaime LOCAS stories, titled MODERN SEX.

ebay: Here's a wild Zippo lighter with appropriated Jaime graphics. Great scans.

ebay: Looks like no one bought this super-rare punk rock concert flyer supposedly by Jaime.

*SPOTLIGHT ON TOM SPURGEON:

1. "Deconstructing Comics Podcast #300: Jaime Hernandez" Tom Spurgeon is interviewed by Tim and Kumar on the subject of Jaime Hernandez.

2. "Deconstructing Comics Podcast #305: Gilbert Hernandez" Tom Spurgeon is interviewed by Tim and Kumar on the subject of Gilbert Hernandez. (sorry if these links don't work)

3. I always enjoy Tom Spurgeon's "CR Holiday Interview" series, here's a link that takes you to all of this year's entries. It's stunning to look at the full list and realize that back-in-the-day this would have been a whole year's worth of interviews in THE COMICS JOURNAL. The interview with Kim Thompson is especially recommended by us, as he's kind of the editor of LOVE AND ROCKETS (although Mr. Thompson makes it sound sound like he's Jimmy Olsen to Los Bros Perry White!).