As we countdown to the Lakes International Comic Art Festival next month in Bowness-on-Windermere (14th – 16th October 2022), here’s the first in a series of interviews with some of the guests – a quick chat with Jaime Hernandez, of Love and Rockets fame!
As a young aimless Latino punk rocker, Jaime Hernandez, along with his brothers Gilbert and Mario self-published the first issue of Love and Rockets in 1981. It was picked up by Fantagraphics Books in 1982 and ran 50 issues before the brothers took a break to pursue solo projects.
Jaime’s titles included Whoa, Nellie!, Maggie and Hopey Color Fun, and Penny Century.
Love and Rockets was revived in 2000, and still continues today.
Outside of L&R, Jaime has also done other comic work, magazine illustration and album covers. He lives in Los Angeles.
What are you working on, comics-wise or illustration wise, right now, and when will it be published?
The latest issue of Love and Rockets. Hopefully it will come out in December or January.
Which comic or art project you’ve worked on are you most proud of – and where can people see it or buy it?
The entire Love and Rockets series. It can be found in most comic shops.
How do you plan your day as a creator? (Do you plan your day?)
Some days I work on my comic, some days I don’t go near it.
What’s the best thing about being a comics creator?
Being able to tell a story that people enjoy.
And the worst?
No worst.
What most distracts you from getting your work done?
Everything!
Do you think it’s easier or harder for young comic creators to get published today?
Easier if you do it all (writing, drawing, publishing) yourself.
Harder if you’re trying to get rich.
Which one comic creator would you most like to meet, and why?
They’re all dead, I’m afraid.
What one piece of advice do you offer people looking to work in the comics industry?
Do it the way you want to, not how you think you’re supposed to.
What’s your favourite comic right now and where can people get it?
Santos Sisters [by Greg and Fake Petre].
What are you most looking forward to about coming to the Lakes this October?
Meeting fans.
Jaime, thank you for your time and see you at the Festival!
• Weekend tickets for this year’s Lakes International Comic Art Festival are available here
JAIME HERNANDEZ ONLINE
• Web: wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaime_Hernandez
• Twitter: @xaimeh
• Instagram: @xaimeh
• Jaime Hernandez on Fantagraphics
ABOUT LOVE AND ROCKETS
In 1982, Fantagraphics Books published the first issue of Love and Rockets by the Hernandez brothers (Gilbert, Jaime, and Mario), and the series has since gone on to become the publisher’s flagship title, a monumental work of graphic fiction. Collected under the umbrella of L&R, the series is comprised of two separate ongoing stories: Gilbert chronicles the colourful inhabitants of the fictional Latin American town of Palomar, while Jaime follows Latinx friends and sometime lovers Maggie and Hopey and their circle of friends in the punk scene of the fictional Californian town Hoppers. Over the course of L&R’s multi-decade run, its characters have aged in real time, lending these stories a depth and weight that few literary works achieve. The Hernandez brothers continue to release new issues of Love and Rockets.
THE LAKES INTERNATIONAL COMIC ART FESTIVAL 2022
• The Lakes International Comic Art Festival will run from Friday 14th to Sunday 16th October 2022 – and is online at: www.comicartfestival.com | Lakes International Comic Art Festival Podcast: www.comicartpodcast.uk | Twitter: @comicartfestpod | Facebook: @ComicArtPodcast | Instagram: @ComicArtPodcast
• Head to the Festival web site now for further information about ticket options, or go straight to EventBrite and grab your tickets now
Announced guests for 2022 are, in alphabetical order, include: Charlie Adlard, Dimitris Anastasiou, Mehdi Annassi, Lucie Arnoux, Bianca Bagnarelli, Alison Bechdel, Matthew Dooley, Ulla Donner, Oliver East, Karrie Fransman, Lina Ghabeih, Dave Gibbons, Paul Gravett, Kalle Hakkola, Jaime Hernandez, Eva Hilhorst, Bryan Hitch, Stephen L. Holland, Rian Hughes, Marc Jackson, Leomacs, Marine des Mazery, Vojtěch Mašek, Joe McGarry, Luke McGarry, Steve McGarry, Mick McMahon, Bill Morrison, Bex Ollerton, Dean Ormston, Jacob Phillips, JAD, Sean Phillips, Mike Perkins, Tim Pilcher, Ram V, Mollie Ray, Tom Richmond, Greg Rucka, Andrea Settimo, Katie Skelly, Posy Simmonds, Václav Šlajch, Fiona Stephenson, Maria Surducan, Bryan Talbot, Mary Talbot, Petteri Tikkanen, Jörg Tittel, Twin Cartoons, Judit Vanistandel, Asya Voitenko, and Andi Watson
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