The cult classic comic series Love and Rockets arguably paved the way for the alternative comics revolution of the ‘80s and doesn't really get the recognition it deserves for its impact on the comic landscape. The serial series follows the misadventures of two primary groups grounded in equal parts realism and fantastical Sci-Fi adventures. The indie comic offered a welcome reprieve from the superhero books that dominated comic shelves at the time, unlike today, where independent comics are much more commonplace. Taking a look back at this punky off-the-wall indie series, here’s everything to know about Love and Rockets.
Love and Rockets was created by Gilbert and Jaime Hernandez, who are jointly referred to as Los Bros Hernandez. The series began as a self-published single-issue book that was quickly picked up and distributed by Fantagraphics Books. L&R is a serial comic series that prominently follows the adventures of two separate groups written by each respective brother. Gilbert helmed the storyline titled Palomar while Jaime wrote Hopper 13, also known as Locas.
Palomar takes place in a fictional village in Latin America and offers readers a glimpse into magical realism while conveying real-world issues including emotional trauma, political activism, and characters offering meta-commentary. Hopper 13 follows the misadventures of punk rock characters living in California trying to find their way in life. Locas is a storyline many fans of the series can identify with as L&R’s core readership likely went through much of what was depicted in this indie comic story, like on-again-off-again relationships and holding down crappy jobs while trying to find one’s true life passion, all the while rebelling against the established societal norms. While Palomar and Hopper 13 are the main stories in the series, they are far from the only ones present.
A prime example of the off-the-wall stories written in Love and Rockets exists in the second issue ever printed which takes place in a dinosaur-ridden primitive world that still maintains the punk aesthetics of the time in which it was written. Using familiar characters seen in Hopper 13, especially the main mechanic character Margaret “Maggie” Chascarrillo, the issue shows a group crash landed on a Skull Island-esque wasteland filled with prehistoric monsters and other dangerous threats. Within the same issue, the story jumps to a Sci-Fi alien invasion story amid an anarchist city landscape and killer robots with ray guns.
It is clear Love and Rockets focuses more on the gritty, punk art style of the early ‘80s through the mid-’90s rather than cohesive storytelling, and that only adds to its appeal. While the series reached the height of its cult following upon initial release, it’s still ever-changing and adapting to reach new readers. The original runs of Palomar and Locas have each been collected in one-volume editions by Fantagraphics.
Up until recently, new issues continued to be published, with the latest being released in 2016. Decades of stylistic and random comic stories are available to anyone who enjoys similarly styled comics such as Tank Girl and The Mask and who are ready to join the cult fandom of Love and Rockets.