Love & Rockets

So, when I first entered comics professionally (back in the Stone Age), I began working for a small local company called Fantagraphics. At that time they published The Comics Journal and Amazing Heroes. They were also getting into publishing some independent comics, one of them was Love and Rockets (later on an indie rock band appropriated the name for themselves).

Well, I began read L&R back then because well, two reasons really, they were free (because I worked there), and they were really different and somewhat subversive from what I normally read (Marvel’s DC and the like). It was like an underground Archie, with Hispanic characters, plus it was literally oozing with a sensuality that simply couldn't be found in mainstream funnybooks. Oh yeah, every once in a while it flashed some skin, but while that was what got me started reading them, what kept me was the intricate and powerful stories, as well as the truly intriguing art.

Yep, I loved these books.

Not entirely sure why, but somewhere along the way, I stopped reading them (long after I stopped getting them for free and had been spending my own money buying them). Well, this past Free Comic Book Day I managed to score the free L&R and read the new adventures, and was reminded of how much I truly enjoyed this series. So when I was up in Falmouth, MA at A Blast from the Past, I purchased a new graphic album of L&R adventures and was totally blown away as to how good it still is, and to how much I really missed reading about these characters.

If you have the opportunity to pick up any L&R comics, I highly recommend it, as it is still some of the consistently very best comics that is being produced.

Blast from the Past

So, last weekend I went up to Cape Cod to attend my Niece’s wedding (yeah, on Father’s Day Weekend), and while we were up there, we took part of one day to walk around downtown Falmouth (yeah, where the tourist shops are located), and there, nestled among all the “standard” tourist shops was this kitschy shop Blast from the Past. In fact it was this display (off to the left) that first attracted my attention to the shop. Then (of course) it was the sign in the window that said “Comics sold here” that finally pulled me in.

Well, I went inside and began chatting with the gal who was working there, and, well, in short order she introduced me to her husband (at least I think they were married), who had worked in comics back in the ‘80s & ‘90s. His name is Kevin Juaire, and well, it turned out that we knew some of the same people.

Needless to say, I couldn’t leave the shop without buying something, so I picked up a pack of Marvel cards (packed with a figurine of Spidey), a couple of plastic eggs of toys from his “gum” machines out front, a miniature tin Spidey lunch box, and a copy of the new Love & Rockets compilation (I had acquired the Free Comicbook Day version of the book back in May, and recalled how much I loved L&R.

So, as much as I did enjoy going to my niece’s wedding (on Father’s Day) being able to visit Kevin’s shop and chat with him about our glory days in comics, really helped the weekend out. (Not that I need to find comics wherever I go, but, well you know.)

So, anyway, between the cards, toys, key chains, and comicbook graphic album (and just being able to walk around Kevin’s wicked-cool shop, soaking in all of the very neat stuff he has on display), the weekend was fun...oh yeah, my niece’s wedding was pretty much fun as well (there was alcohol and family involved — which of course required more alcohol).

When I get to reading the L&R book, I’ll post about that as well. In the mean time, if you ever find yourself in Falmouth, check out Blast from the Past. Heck, even if you are not in Falmouth, you can visit Kevin’s web shop and get a pretty decent idea of how very cool his retro shop is in person.