Gilberto Hernandez, (, approximately "heel-bear-toe") born February 1, 1957, in
Oxnard,
California, usually credited as
Gilbert Hernandez and also known by the
nickname Beto (, approximately "beh-toe'), is an
American comics writer/
artist. Along with his brothers
Jaime and
Mario he co-created the acclaimed
independent comic book Love and Rockets, published by
Fantagraphics Books.
Hernandez grew up in Oxnard, California, and was exposed to comic books early in life, his mother passing on her love of the medium to her children. He was particularly enamored with the work that
Jack Kirby and
Steve Ditko produced for
Marvel Comics, as well as
Hank Ketcham's
Dennis the Menace and the
Archie comics line. His brother Mario was responsible for introducing Gilbert to the
underground comix movement when he smuggled a copy of
Zap Comix into the house.
Gilbert's main work is
Palomar, a story about the inhabitants of small fictional village of the same name, located somewhere in Central America.
If one compares Gilbert's work to that of his brother Jaime, his drawing style is rougher as well as more cartoony and expressive. It's often said that Gilbert is the better writer, while Jaime is the better artist.
He did the cover artwork for the record 'Limbo' by
Throwing Muses. He is also co-creator and co-star (with his wife, Carol Kovinick) of
The Naked Cosmos, an eccentric low-budget TV show about a cosmic prophet known as Quintas.
Notable works
- Palomar (graphic novel) (2003) Fantagraphics Books
- Heartbreak Soup (2007) Fantagraphics Books
- Human Diastrophism (2007) Fantagraphics Books
- Beyond Palomar (2007) Fantagraphics Books
- Luba (2009) Fantagraphics Books
Awards
- 1986 Kirby Award for Best Black & White Series for Love & Rockets (Fantagraphics)
- 1989 Harvey Award for Best Writer for Love & Rockets (Fantagraphics)
- 1990 Harvey Award for Best Writer for Love & Rockets (Fantagraphics)
- 1989 Harvey Award for Best Continuing or Limited Series for Love and Rockets (Fantagraphics Books)
- 1990 Harvey Award for Best Continuing or Limited Series for Love and Rockets (Fantagraphics Books)
- 2001 Harvey Award for Best New Series for Luba's Comix and Stories (Fantagraphics Books)
- 2004 Harvey Award for Best Single Issue or Story for Love and Rockets #9 (Fantagraphics Books)
