Growing up, I never really felt that comics were for me. I didn’t know much about them and the little that I did know were Marvel and DC superheroes, which I didn’t find of particular interest. However, in college I was introduced to Maggie and Hopey, two punk rock and totally bad ass women who went on ridiculous adventures with dinosaurs and even had superhero friends, but were also very connected to their hometown and dealt with everyday issues like love and heartbreak and struggles with self-esteem. These indie comics featured women I could cheer for, laugh and cry with, relate to, admire, and even aspire to be more like – especially when it came to standing up for myself.

Nearly 15 years later and I’m still enjoying these characters’ stories. The Love & Rockets series first came to life in 1981 and Hernandez has continued to write about Maggie and Hopey throughout the years – most recently with the release of 2019’s Is This How You See Me?, where the two attend a punk scene reunion. As I myself get older, I really appreciate how Hernandez’s characters have aged with him. They may have taken different paths, but Maggie and Hopey’s lives still continue to intersect, and even though it's as complicated as always, their love for one another remains.

Because of Maggie and Hopey my life has since been enriched by stories like Lumberjanes and Bitch Planet. Thank you, Jaime Hernandez, for turning me on to comics.

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