Gilbert Hernandez is one of the most important figures in modern, independent comics. Along with his brother Jamie, Gilbert created Love & Rockets, one of the highest regarded underground comics in the entire industry. Dark Horse recently got the chance to speak with Gilbert about his latest project Speak of the Devil.

Dark Horse: Speak of the Devil is a story of contrasts. What inspired you to craft a tale of such striking opposition between suburban standards and dark desires?

Gilbert Hernandez: There’s the truism that in the most peaceful settings, evil dwells just underneath. True evil comes with a smile and a lot of charm.

DH: Your stories are so definitively original; what sort of material inspires you to create?

GH: Lately I’ve been more and more drawn to the off kilter in the sanest of situations. I’m enjoying a lot of film noir and eccentric B movies of late, especially from the 1950s.

DH: Artistically, your style is simple, yet you have the ability to expertly convey the emotion of a scene. How are you able to balance visual simplicity against the tension in your stories?

GH: It’s a simple thing for me; it seems to get the greatest desired effect. Instead of clobbering the reader, I prefer to seduce, and then drop bombs when they least suspect. Only in storytelling, of course. My real life is quite passive and casual.



DH: What is it about the comic medium that allows you to tell your stories better than other artistic formats?

GH: Complete individual freedom. Nobody telling me what I can or can’t do, or telling me what the rest of the world wants. I’ve done OK so far.

DH: The character Paul seems to get more than his fair share of attention from the local ladies. What’s his secret?

GH: Women’s tastes in what makes a guy attractive have become as childish and superficial as men’s for women. Not necessarily a bad thing, I guess, but puppy love seems to be all adults can muster these days.

DH: Is there a lurking message behind Speak of the Devil, or is the series purely about thrilling entertainment?

GH: No message; just a different angle on a dark story.

DH: You worked with your brother, Jamie, on the incredible and famous Love & Rockets. In what way is Speak of the Devil different as a solo project?

GH: It’s a straightforward crime story, as opposed to my more well-known “people” stories, as in the Palomar series.

DH: Why did you choose Dark Horse to publish your latest project?

GH: The flexibility they allow me and the quick publishing schedule to get it out there to the readers. And little to no micromanaging from the editorial department.

DH: As an important figure in independent comics, do you have any advice for all the struggling artists out there?

GH: Do it for the love of it as much as you can. In twenty-five-plus years of making comics, I’ve often heard from small publishers here and there that comics are essentially a business, and every wide-eyed young artist is doomed if he doesn’t put that on the front burner, etc., etc . . . Well, I love it as an art form and I’m still here.