Maggie and Buck Find a Duck (The Adventures of Maggie and Buck Book 1)

Home on the Range

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Lists with This Book. Dec 31, David Schaafsma rated it liked it Shelves: I am a huge Beto Gilbert Hernandez, Jaime's brother fan, and when I first read this years ago after having read a lot of the Heartbreak Soup stories from Beto, I was a little underwhelmed by it. And he creates a world of women, centered on Maggie and Hopey, all the Locas girls, that he has sustained for decades. And from the get-go, Maggie is a strong and funny and comple I am a huge Beto Gilbert Hernandez, Jaime's brother fan, and when I first read this years ago after having read a lot of the Heartbreak Soup stories from Beto, I was a little underwhelmed by it.

Maggie the Mechanic

And from the get-go, Maggie is a strong and funny and completely endearing character. Her friendship with Hopey, and our connection with Penny Century, this is here from the beginning. So this first volume is about the LA Punk scene, the girl band, Maggie working as a Prosolar Mechanic with her heart-throb Rand Race, and just goofing around with the girls, twenty-something fun. Some light magical realism and science fiction seeps in, a guy with horns, futuristic vehicles.

An adventure ensues, Maggie goes missing. This is good stuff, a terrific world being developed, but as when I first read it, it feels rough at times. I think Jaime is finding his way in this early volume. Sometimes the panels are crammed, often there too many words. It wears me out. The art is strong in most places, but uneven. The clean lines that he will be known for are here, yes, but he is still discovering this to some extent early on.

See this review on CCLaP , where it was originally published. All my research leads me to the same conclusion: These are early, early stories by a writer at the wide-eyed-innocent beginning of his illustrious career. He's still finding his footing, he's flailing about a bit; many of the elements of these stories would fall by the wayside as he honed his talents and settled into his stride.

Which is all a bit of a relief, really. I mean, I really enjoyed this book, but it's for sure a little rough around the edges.

For those who don't know are there any left other than me? As is I'm sure clear, Maggie won. Jaime's stories center around a group of Latina teenagers in the Southern California suburbs. They're punk rockers and goths, sexpots and graffiti artists, rebels and drunks. Titular Maggie really is a mechanic—a "pro-solar" mechanic, to be exact, meaning she fixes rockets and robots rather than cars.

She's also endearingly klutzy, kind of a ditz, and very emotional. Then there's a slew of other characters, including Penny Century, a voluptuous stunner who's having an affair with maybe? While I did like these stories, I could tell they were a bit all over the place, and it took me a little while to get into them. The first couple, about Maggie's exploits learning to be a pro-solar mechanic in the remote jungle of Zimbodia, are related through her letters home to Hopey and the other girls, and they're incredibly dense with text and backstory and explanation.

This is definitely necessary to get accustomed to this world, but it's also a little overwhelming, and I was worried about having the stamina to real pages of it. But the stories, of course, suck you in, because they're absurd and funny and warm, and even though they're the kind of stories where it's not a question of whether the good guys will win, only when , still they're well told and well plotted, and I was sad when they ended. Apparently this is meant to be the sci-fi version of magical realism, which is neat, but the dinosaurs and aliens and rocketships were far less interesting than seeing the girls get drunk and run around, or even just try to decide what to wear.

I guess Jaime came to the same conclusion, because it seems he started phasing out the sci-fi stuff shortly after the issues in this volume. And so here's the part where I try to do a bit of a feminist reading. First let me say that Jaime passes the Bechdel test on pretty much every page. This is an incredibly female-centric cast, and he does a good job of covering different personalities and body types. I fell a little into the same trap I did with Watchmen , where I was going to bitch that Maggie is such a love-struck flake and therefore presents a reductionist view of women—but I'd be wrong.

She's just one of many very varied characters, and although I find her mildly irritating at times, she's definitely true to the character she was created to be. One thing that did bother me a little was what the IMO gratuitous nudity and near-nudity. She and Hopey share a bed, and though they're not lovers in this book, at least , they sleep naked. Maggie even works in little more than underwear—and she's a mechanic , remember? With hot oil and sharp edges and dangerous machinery everywhere! I don't think she'd last a day under the hood of a car, let alone in the guts of a rocket ship, without any pants on.

Maybe I'm harping on this too much, but it does seem to me to be a very male view, literally and figuratively, to show two sexy young things who, as soon as the door closes and they're left alone together, start stripping and giggling. It creeped me out a little. Not that it ruined the reading experience or anything; it was a minor snag in an overall awesome, fun read. I sort of never felt totally awed by this book, which I'd hoped to, given its cult-classic status; but I enjoyed it the whole way through, and I'm definitely eager to read more from the Hernandez Bros.

View all 7 comments. Jan 14, Sebastien rated it really liked it. Love and Rockets was a seminal thing for in making me fall in love with comics. I'm currently rereading this series and it brings back a lot of memories. I grew up with European comics, but tbh it was really 3 things that blew up my interest in comics: Love and Rockets was one of the first series with realistic characters that I connected with.

One, I loved the art style, clean, beautiful, really nicely executed that communicates Love and Rockets was a seminal thing for in making me fall in love with comics. One, I loved the art style, clean, beautiful, really nicely executed that communicates with utter clarity. It has this kind of Archie look to it which was always a style that appealed to me. Three, I think the characters are just awesome, they feel real, and they are interesting because they aren't one-dimensional caricatures imo.

They are well-written and developed. I think I related more with it at that point as many of the characters were in that age range and Jaime was in that same age when he created those earlier story-lines. Rereading this work is interesting, it is a fully realized world, intermixing the quotidian of life in a CA barrio with touches of magical realism that balances things out super nicely, there is a feeling that anything can happen within the real life world.

It makes things exciting and sometimes a bit more unpredictable which I think is a good thing. I should mention the first volume has a much stronger sci-fi influence which has less emphasis as Jaime progressed with his comic over time. Sometimes the writing is awesome, sometimes average which I feel I perceive a bit more now that I've read more comics. I think this volume has choppier story-lines and the writing is less crisp, but from what I recall things get more defined and refined as the series progresses, but as with any long-running comic there are stronger periods and weaker ones.

I'm excited to keep rereading these, I still find magic in them!

Sep 27, Jenny Reading Envy rated it really liked it Shelves: I read this because it was part of the Banned Comics Humble Bundle, although this particular volume has not been registered as challenged or banned. I do somewhat appreciate being given two first-volumes in these linked series. I had read The Love Bunglers , something like book 27 in this grouping, and was completely lost. At least this one starts at the beginning but this graphic no I read this because it was part of the Banned Comics Humble Bundle, although this particular volume has not been registered as challenged or banned.

The women rarely wear pants. Also dinosaurs, girl mechanics, sexually fluid characters "sisters? I mean everything everything. Sometimes Maggie is a strong woman who is an amazing mechanic. Other times she is crying over a boy. I'm not sure what to make of it all but I would say I enjoyed it. Jun 25, Laura rated it it was ok. Jan 15, Fiona rated it liked it Shelves: I enjoyed reading this first collection in the 'Love and Rockets' series.

In my opinion, the very best thing about this book is the way the characters have been drawn: Nevertheless, I'm most certainly going to read the second collection - The Girl from H. Jul 10, Noah rated it liked it. So I was really glad to discover this newly put together collection that gives each of the major story lines in an easy to read sequential format.

That said, I realized once I started reading that I really had no idea what I was in for. I guess I was expecting something much more punk rock, and instead I discovered a surprisingly sweet, and strangely fantastical, slice of life! The artwork is as I already knew superb and the main characters feel very much like real people I've known even if the situations aren't always grounded in reality.

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I'm not completely sucked in yet, but I'm looking forward to where the story will go in volume 2 of this series. Dec 07, Matt rated it really liked it. I have a much better understanding of why people love Jaime Hernandez's work now. This is an interesting book, with some interesting lumps in its oatmeal-- the early plots are as weak as the characters are strong, and while I understand how Hernandez is trying to build a world that is essentially the sci fi equivalent of magical realism, the sudden invasion of alien assassins in the book combines awkwardly with the ordinary lives of Maggie, Hopey, and friends.

As the stories continue, though, the I have a much better understanding of why people love Jaime Hernandez's work now. As the stories continue, though, the strength of the characters win out, and the appearance of the occasional robot or super hero doesn't grate so much. The artwork is spectacular throughout, and is really a great model of what semi-realistic black and white art in comics should be.

I'm sure someone has written about the feminist sensibilities in Love and Rockets. This is one of the few books I've seen that easily passes the Bechdel test, probably in every single issue. There's also a mild exploitative streak in the artwork, but it's easily compensated for by the respect Hernandez shows his characters. Yes, they can be flighty or just plain crazy, yes sometimes they pine after handsome boys.

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They have an integrity and strength to them that deserves commendation, though. These are characters unlike any I've seen elsewhere, especially in comics. That alone makes this book worth reading. For more on comics, horror, humanity, morality and the world check out The Stupid Philosopher , aka a place where I put my words.

Dec 29, Kelly Furniss rated it liked it. I got this as part of the Humble Bundle banned book collection. I was interested to read this as I have seen many recommendations for " Love Bunglers" but had heard that for it to make sense the previous editions needed to be read and of course this is the first. Having got through a lot of graphic novels recently with astounding art Sandman etc this seemed suddenly quite basic but I liked the punk look of the characters which reinforced the portrayal of the strong feisty female character dri I got this as part of the Humble Bundle banned book collection.

Having got through a lot of graphic novels recently with astounding art Sandman etc this seemed suddenly quite basic but I liked the punk look of the characters which reinforced the portrayal of the strong feisty female character driven plot. I must admit I found the plot quite a struggle to follow which resulted in me not been engaged in the story as much as what I hoped for but it was still an enjoyable read.

Feb 16, Zedsdead rated it it was ok Recommends it for: Fans of Strangers in Paradise. A colorful cast of grease monkeys, professional wrestlers, and larger-than-life adventurers getting into a series of uninteresting scrapes. I like the black and white art, particularly the surprisingly realistic female characters males too, I suppose, but that's less remarkable. Reminds me of Terry Moore 's excellent work. But the walls of microtext and meandering story made me drowsy. A central narrative might have drawn me in but Maggie the Mechanic is kind of an ensemble character study a A colorful cast of grease monkeys, professional wrestlers, and larger-than-life adventurers getting into a series of uninteresting scrapes.

A central narrative might have drawn me in but Maggie the Mechanic is kind of an ensemble character study and I didn't care about the characters. They just stagger neurotically through their days while I space out and glance longingly at the next book in my reading stack. Oh Saga, Volume 5 , how I yearn to turn your glossy, colorful pages, to lose myself in your witty, inventive plot-driven splendor View all 3 comments.

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Dec 25, Sara rated it it was amazing Shelves: I really had forgotten how fantastic this series is. It's got great diverse characters, science fiction elements, and even fantastic puns that I missed the first time around. It's the second reread of the year, both of which have made me upgrade the books from 4 to 5 stars. I'm looking forward to starting on the second volume later tonight. Aug 24, Caroline rated it it was amazing Shelves: Aug 21, Tom Ewing rated it really liked it. When I was a nipper, received wisdom from the older comics heads seemed to be that Jaime Hernandez was the better artist and Gilbert Hernandez was the better writer.

I kicked back against this for a long time, as when I got around to picking up Love And Rockets in collected editions I fell hard for Maggie, Hopey, Izzy and the rest.

But on this re-read I get what they meant. The art is, of course, absolutely glorious, there are pages that just take my breath away the first appearance of the robo When I was a nipper, received wisdom from the older comics heads seemed to be that Jaime Hernandez was the better artist and Gilbert Hernandez was the better writer. The art is, of course, absolutely glorious, there are pages that just take my breath away the first appearance of the robot warehouse!

But while the world of Locas is enchanting, it still at this stage reads a little too much like a young guy's punk girl fantasia - it's telling that one of the stories that really works here as writing is the brief vignette of Speedy Ortiz and Joey chatting about Isabel and Maggie: And yes, I'd forgotten quite how much time is taken up by the Rand Race storyline.

Los Bros Hernandez always wore their influences and interests on the sleeves of their drawing arms - but where Gilbert Hernandez kept the small-town magic realism and the B-Movie madness separate before finding ways to gradually integrate them, Jaime's early stories are asking "Why CAN'T I do a comic that's about punk life and robots and spaceships and revolution and lady wrestlers all at once? Maggie at home is more interesting than Maggie in Rio Frio; Speedy is more interesting than Rand; Queen Rena is more interesting as a wrestler than as a pulp adventurer.

Race's next appearance, dropping by Hoppers to check up on Maggie, is a reminder that the terms of the comic have shifted for good. Mar 14, Keith rated it liked it. Maggie is headed to her first job as a prosolar mechanic in their vaguely sci-fi storyworld. We meet her fellow mechanics: The mechanics are working a job for billionaire HR Costigan, when the call comes in that Corporate has decided to blow up the worksite -- a common occurrence.

The mechanics move on to the next job, but their second worksite is infiltrated by Tall Tracker, who's trying to escape the planet with the help of robots. Rand and Maggie take him down, and later Maggie relates her first day at work to Hope and other friend Penny Century. Penny complains she used to date Rand, while Maggie considers her future. We learn Izzy introduced Maggie and Hopey in high school, when Maggie was more of a 'good girl' and Hopey a raging punk. Izzy and Maggie get into a fight and the group leaves Izzy's house, then run into Speedy, a local tough, who hits on Maggie before they all go to a punk show.

Penny loses her assembly line job. Costigan, her horned lover, says he'll take care of her, but Penny just wants to be a superhero. We learn a little more about all the characters as Maggie has another disastrous day on the job. Maggie has traveled to Zimbodia to excavate a rocket crashed in the jungle.

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The rocket is the Saturn Stiletto, and its buried in the remains of a rotting dinosaur. Penny visits for awhile, followed by Rena Titanon, former wrestling champ til Vicki Glori beat her unfairly. Rena arrives with Pedero, slimy son of Sanjo, so rich he owns the Zimbodian government. Pedero warns that as soon as he leaves, Sanjo will blow up the job site. He attacks Maggie, who is defended by Rand, who kills Pedero. We learn about Rena's past as a wrestler, and her lover Bernie Carbo, who piloted the Stiletto. When Sanjo blows the job site, the crew escapes Zimbodia -- but not before Rena becomes a folk hero, inspiring the Zimbodias to start a revolution against Sanjo.

From a jail cell, Bernie Carbo reads about the revolution with a smile. The two have a brief tryst until it's revealed that Bomber is married, at which point Penny returns to Costigan on her own. Costigan's jealous assistant Eva arranged for Costigan's wife to show up at an inopportune moment, and Penny gets back on the road.

O'delay, using the very money he gets from selling the cattle he stole. After arriving to Slim's hideout, the cows capture Slim. They run off with Slim's accomplices and buyer in pursuit on a steam train. When the chase stops, Rico is revealed to work for Slim. Slim dons his Yancy O'del costume and leaves the cows stranded in the middle of the desert with the train, while he goes to attend the auction. However, the cows arrive using the train to the farm and expose Slim. Slim is arrested by the police, and Patch of Heaven is saved by the reward money.

A few weeks pass, and at the county fair most of the livestock on Patch of Heaven have won prizes. Home on the Range was originally conceived as a supernatural western titled Sweatin' Bullets [1] [2] , some time during the mid 's when the Disney Renaissance was in full swing. In this version of the film, Alameda Slim and the Willie Brothers were a gang of ghostly rustlers who plotted to kill various herds of cattle in revenge for having been trampled to death years before.

The one thing standing in their way was a brave young calf and Lucky Jack , a rabbit who's foot was stolen by Slim years ago. Similar to how Kingdom of the Sun became The Emperor's New Groove , the film was entirely reworked into a comedy, going with a '50s UPA inspiration for the character design. Although it was originally considered to be the last traditionally animated film to have been released by Disney as the studio would be switching to computer animation , they would give the technique a comeback for 's The Princess and the Frog , which was a critical and commercial success, despite not performing well enough to fully convince the studio to make traditional hand-drawn animation one of their big priorities once again.

The film had actually finished production before Brother Bear. Sign In Don't have an account? It tells a tale of three cows who search for a wanted criminal to save their farm from going bankrupt. Contents [ show ]. Retrieved from " http: Big Thunder Ranch Halloween: Mickey's Boo-to-You Halloween Parade. Disney Sing Along Songs: Little Patch of Heaven.

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