Fantagraphics' Video Preview of Jaime Hernandez's Penny Century

Penny Century by Jaime Hernandez - video preview

Fantagraphics Books MySpace Video

I snagged this off their MySpace blog because I think it's pretty nifty. Someone pages through a copy of Fantagraphics' upcoming book Penny Century and we get look at it from his point of view. It's like one of those subjective shots in a Halloween flick, only without the heavy breathing and building suspense. Although it might have been cooler if this guy had been holding a bloody knife in one hand, or they shot it through a mask's eyeholes.

This is a must-buy book for me. I've never read any of Jaime Hernandez's wrestling stories from Whoa Nelllie!, but the book contains all of those, plus Penny Century, which I consider his best work and one of the finest American comics ever published. I'd stick it at the number one spot on my list if Jaime had tossed out a few more issues before he and Gilbert went back to the Love and Rockets title. Penny Century has it all-- love, humor, heartbreak, horror, Hank Ketchum-style kids and "Inquiritis!," in which a happy-faced Penny Century parades around Izzy's house completely naked, then goes to the supermarket wearing only a tiny apron and brings joy to all who see her.

I often get "Inquiritis!" confused with the Clint Eastwood-directed feel-good sport flick Invictus, but I find Jaime Hernandez's sexy renderings of Penny Century infinitely more pleasing to the eye than either Morgan Freeman's or Matt Damon's faces.

Penny Century also includes Jaime's one-shot Maggie & Hopey Color Fun (in black and white), which is my favorite single comic of all time.

Anyway, enjoy the video!