books i read on vacation part one

Since my vacation is fast-approaching I realized I had started but never finished an article from a previous vacation (seven months ago!)

I had never been one to read "Gasoline Alley" so when I found this I had to try it out. "Walt and Skeezix" starts from the earliest "GasAl" strips available through the day Skeezix was left on Walt Willit's door step through the first year or two of the series. Given the times it was originally printed there are some references, both racial and topical, that should be over looked but on the whole is an excellent piece of history (comic and otherwise) that I found could not be out down for very long. As one of the few strips where the characters age "naturally" it makes for great story arcs including a fun take on cross-country travel with Walt and his cronies.

 One of two Love and Rockets books I read (The other "Esperanza"), "Penny Centure" is a collection of Jaime Hernandez'
works. I have been reading the Hernandez Brothers work since working at New England Comics back in 1987, taking a chance on a small British print. From there I was hooked. This and "Esperanza" come from the new series (I believe) and enough can't be said. The stories still focus on Hopey and the gang and are for the timid or the young as this material deals with a lot of adult themes.

The Duggars are the reverse of anything encountered in Love and Rockets. One could make a joke about a woman using her body as a toy (and I suppose it's been done) but I truly feel these people believe exactly what they say or write. At the time I read these books Michelle was expecting her 20th or 21st child (which unfortunately did not happen) and have at least a better understanding of their beliefs, even tho one would think it's taken to extremes. Altho they're both well written and interesting I found "20 and Counting" the better of the two.