In this collection of autobiographical comics, underground cartoonist Spain Rodriguez shines a light on his most interesting subject: himself.
In
My Life & Times
, Spain turns his eye on himself to create his most candid, autobiographical comic stories, which draw on the pivotal moments of his formative years: cruising with teen pals and wild acquaintances; the Buffalo, New York, jazz clubs; close encounters with women and sexuality; and his growth as an artist. Through rarely seen paintings, a sampling of sketchbook pages, and dozens of stories, in addition to essays by historian Patrick Rosenkranz,
explains how Spain went from a misguided youth to a high-profile denizen of San Francisco’s Mission District to a community elder who attempted to bridge the gap between underground comix and the emerging Latino Art Movement — he was even included in the "Neighborhood Heroes" mural at the local middle school. This collection of comics from
Zap
,
Blab!
Young Lust
Rip Off Comix
, and
The Comics Journal
make for Spain's most personal contributions from his over six-decade career.