Yesterday, we saw/heard Jaime Hernandez at IFOA - one half of Los Bros Hernandez, creators of one of the most important comic book series in the last 25 years. What can you say really? You get to hear an author and artist whose work you've admired for years and that person becomes sort of unreal in a way. He certainly wasn't what I expected. Quiet, gracious and even a little reserved. I suppose I really expected someone who looked more like a member of Los Lobos than an author. Based on his Love and Rockets stories, you might think Jaime Hernandez might be brash, loud or just a touch more punk. Maybe he was that way 20 years ago. Perhaps time soothes youthful noise. When looking at his artwork, the one thing that really comes across is confidence. Those big, bold, black lines scream confidence. He has every right to be arrogant but thankfully he wasn't.

Despite a terrible cold, I'm still glad we went and I'm glad that the International Festival of Authors has, for the last three years, included at least 2 or 3 comic book artists in their line-ups of interviews and readings.

Earlier in the day, I attended another great interview. Seth interviewed two distinguished artists from France, Phillipe Dupuy & Charles Berberian whose successful series "Mr. Jean" has just been compiled into a new book published in English by Drawn & Quarterly. Needless to say, I ended up dropping $60 on books yesterday. At least there was free Starbucks coffee.