Maricela

Maricela is a resident of the fictional Chicano barrio of Hoppers 23, introduced in the early issues of Jaime Hernandez's 'Locas' stories in Love and Rockets. She navigates the friendships, rivalries, and everyday dramas of barrio life alongside Maggie, Hopey, and their circle.

Maricela made her entrance in the pages of Love and Rockets #3 back in 1983, born from the singular imagination of Gilbert Hernandez during the Bronze Age and stepping into one of the most celebrated alternative comics universes ever put to paper. Over nearly four decades — a remarkable 37-year span across Love and Rockets, Luba, and Love and Rockets Bonanza! — she has remained a fixture of Hernandez's richly human storytelling, with three of her appearances earning key-issue recognition among collectors. She keeps extraordinary company: Luba, Ofelia Beltran, Casimira de los Santos, Maggie Chascarillo, and Pipo Jimenez all share her world, a constellation of unforgettable characters that makes Fantagraphics' Love and Rockets one of the most character-dense and emotionally rewarding sagas in comics history. If you're discovering the Hernandez Brothers' work, Maricela is one of those presences who reminds you why this series has earned its devoted following across generations.