Rita Mankovich

A quietly compelling presence in the Modern Age of alternative comics, Rita Mankovich made her entrance in the pages of Love and Rockets #11 (2004), brought to life by the singular Gilbert Hernandez for Fantagraphics. She inhabits the rich, character-dense world that has made Love and Rockets one of the most celebrated series in independent comics, sharing those pages with the likes of Krista St. John, Jenna Chong, Julio Reyes, Mark Herrera, and Lavalda Dane. Her catalog footprint is small but select — and in Hernandez's hands, even a brief appearance carries the emotional weight of a fully lived life.