It's rare that an artist reaches the heights in such disparate worlds as gritty independent comics and British psychedelic music, but Oxnard-born cartoonist Gilbert “Beto” Hernandez has for more than 30 years taken his experiences from life and punk rock and distilled them into an ever-evolving universe that readers ignore at their peril. The co-creator of the nigh-unto-perennial Love & Rockets comic book tonight presents his memoir, Marble Season (Drawn and Quarterly) — and, as a special bonus, will present the slideshow “From Funnybooks to Graphic Novels,” which shines a light on the childhood comic books that fueled his growing confidence and vision. The main character Huey, based on the artist, is the middle child in an extended family making its way in the SoCal suburbs of the '60s. Illustrator Howard Chaykin once observed, “What's the Golden Age of comics? Twelve!” — and Hernandez is no stranger to the truth of this particular quip, his adolescence shot through with an unfolding imagination that moves readers the world over, far from the strawberry fields of beautiful downtown Oxnard. Skylight Books, 1818 N. Vermont Ave., Los Feliz; Wed., April 24, 7:30 p.m.; free, book is $21.95. (323) 660-1175, skylightbooks.com.

Wed., April 24, 7:30 p.m., 2013

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