Nhora Lucía Serrano, director of academic technology, teaching, and research services, has published a new scholarly essay in Snapshots: Teaching Los Bros Hernandez, a new anthology from San Diego State University Press.
In “Garden of the Flesh and Its Countercultural Legacies,” Serrano examines Gilbert Hernandez’s provocative 2016 graphic novella as a satirical reimagining of biblical narratives, echoing the visual and cultural legacy of British penny dreadfuls and American Tijuana bibles. She explores how the book’s compact, prayer-book-like format and sexually explicit content critique humanity’s privileging of carnal over spiritual knowledge.
Through a close reading of Hernandez’s reworking of Genesis—from the creation story to Noah’s Ark—Serrano argues that Garden of the Flesh parodies devotional traditions while gesturing toward the history of underground comix and subversive visual culture.
This new anthology is a “who’s who” of Latinx comics scholarship, featuring leading experts on Los Bros Hernandez and underground comix. With contributions from top scholars in the field, Snapshots is poised to become an essential resource for teaching and learning in comics studies, visual culture, and Latinx literature across higher education.
Posted September 25, 2025
