Jojo is Willing to Fight the Mob for Gilda
Love Me: A Romance Story #1 and #2 – Written By Francesca Perillo; Art By Stefano Cardoselli, Lorenzo Scaramella and Buddy Beaudoin) situates Jojo in a hostile futuristic New York, with graffiti and anti-robot slogans plastered on each colorful and chaotic building. Yet, Jojo seems to be content with his routine, pleased to put on some Nina Simone and help his riders get where they're going.
The story of Love Me takes off when Jojo meets passenger Gilda, initiating an adventure that has so far embodied a diverse set of influences and genre conventions.
Jojo Finds Love and Trouble
Gilda is a classic-film-and-Nina Simone-loving character, offering Jojo a glimpse of the partnership he craves. When they exchange numbers and make plans to meet that night, the hopeful Robot is overwhelmed with joy. Unfortunately, Jojo's brief taste of human connection plunges him into despair when Gilda fails to show up for their movie date. As Frida the cat narrates, Jojo withdraws from the things that typically bring him joy, refraining from work and skipping his daily coffee. Unexpectedly, that is when Gilda reaches back out, asking for help.
The colorful and eclectic artwork of Love Me reflects the beautiful outlook of its hero. The stunning chaos is drawn the way Jojo sees the world – as a kaleidoscope of different people and experiences. It's no surprise, then, that Jojo is so deeply passionate as a character, risking everything for a woman he met once. Further, he continues to pursue her rescue even after he's warned by Wizard of the deadly nature of his situation. Frida may be right that Jojo is too optimistic, but she is wrong to believe he is naive.
Love Me #2: Jojo's Search for Gilda
As the plot of Love Me progresses, Jojo in turn calls his boss, Wizard, at the taxi depot, looking for more information on Alfio's. The mob restaurant was only detail given to him by his damsel in distress. Wizard lets him in on the drama Gilda has found herself embroiled in, having rejected marriage proposals from the mafioso heir, Carmelo, twice. Ignoring Wizard's warnings, Jojo goes directly to Alfio's in pursuit of Gilda and her cry for help. Overall, so far, the story of Love Me has moved forward as a powerful imperative, a pleading wish.
Each frame overflows with imagery, sometimes literally unable to contain the artwork. The narration and dialogue are both raw and emotional, fraught with questions and opinions deeply colored by the environment of the hostile city. Through it all, Jojo hunts love like a cat, quiet and insistent. Having briefly found the missing piece to his happiness, nothing will stop him from getting it back. As calmly as he pursues his daily life, the besotted Robot will cut through the city's underbelly like a knife, asking "Where's Gilda?" in this wild tale reminiscent of Taxi Driver meets WALL-E.
