Meet Suzanne Cotsakos of Mutasian Entertainment

Today we’d like to introduce you to Suzanne Cotsakos.

Suzanne, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I’ve moved around a lot in my life and had a few different careers along the way. But, I guess the abridged version is that I went to school to become an actor. But I was always really curious about life behind the camera too. So, I decided to go to film school after getting my degree in Theatre. From there, I started a production company out on the east coast that mainly focused on web series, clay-animated shorts, corporate event videos & short-form documentaries.

I brought on an Animation Producer named Ryan McCulloch (who I met at Film School). At school, we hit it off right away because of our shared love for humor that’s a little weird. While we were working on projects for my production company, Tami Cotsakos (my mom) was tossing around the idea of developing a children’s brand. My mom was a K-8 teacher for many, many years and she wanted to combine her love for children and animals with a creative and entertaining approach to learning some of life’s lessons. So, she spoke to me about it. It was just this tiny seed of an idea at the time, but I was on board 100%. That was almost ten years ago now. Since then, we have built a brand called MUTASIA.

MUTASIA is an island where all of the inhabitants (called Mutasians) are mixtures of two or more different animals. The series is about friendship and individuality. It takes a while to build a brand with a small team, but I’m proud of it. I co-author the books with my writing partner, Ryan McCulloch. Ryan is also our Chief Artist & Designer. His illustrations are vibrant and fun! I guess you could say, we finally found the perfect outlet to exercise our shared love for animation and humor! I also voice the lead character, Figley. Voice acting is a huge passion of mine, and playing Figley has been so much fun.

I also got back to my roots (during that time) and have been acting again. Plus, I’ve been doing improv & sketch for almost a decade now too. Currently, I perform once a month with my long-form improv troupe, Duncan Noise. Getting to perform each month with my pals is a real joy – We laugh a lot!

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It definitely has not been a smooth road. But, Is it ever a smooth road? I would love to meet a person who has had that experience!

As an actor, I feel like most people know the hardships. Constant rejection despite how hard to you work. And when you do work, you might not get another job for a while after it. It’s so inconsistent! So, it can be hard on your spirit… and on your finances. You also meet people along the way that are amazing and become life long friends, but then you also meet the people who aren’t so great. I’ve figured that one out the hard way a few times. It’s always tough when you do. But you learn and grow so it’s good in the long run.

As a company, you’re constantly trying to figure out where you belong. There are a lot of rules and opinions out there about what and who you should be. And sometimes you find yourself trying to fit in a box that might not be right for the brand. So, it ends up being a balance of taking advice and critique, but also not losing your vision. It can be challenging.

I would say that I’ve learned a lot though. I’ve learned a million ways not to do something. I’m mean, I’m still learning. And I think that’s a good thing. Most success is an ever-changing journey paved with bricks of failure. I think we’ve come a long way as a company. I think we’ve really found our voice over the past ten years, but I also hope we continue to learn and evolve. Change is a good thing. And I think we’re better for it. I know personally, I am too.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Mutasian Entertainment – what should we know?
Mutasian Entertainment is a children’s entertainment company. I am the co-founder, along with my mom, Tami Cotsakos. I am also the company’s Co-Head Writer. I write the books along with my writing partner (and illustrator), Ryan McCulloch.

As a company, we strive to create a brand that encourages creativity and teaches about life’s many lessons in a fun and humorous way. We created Mutasia for several reasons. First off, we wanted to create a world that we would’ve loved as kids. Secondly, it was really important to us to embrace and celebrate what makes each child unique. That’s why all the characters are mixed-up mixes of different animals. We wanted the characters to represent the individuality that each child possesses.

Mutasia is an island where all the characters are a mix of two or more animals. We have our main character, Figley, who’s part possum, part cow and part bird. His friends are just as mixed-up as he is, like Billie Twinklecorn, who’s a penguin-leopard-narwhal mix, and Chadwick, who’s a cheetah-elephant-frog. There’s also a bunch of exotic wildlife everywhere you look! We wanted to create stories that parents could enjoy just as much as the kids!

We constantly hear from parents that they actually enjoy reading our books over and over to their children! Our books are written to be entertaining and funny for both kids and adults, so it’s always really cool when we get that feedback.

Our books are available on our website (www.mutasia.com), Amazon and Barnes & Noble. We also have stuffed animals, a DVD and a music album that you can buy on our website. And for some fun and silly music videos, check out our YouTube channel!

Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
There are two people that have helped shape me as an actor and for that, I’m so thankful.

I am constantly challenged and supported by my acting coach, Don Bloomfield (Don Bloomfield Actors Studio – DBA Studios). He has taught me to trust myself and my instincts. He’s shown me how to always make deeper choices and to be more creative with those choices. And he pushes me when I’m scared to try things. He’s very passionate about acting and his students. Plus, he’s extremely inspirational when you feel down and out and needs a pep talk. Haha! I’m very lucky to have found his class when I moved to LA many moons ago.

I also am lucky to have found my comedy mentor, Donovan Scott. He’s taught me everything I know about improv, sketch, and comedy in general. He’s also my friend, and I adore him. I performed with him for many, many years. I am SO lucky for that opportunity. I also trained under him (and my pal Gregory Hoyt) to teach improv. Which I do, and I love it… but that’s another story!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.suzannecotsakos.com, www.mutasia.com
• Instagram: @suzannecotsakos, @mutasia
• Other: www.youtube.com/mutasia

Image Credit:
Cali Bloom Photography

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