Today we’d like to introduce you to Eric Gonzalez.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Eric. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I’ve been drawing since before I can remember. I always knew I was going to pursue a career as an artist, that is if my dreams of becoming a professional basketball player or a rock star didn’t work out. I loved to paint and I loved animation but mostly, I loved storytelling, which was a huge part of both. After spending every day in high school drawing in the margins of my homework, I went to college at Cal State Fullerton, which I chose because I read that they had a program in which they worked closely with animation studios to foster talent, and also because it was only a 30-minute drive from my house in Corona, CA.
There I got deeply immersed in the magic of animation and storytelling through design, color, and sequential art. It’s where I met some of the most talented people I’ve ever known, many of which I still get to work with and some of which are my best friends today. One of those includes Erich Haeger, the co-owner, co-creator of our company Muertoons.
After college, I was lucky enough to get an internship and then a job at Cartoon Network Studios in Burbank, CA on Craig McCracken’s Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends. After that, I was again lucky enough to continue my career in animation on the show Class of 3000, which was created by Outkast’s Andre 3000. After that, I got to work with two of my favorite artists and people Jorge Gutierrez and Sandra Equihua on their show El Tigre The Adventures of Manny Rivera. For 14 years now, I’ve been lucky enough to work with some of the best artists in animation at several studios including Disney TV Animation, Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, Warner Bros. Animation, Fox Animation and Oddbot Inc.
Throughout all this, Erich Haeger and I were hard at work on a graphic novel idea that eventually evolved into a children’s book call Rosita Y Conchita, an English and Spanish rhyming storybook about the Mexican holiday Dia de los Muertos. We started setting up at conventions and expos to sell our books, eventually catching the eye of a licensing agent who then introduced us to our newest partner, Wilmer Valderrama. With Wilmer’s company WVE Enterprises, we produced six animated episodes called Muertoons.
It’s been a dream to be able to connect to my roots by creating artwork and telling stories that parents can share with their children. As we look to the future, we hope to create bigger animated projects and more books for everyone to enjoy!
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I would say the road is smooth but only because we put so much hard work into building it that way. We’ve had some obstacles of course, but I think obstacles are what make the journey worthwhile and interesting. It’s been a grind but more like a coffee grind where you end up with the main ingredient you need to make something amazing. We are still currently on that grind and we are just looking for that hot water to make something that gets people up in the morning!
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Muertoons – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
Muertoons started out as independent publisher run by two people (Erich and I), along with the support of my amazing wife Yolanda, Erich’s wife Kelly, and many other family members and friends. We are still an independent publisher at our core but we have also evolved into a company and a brand of sorts. A company that produces animation, plush toys, art prints, and apparel, and a brand that celebrates a culture and makes it accessible to children and adults of all cultures. That is something that makes us proud, celebrating diversity and spreading joy through the colorful lens that is Dia de los Muertos and the Mexican culture altogether.
One thing that sets us apart from other children’s books and publishers is that our books are written in both English and Spanish all in the same book, on the same page. Readers whether they are native English or Spanish speakers, can read one sentence in one language and then immediately compare it to its counterpart in the other. Our books have been very useful in the dual immersion program at many Elementary schools throughout the Southern California area and several other states as well. Last year we made a deal with Scholastic to temporarily publish Rosita Y Conchita and add it to the Club Leo catalog for school kids to order. Rosita Y Conchita was also turned into a stage play at a theater in Austin, Texas called the Austin Scottish Rite Theater. It is has been ongoing seasonally for several years now.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
We are always working on new books. Looking for new opportunities for fun and interesting partnerships. Hoping to tell more stories whether it is in print or on the screen. Spreading more cultural love, doing what we love to do everyday, sharing it with everyone, and still hoping for that perfect cup of coffee.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.muertoons.com
- Email: thegute32@gmail.com
- Instagram: @muertoons @speed.e.gonzalez
- Facebook: facebook.com/muertoons
- Twitter: @muertoons
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