Today we’d like to introduce you to Monica Lopez.
Hi Monica, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Hi there! My name is Monica Lopez, a 1st generation Mexican-American and Illustrator. My journey in my career has taken many turns but led me back to the one thing I’ve always been passionate of doing as a kid, which is illustrating. It all started when I was lucky to have an amazing fashion program in high school, and my teacher, Ms. Gallagher, told me I had to go to Otis College of Art and Design no matter what. Which I eventually was accepted and graduated with a bachelor’s in fine arts majored in Fashion Design. Three years into the fashion industry, I decided it wasn’t for me as I yearned for a more creative outlet and decided to switch gears and work at Mattel as a Graphic Designer in Girls Soft-goods division. Being there was a positive experience that opened my curiosity for toy design and filled in the void that I was missing as a creative individual. After a year, I switched departments and started my role as a Senior Designer for a brand called Ever After High. Where I was grateful to illustrate a couple of costume designs that would be featured in the movie Epic Winter and designed/developed fashion dolls.
Eventually, I ended up at another competitor, being a Lead Designer in both IP and licensed brands for the girls’ fashion dolls division. I had the amazing opportunity to co-design for a collab with Marvel for their first-ever girl’s fashion doll line featured from 2018 Marvel Rising: Secret Warriors animation series. Becoming my proudest design moments, I created since it featured fun and diverse super hero characters. But slowly after four years of working as a Lead Designer, my creative outlet was starting to dissolve due to most of the projects were vended out. Although I was unable to draw in this position, I was able to get insight information for rates on being a freelance illustrator, and this sparked something within me that I too can do this.
In the beginning of 2020, I decided to take the leap and switch on over to becoming a full-time freelance illustrator focused on character and product design. A year after, I had a vision for a comic book story about two sisters (Metzi and Sola) from a royal family based in outer space. At the end of 2021, I self-published a prelude short original comic named Metzi that will set the tone for the larger story. The story is still being under development due to world-building that draws influences from Mexican mythology and my love for astrology. In 2023, I decided to make it official by first trademarking and calling my business Moniliza™; a combination of my first and middle in which my sisters used to call me as a kid. For the first time ever, decided to sell products at three events, one of them being LA Comic Con; where I sold my short comic Metzi, prints, and stickers.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It wasn’t, but I am thankful for being where I am today and where Moniliza™ is going in the future. Unfortunately, being a minority there is dealing with constant gatekeeping, unsolicited comments, or individuals who don’t think you are talented. But that has not stopped me to continue creating and strengthening my skills. Without my fashion design background, I wouldn’t understand how fabric/ design is constructed on a body, which is a useful asset to doing character design and sets me apart from other creatives. Without toy design, I wouldn’t be able to know what makes a character memorable and/or unique, which is something I keep in mind while developing Metzi comics.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My brand Moniliza™ offers illustrating services that are mostly geared toward character/product design for animation studios and toy companies. I draw cute, trendy characters with a fantasy twist.
My proudest moment is developing my own original comic series that features a moon princess named Metzi. Inspired by Mexican mythology and my love for astrology.
What sets my brand apart is not only my career background but also my love for turning imagination into reality with my illustrations. Drawing inspiration from many outlets that include original webcomics, kpop, traveling, art, and anime, which living in LA is never a dull moment for inspiration.
You can find me at this year’s C2E2 Artist Alley on April 26-28 and San Diego Comic Con. For more events this year, please follow my Instagram @monilizadraws.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
Besides my friends and family, I am thankful for my two greatest mentors, Eva Ozon and Sara Coon. I met Eva Ozon in 2011 at my first fashion design job as my manager at SYLK and Sara Coon in 2014 as my manager at Mattel. Both are now my closest friends and still to this day, I asked them questions regarding business or brainstorm any new creative ideas. They’ve both helped me expand my way of thinking of things in a bigger picture and have a brand identity, which is essential to the digital age today.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.moniliza.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/monilizadraws/
- Other: https://linktr.ee/moniliza?utm_source=qr_code
