Meet Eric Ramos of Super Torta! Book in Downtown LA

Today we’d like to introduce you to Eric Ramos.

So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Earl E. Edmondson Elementary School (Norwalk, CA) 1999-2000: It all began with a 3rd grade class field trip where I overpacked a lunch consisting of 3 TORTAS!… I know, I know, sounds a bit extreme, but my mom allowed it haha The love for tortas was real as far as I can remember.Nettie L. Waite Middle School (Norwalk, CA) 2003-2004: SUPER TORTA! book was born as a 7th grade class project, I drew with color pencils & glued pages together to form a “pop-up” book for extra credit. I still remember my classmate’s reactions to the book, they loved it since they all knew about my love for tortas, sure enough…. I received an A+ in that class assignment.

July 5th, 2019: I used to believe my book was too “Mexican”… & so over time I left many unfinished pages with words/sketches. I focused instead on my marketing/design career which I excelled at in Beverly Hills at a luxury brokerage where I ran many marketing/advertising campaigns, previously in Irvine at home automation company where I focused on product packaging/retail displays/app ui design… but I always needed to create my OWN story… literally. So after six years of contemplating whether or not to actually create SUPER TORTA! book… I finally wrote, illustrated, published it for the world to enjoy.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It’s a bit depressing looking back now to realize that I suppressed such an innocent project & neglected the world from a unique urban Mexican-American perspective in children’s literature for a reaaaaalllyyyy long time, mainly because I was afraid of what the world would think of my story.The hardest part was sharing the idea of writing SUPER TORTA! book to family, close friends, & past relationships who unintentionally overlooked or misunderstood my passion project. There was little to no support in the very beginning, so I REALLY had to believe in my craft and work late into many nights until dawn… then continue off to work. It was exhausting, but I really LOVED the process, it gave my life a new type of meaning & purpose.

Working in Real Estate here in SoCal, I had to believe in myself before anyone took me serious as a writer or illustrator. I became hyper focused in my mission, I kind of fell off the face of the earth with friends, my family would often check in with me to see if I was ok. I had to MAKE time for this book to happen, now I’m overjoyed that I did.

Please tell us about Super Torta! Book.

SUPER TORTA! book is a personal story that many people can relate to and many can learn about in such a light-hearted way. The cure to anything is a smile on your face and I see people’s faces light up when they read through my book, it truly uplifts my spirits. The whole story is basically a biography of my imagination, as you can actually visit some of the locations depicted in the book that played an important role in my life. The main character “Bombo”, is an actual nickname my parents gave me and every now then still call me to this day… there’s also a giant torta that goes on a rampage though Los Angeles, guess who is the only boy who can stop it?

SUPER TORTA! book is created to empower the imagination of inner-city kids who grew up with little to no representation in the world of literature. In many urban cities across America, the expression of our imagination is a form of coping with socially “less-ideal” situations. I took a surrealistic approach to the illustrations by including relatable physical locations, people, and urban incidents (like a helicopter chase). At the same time, I infused the humor, cuisine, & culture found in many Latino neighborhoods around LA… and throughout the USA for that matter.Whether in an affluent neighborhood or humble neighborhood, a child’s imagination can see past the material settings and see things with a higher perspective to entertain themselves. It’s such a powerful skill that I wish the next generation develops, the world needs creative minds to imagine a better place whether its through music, entertainment, inventions, technology, etc.

Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
In kindergarten… I recall a little work station that had all kinds of craft supplies where I would spend time cutting, gluing, stapling, coloring, etc… I literally can remember the feeling of sitting in front of the tiny workspace against the wall & looking up at the cubbies filled with a variety of supplies…. I’ve honored the child in me with SUPER TORTA! book (*takes a deep sigh*).

My mother would often walk through a historic gang zone known as the “One Ways”, just to take my siblings and I to the library after school. I truly admire her for making literature an important role in our lives, we would spend our summers at Alondra library partaking in community programs that they would host. Now that I’m older, I realize that we didn’t have a family car at the time, so we walked 2 miles round trip from our house… she didn’t have to walk us there, it was purely out of love for us to learn & mentally grow! I seriously love my mother (*wipes condensation around the eyes, not tears*).