Naco

In 1998 I was still studying Illustration at Art Center, one afternoon a friend and I were joking around and we decided to make some T-shirts with funny slang expressions in spanish and "mexicanized" english terms such as "Estar Güars" (the latin american phonetic expression of Star Wars). Both of us grew up coming and going to and from the U.S. and Mexico, both of us were bicultural and bilingual and we both had a sense of humor...

... What started as a joke started getting a lot of attention, and interest from people like Diego Luna, and Juanes. With the backing of some investors and the endorsement of some cool celebrities, the joke eventually became a full-time business. By 2002 we had been featured in GQ magazine and in 2007 on CNN. We got a chance to work with some heavy-hitters making everything from commercials, and consulting for films, to album covers, and merchandise.

It was an incredible experience, I learned many things about business and things outside my comfort zone of illustration and design. I will always carry the Naco days with me... it was because of Naco that I even use a computer, and thanks to Naco I've made great contacts and clients. I'm very fortunate to have had the opportunities that I had, but now I want to return to doing what I dreamed of doing since I was a kid, illustration. I'm pretty rusty since I haven't held a brush in over a decade, and digital painting wasn't even in the picture when I was studying. But I'm having a blast going to classes on weekends at The Concept Design Academy in Pasadena, learning to use the new wonderful tools available, and regaining my skills a little bit at a time.....