Recently I got the chance to speak with students and staff from "Walden School" in Berkeley CA. I had a great time sharing Furqan's First Flat Top with them, my Art of Rob book, and lots about my work in kids books. They had great questions as kids and adults always do so it was fun. Check out some photos!
These photos were taken by Gina Centanni :)
Dig this? Check out some photos from a visit I did with Prospect Sierra in Berkeley as well.
Yup, I will be at the famed "Cartoon Art Museum" this Sunday. If you're around the city please come say hello. I'll be there April 2nd from 1-3pm talking about my work and my new art book "Art of Rob". This is a cool museum where you can see original art from folks who've worked in illustration, animation, cartooning, and pop culture. I've been there before and its a really cool place to check out or hang!
Feliz Año nuevo. Juiced to tell you that "Art of Rob" is making its way into more brick and mortar community based independent bookstores in the US. I love sharing information about bookstores because they are little cultural hubs for reading, art, politics, sometimes food, dating :), learning, and reading of course. If you can please go support these book and art galleries, you're guaranteed to find something unique.
1. Modern Mouse - Alameda California2223 S Shore Center, Alameda, CA 94501
This gift store/ art gallery houses some of the coolest books, art prints, t-shirts, stickers, candles, toys, jewelry, and more in the East Bay. I'm not sure when it was founded but Matt and Mynt took over the company in 2017 and they are Queer and Woman of color owned. Check them out!
2. Push/Pull- Seattle Washington2000 NW Market St, Seattle, WA 98107
Push & Pull is a cool independent bookstore located in the northwest side of Seattle right in between Adams and WestWoodland. They are go to spot for independent comix, books, gifts, and art. Not only that but they publish folks and host regular events. If you were at the Short Run Fest you might have seen their table. Go support them!
3. E14 - Oakland California461 9th St, Oakland, CA 94607
E14 has been rocking with me since Furqan's First Flat Top debuted. They are a project and offshoot of the EastSide Arts Cultural center in East Oakland and they featured clothing, jewelry, art, toys, and books. Every year they host an array of local talent through gallery shows and vendor events. Go check them out. Brown and Black owned!
Skylight is a cool independent bookstore located in the Los Feliz section of Los Angeles. They have a huge selection of books. They host author readings and feature independent creators such as myself. They host a lot of cool book events, have a podcast, and feature banned books! Check them out.
What is "Art of Rob"? Its my 130 page art book featuring character designs, paintings, sketches, tutorials, and more for the burgeoning young artists!
Note:If you have not received your book in the mail from the kickstarter or you believe it got lost in the mail please message me here or email me at info@robdontstop.com If you'd like to purchase a copy directly from me you can using thisLINK.
Did you see the first three bookstores to carry the book? Here's a LINK to that post featuring The Multicultural Children's Bookstore, Marcus Books, and Pegasus Books
Yo, had a chance to speak and read to a bunch of families of the Prospect Sierra School in Berkeley California at Pegasus Books in support of a fundraiser for the school. This was only the second time I've presented about my work in relation to my art book "Art of Rob" and it was well received. Lots of young ones copped the book and I got to do some doodles in their books.
Some of the topics we discussed in this presentation were:
The power of representation in kid lit and media
Literacy and the path to reading for fun
My art, career timeline, family, and art inspiration
Diverse Books, self publishing, and the publishing world
Social justice movements, activism, and art
Pegasus books is an old bookstore based in Berkeley and Oakland. The Solano store has a huge selection of diverse kids books and I'm always like a kid in a candy store when I'm there. Prospect Sierra is an independent or private school in El Cerrito California. I have been doing school visits as a storyteller since 2012 and I worked as an arts teacher from 2002-2010. I don't miss being a teacher, but I do love talking to young people!
Dig this? I've been presenting to, reading to, and speaking with young people in presentations like these for more than a decade. Check out some photos from a public school reading at Bella Vista in Oakland, or Woodland Elementary in Oakland.
Also, here's is a link to an interview I did for Rightnowish on KQED.
Here's the first and second part of an interview I did with Oakland Creates founder Avy Jetter. Check it out and come to the Oakland Creates Art, Comics, and Zine show in Oakland this weekend!
Oakland Creates Art, Comics and Zine Fest began as a vision about bringing folks together through art and giving them an opportunity to present their best selves, learn how to make a living while both interacting and serving their community with positive action. A vision to help empower folks to learn about themselves and develop themselves in multiple areas of the lives whether it’s education, healing, leadership or fulfilling their own art vision.
part 2
Oakland Creates prioritizes women of color, Queer, Disabled, Black artists and or any underrepresented artists whether they be new or emerging artists just starting out or artists that just have not been given proper promotion or marketing. Oakland Creates holds space and gives opportunities to amazing creative folk who have something awesome to say to the world and our local community. Oakland Creates celebrates storytelling and positive engagement. Let’s keep the conversation going. Because if we don’t tell our own stories, then who will?
Wow, I'm excited to announce that "Furqan's First Flat Top/ El Primer Corte de Mesita de Furqan" has officially sold out of its 2nd print run. That makes over 3000 books sold hand to hand, at events, or sent to folks all over the US and the world.
Some day I'll do a video about what it took to do this independently without the help of a publisher or marketing team. At the time I decided to do it I was getting little to no love from the industry. I've since learned that this is partially what it means to be a beginning author/illustrator and that there is and was a huge problem with the diversity of kids books!
Here's the post I did about the book release at EastSide Arts Alliance w/ Kati Cepeda and Aya de Leon. And the trailer for the book got over 5k views! Holy smokes.Never expected it to reach so many people but it has and folks are still learning about it today!
It all started with one or two books. Now I've worked on over 10 children's books as an illustrator and/or author with more on the way. Furqan is temporarily sold out but you can cop the latest book I illustrated for Jill Guerra "We Are Yoga/ Somos Yoga".
And if you missed my kickstarter you can cop my first book of art including 130 pages of sketch book art, character designs, tutorials, and more Art of Rob LINK.
Sup with it fam? I'm excited to share that "Art of Rob" is making its way into actual community based independent bookstores. Juiced!!!! I love sharing information about bookstores because they are little cultural hubs for reading, art, politics, sometimes food, dating :), learning, and reading of course.
1. The Multicultural Bookstore - Richmond California
This bookstore was founded in Richmond back in 2016 or 2017. It is Black owned and has one of the largest selection of kids books featuring children of color. Black, Indigenous, Asian, Latinx, Middle Eastern, and Queer kids books. They specialize in picture books, but also carry middle grade, chapter books, YA, novels, biographies, and art books :)
This is the oldest Black owned bookstore in country y'all. Originally founded in San Francisco and Oakland, the Oakland location remains a staple for the Bay and the Black community. I shopped there as a teen for textbooks, as a young father, and now as a book creator myself. They have the widest selection of Black literature in the Bay period. Novels, non fiction, comics, picture books, photography books, biographies, cards, and art books!!
Pegasus has been in the bay since 1969. This is a very cool and progressive store that has cook books, kids books, comics, novels, zines, posters, art books of course, and they buy, sell, and trade books. There are three locations in the East Bay and my book is at all three so cop it there!
One of the most amazing things about bookstores (and libraries for that matter) is the possibility of discovery. You might not even know you would see your friend there or find a book that you know a friend would cherish. That being said, visit these stores if you're in the Bay. If there is a bookstore you cherish that would understand my little art book please let me know! My hope is that young people will discover something cool in this art book. Peace! Thx for reading. Stay tuned...
Note: If you have not received your book in the mail or you believe it got lost in the mail please message me here or email me at info@robdontstop.com If you'd like to purchase a copy directly from me you can using this LINK.
Dig this? Check out this video of fathers day 2022 by Marcus books. And if you have a bookstore I should get the book into, please let me know.
Fam, the book is finally in the shop and the majority of the books have gone out to the backers. If you missed the kickstarter campaign now you can cop a book.
For all the homies and fam that thru down, shared, or sent words of encouragement-thank you! Time to chill. 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾 shout out to my wifey @thejoyliu for the ill book design and listening to me blab abt it! Thank you all so much!! Stay tuned......
In case u were holding out until the last minute, I just wanted to let you know that you have 20 hours left to back the "ART of ROB" Kickstarter campaign before it ends tonight. So please go throw down if you were meaning to. Not sure if we'll hit the third stretch goal, but we hit two already!
Peace, my name is Robert Liu-Trujillo. I write and illustrate stories. I design characters, and I paint murals occasionally too. Parenthood, Ethnic Studies, Storytelling, Music, Social Justice, Film, Science Fiction, Design, & Publishing are regular thoughts. To contact me for commissioned art, freelance, or collaboration. Email me: info@robdontstop.com
