Feel Good Hour w/ Farbeon

Yo, i'm excited to be a guest on the "Feel Good Happy Hour" w/ my bro Farbeon (MC/DJ/Educator). I'll be on next week on Friday Feb 10th. My dude hosts this show where he interviews artists, musicians, and educators about what they do, music they like, and what makes them feel good.

TUNE IN: On Bonfire Radio to hear it

Stream it here:  

Dig this? Check out this episode of Rightnowish

Video: Oakland Creates Interview

 

part 1

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!

Facebook invite

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?


Time: 11:00am - 5:00pm
Where: OakStop 1721 Broadway, Oakland, CA
Twitter:@Oakland_Creates

IG: @oaklandcreates

Dig this? Check out my episode of Rightnowish w/ Pendarvis Harshaw

Rightnowish! - Podcast interview

 

Yooo,  I'm a guest on "Rightnowish" a podcast/ radio show with Pendarvis Harshaw on KQED!! Been listening since it came out in 2019 and have loved listening to interviews with mc/writer Rocky Rivera, MC/Historian Dregs One, Futbolista/Medicine woman Dania Cabello, Muralist Timothy B, Artist/Curator Ashara Ekundayo, Designer/publisher Mike Nicholls, Cartoonist Breena Nuñez,  muralist Josue Rojas and his Mama, and series pieces like this summer's "Searching for a Kiki" with Corey Antonio Rose who lovingly shares Queer Black history.

Rightnowish seeks out a broad array of folks in music, film, activism, organizing, performing and visual arts. He gets in depth with each guest and topic in a very short segment that is so sincere, clear, and inspiring. Not since "Home Turf" , "Distortion to Static", or "Hard Knock Radio" have I heard such a wealth of folks who are talented but underrated by mainstream media be highlighted. That's actually how I found Pen, through his doc on Mike "Dream" Francisco.

But, what's even better is that the team of host/journalist Pendarvis Harshaw with producer Marisol Medina Cadena and editor Jessica Placzeck make the process and final product PROFESSIONAL. When you listen you know who the episode is about. And you can hear it clear and concisely. Not all podcasts do that! And when I think about how they condensed our hour long convo to this short but meaningful piece; I'm awed. Subscribe to this show, share it, donate to KQED, and follow the team!

LISTEN TO MY EPISODE: HERE

If you'd like to hear another interview or see some press I've gotten please visit this page

Podcast Interview: Sticker Giant!

 

Yo, this is a recent interview for Sticker Giant, a vendor who I work with frequently to produce some of my stickers like these:

Self care sticker sheet which has gotten a lot of love over the past year and a half!

Pause from a recent series!

"Blasian" from this sticker pack!!

In this interview we talk about why I do what I do and a little bit about the many stickers I make. If you like this interview you can peep this one I did from the Not Real Art Podcast w/ my sis Erin Yoshi

Podcast interview: w/NOT REAL ART

 

Whats up fam, I got a chance to be a guest on the "Not Real Art" podcast w/ my TYS sister Erin Yoshi. I wish I could embed it directly here, but please check out this LINK to listen. 

This show was recorded last month and I talk a bit about kids books, illustration, of course the "Art of Rob" campaign on kickstarter, and our crew "Trust Your Struggle". If you're not up on this podcast please give them a listen, Man One and Sourdough have been doing it for a minute and they just brought Erin Yoshi on as an official co-host. Here are some of the folks she's interviewed that I admire!

-Ashara Ekundayo

-Brett Cook

-Nancy Hernandez & Cece Carpio (TYS)

If you would like to hear or see more media features please check out my press page here.

Podcast Interview w/ Solo Nerd Bird

 If you have a chance, check out the Solo Nerd Bird podcast (Baltimore) where KS does revues of games, films, and interviews w/ creatives. I'm excited to be featured on the podcast where I talk about my work and my kickstarter campaign. Tune in below.... LINK

Solo Nerd Bird · Interview w/ Robert Liu-Trujillo - Art of Rob

If you want to see past press Ive done go here. And if you would like to throw down on the kickstarter here is the link. Thank you 

Latinxs In Kid Lit Interview

 

Recently me and Leticia got on Latinxs in Kid Lit to interview each other and talk a bit about the making of this picture book. Its an audio piece so go to the blog and give it a listen! Shout out to Cindy from the blog for giving us a space to talk.

A few years back some of my work was featured on Latinxs in Kid Lit:

Pura Belpre illustration

Furqan's First bilingual picture book

Podcast: Etsy Conversations Interview!

 

Hey fam, I'm juiced to share that I'm a featured guest on Ijeoma Eleazu's wonderful podcast "Etsy Conversations"!! Yawl, she has over 300 episodes of game and I have definitely learned from the many sellers on her show about what has worked for them. Case in point the episode about digital goods from Paper Sphinx and the episode about what content marketing is from Chi Odogwu.

Tune in on youtube, whichever podcast app you use, or check out her site and see all her links.

Did you catch the interview I did with YBCA?

Video Feature: YBCA 100

 

So in 2019 I was nominated for the YBCA 100 (2019) and this is a video interview we did with them shortly after. I started going to the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in the mid 90s to see a graffiti show featuring TDK, Spie, Dream, Twist and others. And then I went back to see a Twist solo show there. Imagine my honor at being chosen as one of 100 amazing artists for this event. 

They started doing these YBCA 100 awards to honor people, groups, crews, and organizations doing really dope shit in the realm of arts of course, but it expands into organizing, political work, and more. As I wrote before, I was and still am extremely humbled to be one of the 100 from last year. I have a few friends who've been part of this group and this year its my sister Cece Carpio. Check out the video and this year's YBCA 100. If you get a chance, check out YBCA's mission and visit them if you're in the Bay and we're not on quarantine lockdown. 

Interview throwback - Tandem Early Learning

This was last summer in Oakland at the Tandem Early Learning office. The cool thing about this org is that they study and encourage early literacy. They are one of many organizations nationally that do this and here in the Bay Area they go out to a bunch of school and read to kids. They also lend books to families and give them free books. So that is how a bunch of families have gotten a copy of "Furqan's First Flat Top" a book I wrote and illustrated. It was great talking with Tandem!

Support of literacy in a child's life early has been proven to help them later in school in so many ways.

Radix Media (publisher) - Interview

Go check out the interview I did with Radix Media HERE.

Who is Radix? They are a worked owned printer and literary publisher that is unionized and eco conscious. Read more about them on their website and check out some of the zines, books, cards, posters, invitations, and pamphlets they print. Offset, letterpress, and digital!

This photo by my friend Tiffany Eng has been in rotation since 2013.

Bee Paper Sketchbook Feature

Photo by Scott La Rockwell

Hey, I'm excited to say I have been featured on Bee Paper's blog of artists. This is super dope because I have been using their sketchbooks for a few years now and love the "Super Deluxe Mixed media" sketchbook. I draw a lot so it is important for me to have a sketchbook all the time.

BLOG INTERVIEW

Here's an example of my previous sketchbook using their product. These sketchbooks are dope because you can use ink, watercolor, pencil, marker, whatever and the paper holds. It doesn't fall apart. Try out it out if you haven't used them before.

Here's an older interview with the UK's "I am the Nu Black"

Video: Conversation w/ Aaliyah Bilal

A Conversation: Aaliyah Bilal and Robert Liu-Trujillo from Aaliyah Bilal on Vimeo.

So if you didn't the previous post I made about Cloud Country please go back and check that out. I have been working on a graphic novel with writer Aaliyah Bilal for over two years. This is a brief conversation we had in LA filmed by Halline Overby. Stay tuned for more information about this project and please go to the website for the book HERE.

Podcast Interview- Papa Culture Pod!

Yo! Been listening to this laid back podcast run by two fathers. They talk about hip hop, sports, pop culture, dad fails, and dad triumphs! I was lucky enough to be a guest on their show. Check it out on Itunes, Stitcher, or whatever podcast app you listen to. 

Here is the link if you want to listen to it on your desktop. LINK

If you'd like to hear another interview check out The Stoop Podcast where I talked about Black Hair and kids books.

Audio - Podcast feature: Gimlet Media/ Lyft

LINK TO LISTEN

This is awesome. This brother named Marcelis is a budding children's book author and drives Lyft in addition to working at a library (means we need living wages). I get a chance to offer him some advice for publishing his own children's books and theres a surprise towards the end of the episode. If you're listening you can hear me at the 10 minute mark I believe.

Here's another time I was interviewed about Kids books at Tandem Early Learning in Oakland.

This is the illustration I created for Marcelis :)

Podcast Feature - The Stoop

Hey y'all, I was a guest on this amazing podcast called "The Stoop" with Leyla and Hana who have been talking about a whole lot of issues in the Black community for over a year now. Not only that, they just won an award from the National Association of Black Journalists for their work.

LISTEN

M is for Movement - Duncan Tonatiuh

Just did an interview for "M is For Movement" blog where we try to speak on children's books that feature social justice/progressive narratives.Go check out my interview with author/illustrator Duncan Tonatiuh.

LINK

Feature with Rachel Meyer (Yogi)

Rachel Meyer is a Yoga teacher and practitioner from South Dakota, Oakland, and now Boston. I took her yoga class several times with my wife Joy in Oakland at a spot called Flying Yoga. One of many classes she taught around the Bay. I went because I wanted to just spend time with my wife (before we were married) and because she said that the instructor (Rachel) was her favorite. Once I took the class I could see why, she gave a good flow and breadth to the class. She gave guidance and instruction, but was not over bearing or annoying. She spoke not only of correct posture and the names of the poses, but of how the practice of moving through them could be applied to other aspects of our lives. Rachel has a great energy about her and from the way she lead those classes you'd think she's been doing it for over a century. 

Check out her website.

To read my interview go HERE

Lowriders in Space- Interview w/ Raul the 3rd

Hey all, here is an interview I did with illustrator Raul the Third for The Latin@s in Kid Lit blog. Go listen to the interview or read the transcription. The interview is about his process for creating the illustrated book "Lowriders in Space", a wonderful book that i recommend to parents and kids.

LINK

Interview w/ Bevel Code

Cassidy and Tyler (from Bevel) came by and did a quick interview about "Furqan's First Flat Top". The company Bevel makes shaving products specifically for men of color and has spearheaded a blog to focus on creatives, barbershops, black hair, and style. Go check it out at BevelCode.com
I'm working on the book yall!