General

Sketchbook pg 7

Been awhile since I uploaded a drawing from my sketchbook. I have been overdrive mode for the Social Justice Children’s Book Fair over the last few months so its nice to get back in there and draw. No specific outcome, just drawing. Most of these including photo reference Ive collected. RIP to my aunt Anita.

Dig this? Check out Sketchbook pg 6

My sketchbook tour at the beginning of 2024. I will def upload a new one for 2025.

Social Justice Children’s Bk Fair-Dec 7th 2024

Folks, the time has come for the 8th annual Social Justice Children’s Book Fair! We have been working and planning on this one for a whole year! Peep this video.

📣 Some of y’all still might not know this but I’m one of many organizers of this little but powerful book fair for kids. We rep Bipoc, Queer, Social Justice Minded, traditionally published and self published creators trying get their work to kids. We started this in 2017 right after the first Trump Election. All volunteers, all gas for 8 yrs now. This year we finally got some funding via The Akonadi Foundation and fiscal sponsorship from The Social Good Fund w/the help of “Jill Kunishima”.

We’ve hosted hella authors, illustrators, publishers, organizations, and community. People in red states, shit even counties just outside of the town hate on it, but if you’re feeling some type of way-don’t forget the power of a small dedicated group of homies. Take a break, but keep going. Stay principled and curious. #socialjusticechildrensbookholidayfair

Go to our website: www.SocialJusticeChildrensBooks.org or follow us on Facebook or Instagram.

Saturday, Dec 7th, 12-3pm, Emerson Elementary School in Oakland

Dig this? Check out this Oaklandside article about last year’s fair

Short Story 33 – Sunday Afternoon

Sunday Afternoon- For Amina’s family, music is medicine. Almost every Sunday , the phones and ipads were put away to do one thing: Music. The rules were: do your chores your homework, play, read, or relax but throw on your favorite music and just chill out. And so Betty listened to an album from vinyl club, Maya practiced scales , and mama just relaxed to her favorite that week.

What is this? Short stories are a way for me to sharpen my skills, to play, to practice, and to stretch out by trying new ideas for stories. In 2010 they started off as a way to practice the format of picture books but I’m interested in other formats now too. My name is Robert Liu-Trujillo and my most recent book is Fresh Juice/ Jugo Fresco published by Lee & Low Books.

Here’s some of my past short stories:

Dig this? Check out my first self published Art Book- 130 pages of sketches, paintings, characters, and more HERE

My book read by Da’Vine Joy Randolph

Ey, this is some pretty cool news to wake up to. Back a few months ago Storyline reached out to me and my publisher about including my book in their read aloud series, but I didn’t know it would be like this. Watch this video-check out the high production quality, the animation, and the talents of actor Da’Vine Joy Randolph who did an amazing job reading it.

Huge shout out to the marketing team at Lee and Low, Storyline Online, The Sag Aftra Foundation, my agent Marietta Zacker, the film production and editing crew, the animation team who made my characters move, all the orgs and actors involved with spreading literacy and a joy for reading, and of course and Da’Vine Joy Randolph. If you’d like to see an activity guide for the book go to https://storylineonline.net/books/fresh-juice/

Dig this? Check out these reviews for my book Fresh Juice/ Jugo Fresco.

Thought on AI vs hiring artists

My people, when looking 2 make bks, posters, etc requiring art. If u use an AI program, understand that their owners have “stolen” individual art pieces & entire portfolios of working artists w/o compensation. We’re 4 ease & affordability, we just want to be paid for our labor. We are workers too.

If you’d like to hire artists for your project, think local. There may be art programs, workshops, or universities, artists meet ups, comic conventions, art fairs, etc in your city. If there are none, then search for artists by searching art challenges, social media, artist hub websites, etc.

Above all, hire a human to work with. You get the benefit of helping to give work to a working expert to do it. You bring a human mind, emotion, history, etc to the project, And often, the artists will bring their friends, family, resources, & community to the project. This helps the reach of the project!

Dig this? Here’s a word from me about waiting vs creating

Storytime Print Deal 2

NEW-This is a new set of prints I started this summer. I started a similar series years ago and I’m happy to pick it nack up. I made these prints to be hung in places where young people can see them. Libraries, offices, classrooms, homes, maybe even community centers. Wherever the place, its meant to be a tool to encourage reading for fun and to learn.

GET THE SET HERE

Dig this? Check out these reviews of my book Fresh Juice

Storytime Print 8

This was fun to make. Like the very first “Storytime Print” I made, I really wanted to show a classroom or library setting where children are being read to. This is the 8th one in the series and I hope you dig it. Remember to read to your kids 15 minutes a day if possible.

Buy a print HERE

Dig this? Check out the set of all four “Storytime Prints” 5-8

That’s How the Light Gets In-Podcast

Really enjoyed listening to this podcast!

You might hear me critique politicians or systems and think Rob is just anti this or that. But, although I am anti systems of Capitalism, Patriarchy, Homophobia, Police brutality, so many things I am very PRO getting off your ass and getting involved beyond electroral politics. Those serve a purpose as well tho, dont get me wrong. What I want folks to do is join a fucking organization, and link arms with other orgs so you can learn from each other and champion ea others causes. Joining organization builds power, and when we have power we dont have to ask, we can demand.

That being said if you saw my profile image of the huge street mural painted in front of Black Rock in SF who are actively funding genocide-David and Gemma are two down ass foo’s who were leading us all that day and I have hella respect for them. On this podcast they are interviewed by photographer and activist Brooke Anderson who has been there documenting so many of our movements for ages. Please listen to this show, rate it, subscribe, and recommend more movement artists who should be on the show in the BAY.

Link to listen

Dig this? Check out my last inspiration board because this is the type of stuff that inspires me!

Video: Empire is built on genocide

Video link

Really just wanted to make the statement, hard to get my Thoughts together this AM. But I imagine The US govt as the biggest thug on earth w/700+ military bases across the fucking planet. Problem is, The Romans fell, the British has had to give up territories and colonies. The US empire will fall too. For us reg working people to eat, be healthy, happy, for the funk to end-capitalism and empires have to die. What else on my mind? Palestine, Congo, Haiti, Central America, Puerto Rico, Guam, NewZealand, Sudan, New Caledonia, Brics alliance, G7 countries, voting locally & 4 ur state, voting strategically but keeping in mind that organizing and solidarity w/poor and working class people across the planet. #artofrobertliutrujillo #downwithimperialsm #handstyles the only thing the US elites care about is “paper” and power. They don’t care about religion, justice, none of that.

Dig this? Check out this direct action at Black Rock ptg a mural on the street