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Short Story 36 – A lotta Summer

“This was a summer of alotta stuff. Mama Johnna and Mama Elise got sandwiches, water, masks, and our best walking shoes as we marched from High street and Mac all the way to Frank Ogawa Plaza. To protest again? Ugggh, I’m tired of going. But Mama said it was to protest police taking away our neighbors, our friends, and our family. It seemed like everybody from school was there, Mrs Galeano our librarian, uncle George, even Mr Jason my teacher. The whole city was out and it felt good to shout and smile. Together.”

Me and my family protested ICE this summer and we’ve protested for Palestine recently too. Just wanted to make a short showing a family out in the streets. Shout out to Gallt and Zacker for the nudge to make it.

What is this? This is a short story. They are a way for me to sharpen my skills, to play, 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

August 8, 2025
in General, Ilustration
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We Are Sanctuary poster collab

Art by Me, Lettering by Jules Cowan

Back in March, designer Jules Cowan, fellow illustrator Micah Bizant, myself, and the East Bay Sanctuary Covenant got together to collaborate on this poster illustrating information about immigrant rights when being stopped or approached by ICE. The EBSC has been supporting immigrant and migrant families for decades in the Bay Area. Nuff respect. The raids have happened in the past (under Obama and Trump) but they were just ramping up again to what we see now in LA, Chicago, Central California, and other cities.

Art by Me, Lettering by Jules Cowan

If you keep up with me you should know my position on this is FUCK ICE and FUCK Donald Trump. Actually, fuck any politician Democrat or Republican who continues to lie or hide when talking about the real reasons for these racist, xenophobic, coward ass attacks on Brown people. Mexicanos, Central Americans, Haitians, etc are not the reason White Americans are losing $ or jobs. The billionaire class are the reason and these politicians and mainstream media are being paid to confuse folks.

Art by Micah Bizant, design by Jules Cowan

Now, if you reader would like one of these posters or postcards in English or Spanish, please download them here:

DOWNLOAD LINK

Art by Micah Bizant, design by Jules Cowan

If you’d like a physical copy of a poster or postcard (English or Spanish) for your school, library, office, organization, etc please email me at info@robdontstop.com or art@somossantuario.org.

Thankfully, the folks at EBSC have already handed these out to folks on the ground protesting, but we need information like this up in more places so allies and immigrant families can access it and put it to work. No one is illegal on stolen land!

Dig this? Check out the work of designer Jules Cowan, illustrator Micah Bizant, and support the work of the East Bay Sanctuary Covenant!

July 11, 2025
in Ilustration, Resources
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Character 179 – TT (Set It Off)

This is Tisean or TT from the 1996 film “Set It Off” played by actor Kimberly Elise. I’ve been slacking on my characters and its nice to stretch out by doing this illustration of TT. In the film she was quiet, timid, a single mother, but a fierce ally and team member of the crew. In order to escape poverty, she and three of her friends pull off multiple bank heists. Stay tuned for more.

On the film: I saw Set It Off when it came out. I think it was shortly after F. Gary Gray did “Friday” with Ice Cube, Nia Long, and Chris Tucker. I loved it back then. You never got to see 4 Black women wreck shit in a heist film back then so I was excited. I loved all of their characters, how they struggled, cared for each other, and I think writer Takashi Bufford who wrote the screenplay did a great job. I know he’s mentioned there are things that he’d change if he could redo the film. But I think it still stands up today. Shout out to Jada, Latifah, Vivica, Kimberly, and all of the cast and crew.

About me: My name is Robert Liu-Trujillo. I’m an author/illustrator from the Bay Area and my most recent book is “Fresh Juice/ Jugo Fresco”. Get it at your local public library or independent bookstore.

Dig this? Check out my throwback drawings of three characters from the 90’s film Mi Vida Loca

May 19, 2025
in Character Design, Ilustration
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I am a King poster-Illustration

UPDATE: This is the original art for an African American Male Achievement poster for Emerson Elementary. The original poster has been sold but I wanted to share the whole painting. You can see some process painting below…

Hey I painted this poster for Emerson Elementary in Oakland California. They are fundraising for the “African American Male Achievment” program there right now. They’re making prints for their families and they’re selling the original painting. If you’d like to get a bid in on it please

GO HERE

Dig this? Check out these portraits for Chapter 510/ Oakland Public Library

March 3, 2025
in Ilustration
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Gouache portrait of Maurice Cherry

I came across Maurice Cherry almost a decade ago. Maybe even more. Maurice is a talented designer and podcaster. He created the “Revision Path” podcast which get this-interviewed and featured over 500 (yes 500) Black artists, designers, and makers from all over North America. I’m talking about illustrators, web designers, graphic designers, UI/UX designers, and more. So many people from freelance, corporate, and other realms-all doing design in one form or other.

Maurice was kind enough to commission me for two projects in the past using illustration called Recognize (Recognize 1 and Recognize 2 ) which highlighted indigenous and POC voices in design. I dont think it took off the way he wanted it to but I wanted to paint Maurice and just recognize the tremendous amount of research, interviewing, editing, and promoting he did to document Black creatives and the amazing work hes done as a graphic designer. Maurice is someone more colleges should be talking to about his skills and knowledge.

Dig this? Check out this Self Portrait I did in Gouache recently.

March 1, 2025
in Art, Ilustration
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Portrait Collage of Chapter 510/ Oak Library teens

I started working with Chapter 510 who commissioned the above portraits in 2014 maybe. Maybe earlier but they were one of the first organizations (Janet, Mariah, and Erica) who loved my work, approached me to work with them and illustrate portraits, characters, and more for their website, marketing materials, etc. The above portraits were done in collaboration with the Oakland Public Library over the span of many years.

Chapter 510 is an incredible organixation, similar to 826 Valencia in SF where they cultivate, nourish, and feed young writers, poets, and storytellers with classes, workshops, opportunities to publish, events, slams, readings, and more. Couple that with Oakland Public Library who offers a wealth of knowledge, stories, resources, entertainment, and community space and you havee a powerful combo.

I just wanted to share a collage looking back over the years of some of these poets!

These are some moments of action at Chapter 510.

Here’s one more portrait of a young poet named Greer.

Dig this? Check out some ink drawings I did of some writers at Chapter 510, or the artwork I did for the Oakland Public Library summer reading series.

February 11, 2025
in General, Ilustration
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Collab w/ Rights of Every Child

Rights of Every Child is a project by author and activist Danielle Davis. Its a project that seeks to highlight the human rights of children all over the world through artwork. Here’s a word from them:

The Rights of Every Child Initiative is here! It’s time. It’s time to spread the word. It’s time to speak out for children. It’s time to uphold their vital rights. We are inspired by the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, a document signed by all UN countries and ratified by all but one: the US. This document outlines fundamental rights around how we must protect children. In the coming days, weeks, months, and beyond we will share illustrations by talented, caring artists who are vocal about children’s rights that convey one of rights as only they can. The language is distilled and simplified for our purpose and so that the heart of it that’s close to the artist’s heart comes through. It’s time. Thank you for joining us as this movement grows, blooms into something we can only create and do together on behalf of children—every one.

Here’s what I wrote about the piece:

With this illustration I wanted to focus on the light, innocence, and power that can come from a child. If given the space to speak they can have some pretty powerful observations, ideas, and solutions. The problem is adults who have either forgotten what it means to truly listen and empathize with children; or the adults have lost their own humanity. I wanted the child to have warmth and light and I illustrated the adults holding the microphones more dull as they sometimes feel this way.

I chose this [right] because I do believe we don’t listen to young people enough.

I typically search for several reference pictures, collage them together using photoshop and then make a sketch. After the sketch is done, I redraw it on thicker paper and paint it using watercolor.

Find more information about the project here: Rights of Every Child

Dig this? Check out this piece i did for the People’s Kitchen Collective zine!

December 16, 2024
in General, Ilustration
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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

November 20, 2024
in General, Ilustration
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Short story 32 – Giant writer

“Moose” amazed everyone who met him; in the alter world and in ours. We thought he’d want to be a god on earth, stop wars, reduce the Richie riches to humble, or throw a rock the size of a house at the sun. But his life force was drained and he got weaker with each passing sunrise. So, we did what any good friends would do, we packed up his things and floated him right out of the Bay. This way, we could find the portal, send him back. He’d be back to tagging his name soon enough, we hoped”.

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 middle grade and comics now too. My name is Robert Liu-Trujillo and my most recent book is Fresh Juice 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

October 12, 2024
in General, Ilustration
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