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Robert Liu-Trujillo Tag

School visit-CCA Picture Book Workshop 2

Alright so I must be lucky or highly favored or something because I’ve been invited to give a workshop to young artists at one of the most prestigious art schools in the Bay; California College of the Arts. And, they allowed me to come in and speak about a format of art that i LOVE. Picture books!!!!!

I’ve taken classes about making picture books. I have literally read hundreds of them. I’ve illustrated them, and written a few. I love making them, reading them, studying them, and I have enjoyed sharing what I know about the mechanics of picture books as I understand them.

OG artist, Papa, cartoonist, and professor Fred Noland invited me to speak and I began by talking about my non linear path to a career in the arts. I laid out a series of picture books for the students to check out. Some really old, some from the last twenty years, some new ones, and some of my own.

On the table is a series of picture books by creators that also worked in comics.

In this workshop I focused on:

  • Character
  • Story taglines
  • Synopsis
  • Thumbnails
  • Picture book spread

I asked the students to go through the process of coming up with a picture book story as an exercise and they DID! We used original and existing characters to achieve this. Then we shared them so they could see each others work.

I started doing a similar method of exercise that I began doing 20 years ago teaching while teaching graffiti lettering to young people all over the Bay Area and NYC. Its a way for me to teach but also for them to learn from their peers who inevitably have a different take on it.

All in all, one of my favorite things about being a visiting artist for high school or college undergrads is being able to give no bullshit answers about what its like to make your living doing this. Sometimes the answers are dreamy and sometimes they’re more blunt. Fred’s class had great energy and questions. I feel like I learned from them too.

Dig this? Check out these other visits to colleges.

October 12, 2025
in School or Library Visit
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School Visit – San Francisco State University

This past month I got the opportunity to speak to undergrad and graduate students in “Ethnic Studies” and the “Department of Latino/a Studies” at San Francisco State University (SFSU) in California. Leticia Hernandez-Linares, a bad ass poet, professor, mama, activist, and my co-creator of “Alejandria Fights Back/ La Lucha de Alejandria” invited me to speak to a room full of students of all ages.

SFSU is the first college I went to straight out of high school. While there I took classes in design, fine art, and ethnic studies before transferring to an art school. I didn’t realize it then, but going to a school so rich in different types of people, and having access to so much knowledge about my culture was a gift. It was once I went to other schools that I realized what I took for granted. SFSU is the first college alongside UC Berkeley to fight for a curriculum that centered Black, Brown, indigenous, and Asian American history in the United States ever! Also know as Ethnic Studies which I talk about a lot here. Learn more about that college HERE.

Short videos about Ethnic Studies

I spoke about:

  • A career in the arts
  • Benefits/ effects of Ethnic Studies courses at SFSU and how I incorporate it into art
  • Public Art
  • Freelance Illustration
  • Political Art
  • Children’s Books
  • Solidarity and coalition building

Walls by muralist Juana Alicia (mural by artist above left), was greeted by the mural of Malcolm X by Spie One (above right).

While I was there I took a very brief walk on campus to reminisce about some of the buildings. The quad, the cafeteria, the huge grass field, the murals, etc. As a student I often attended my classes and went back to Oakland and Berkeley to hang with my homies. While I love them and doing that, I built some strong bonds w/other students and wish I would’ve taken advantage of the container of community there.

I spent sooo much time in this building as a student there. Books, food, sleeping, lol. Even met the mother of my first child there, ha!

I had a great time speaking to the students and I’m trying to be honest, forthcoming, respectful, and open minded not only as a visiting speaker but as someone who answers questions about what its like to be a professional artist or to be multi-disciplinary in my work.

Dig this? Check out these other visits to colleges and libraries.

October 12, 2025
in School or Library Visit
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I’m a guest on Early Risers – Minneapolis

This week a new episode of the “Early Risers” podcast dropped featuring Zsame Morgan of Baby Cakes Books out in Minneapolis, Yuyi Morales in Mexico, and Meleck Davis of Minneapolis. I was so honored to be on the show and really enjoyed several of their episodes. I’m just getting familiar with Meleck’s work, but Zsame is one of the first indy bookstores to support my book Furqan’s First Flat Top and Yuyi is an OG in the kid lit world.

LISTEN HERE

Early Risers is a podcast that focuses on early childhood education. Specifically, how to talk to children about race, representation, kids books, and mirrors and windows by Dr Rudine Bishop Sims.

Dig this? Check out this interview w/ Colin Ehara for his show The Paper Planes

July 11, 2025
in Educational Resources, Press & Interviews
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Loc’s journey-2003 vs 2024

Quick Locs journey story.

I started growing mine in high school in the mid 90s. Had them from 95-2004. Photo on the left is 2003 at an anti-war protest in San Francisco, California. I cut them shortly after when my son was born.

I started growing my locs again in 2021 during the pandemic. My daughter was about 3 or 4. The photo on the right is me at Bel Canto Books in Long Beach, California back in 2024 I think. Still growing:)

Dig this? Check out a self portrait I painted here

May 2, 2025
in General
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Everyday Advocacy-Positive video testimony

I was informed about this organization doing some great work to inform everyday folks about the work that educators, teachers, and advocates for literacy do to bring fresh and diverse stories to class rooms. They also provide resources for educators. On their Youtube you can see a varety of different writers sharing their expertise or experiences and they play a key role in helping parents and community members understand what real life teachers are and are not doing in the classroom.

Watch them explain here:

Dig this? Check out this interview with the Multicultural Classroom or peep the Social Justice Children’s Book Fair

April 11, 2025
in General
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Upcoming: Bay Area Book Festival panel

Hey, the Bay Area Book Festival is upon us and I am happy to be participating as a panelist on May 31st and June 1st. The above panel on Day 2 of the fair will be for all those folks in the Bay who are thinking of self publishing or getting into the children’s book industry and want to hear about the strategies we emplored to get in. Panelists Zetta Elliott, Maya Gonzales, Matthew Smith, myself, and moderator Laura Atkins have a combined 80+ years worth of experience working in this field. Come thru!

LINK TO SCHEDULE

Dig this? Check out this panel I was on for the Akonadi Foundation

April 11, 2025
in General
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Reading @ El Cerrito Public Library

I didn’t mean to get emotional, it just happened. Ok so recently the wonderful people over at the El Cerrito Public Library invited me to do a visiting author presentation for staff and patrons. It is only the second time I’d been back at this libary since I was a child.

Lemme back up a bit. I was born and raised in Oakland primarily, but I’ve lived in cities all over the east bay and had family and grand parents in San Francisco. I went to a little school called Fairmont in El Cerrito and the public library was attached to it. I never went back to the school or the library since I was a kid because it was not the most welcoming space for me as a child. When my friend and local poet Dani Gabriel released her book “Sam!” that was the first time I’d been back in the building in over 25 years.

When I gave my presentation about a career in the arts, working in murals and making art for social justice movements, picture books, art Books and more I broke down a bit because of all the memories of being mistreated at my elementary school and the library.

BUT, a lot has changed and I’m happy to report that this library is a welcoming and loving space. Shout out to Therese Dix, Heidi Goldstein and all the staff I met there recently. The library has books that are diverse in ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and so much more. The vibe and array of colors sing when you walk in now and that makes me really happy for the up coming generation of children so they can not only see themselves and feel welcome, but find a joy in reading. VISIT THIS LIBRARY.

Photo credit: Tom Rogers, El Cerrito Public Library, and me

Also, I took a short trip to visit my friend Robin Yee Wilson at the Educators Book Depot in Richmond. This is a place where teachers can come and get free kids books for their classroom libraries and Robin slowly trying to get the word out to Contra Costa teachers that such a recource exists. Especially for those teachers who are working with tiny or non existent budgets. VISIT THEM HERE.

Dig this? Check out these photos from my recent visit to Berkeley Public Library

July 26, 2024
in General, School or Library Visit
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I’m on 2 panels @ Bay Area Book Fest May 4th

Hey yall, this coming Saturday I’ll be moderating a panel about community and i’ll be a speaker on another panel about food and culture. Juiced! If you’re going to the Bay Area Book Fest come see me.

1-Community Love

Saturday, May 4 | 1:00 PM – 1:45 PM I’m moderating this panel featuring Roxanne Chester, DeMareon Gipson, and Booki Vivat

2-Food and Culture

Saturday, May 4 | 2:00 PM – 2:45 PM featuring Ying Chang Compestine, Meera Sriram, and Me!!

If you’re curious to see the schedule of my panels and all the others that will be happening for the 10th annual Bay Area Book Festival please go to this link HERE.

Dig this? Check out this panel I was on w/ the Tacoma/Pierce County Public Library

April 30, 2024
in General
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