Art Design & Animation
This graphic memoir recounts the time my parents crammed my eight brothers and sisters and I into a preowned motorhome and pickup truck with ropes for seatbelts for the road trip of a lifetime.
Newbery Honor Book
Pura Belpré Author Award
Pura Belpré Illustrator Award
Eisner Award Winner
Odyssey Honor Audiobook
Eisner Award Winner
Harvey Award Nominee
The reviews are in!
“We are living in a golden age of graphic novels and memoirs, and “Mexikid” is one of the best I’ve ever read. There are genuine laugh-out-loud moments throughout, but there’s an equal amount of poignancy.” —Matt de la Peña, New York Times
★ “Equal parts hilarious and tear-jerking moments abound, rendered in a cartoon style with vibrant color palettes that shift depending on the sequence tone. This artistically inventive read, which teems with lively characters and emotion, is a joy to behold.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review
★ "Full of humor, heart, and a decent amount of gross-out moments, Martín’s coming-of-age memoir hits all the right notes. Though the family’s travels took place decades ago, the struggles with establishing identity, especially as a child of immigrants whose identity straddles two cultures, feel as current as ever. The vibrant, action-packed panels offer plentiful details for readers to pore over, from scenes of crowded family chaos to the sights of Mexico. A retro yet timeless story of family and identity." —Kirkus, starred review
★ “[H]umourous and heartfelt…Martín captures each family member’s quirks…to bring their distinct personalities to life. Panels smoothly transition to splash pages with added visual guides and gags to create dynamic flow…Deep familial bonds, a lovingly chaotic household, and a heartfelt exploration- of culture and identity underpin this very memorable debut.” – Horn Book, starred review
★ “Perfectly blending hilariously brazen kid confidence with a poignant multigenerational story of growth and change, Martín’s graphic memoir explores his childhood in a big “somewhat American” and “somewhat Mexican” family, centered on a road trip to Mexico to bring their abuelito from Jalisco to their house in America. The seventh of nine children, Pedro (American-style name: Peter) is mostly oblivious to the serious conversations among the adults and older siblings in his family, but in between arguments with brothers, terrible haircuts, and witnessing his father’s incredible ability to find just the right person to help, he gradually realizes there’s a much more important purpose to their journey. Martín packs each page with self-deprecating observations about himself and his family, and while they’re nearly all wry, they’re also touched with genuine affection. His bright and colorful artwork is also a sheer delight: while mythologizing his abuelito, he switches to a classic superhero-comic art style, complete with benday dots, while more somber scenes are rendered in a softer palette and line quality. There’s much to savor here, from the thoughtful exploration of bicultural identity to the good-natured snarky teasing of siblings to pivotal moments of growth amid guileless kidhood. It’s a tightrope balancing act of antic humor and genuine pathos, and Martín pulls it off with tremendous flair. “ — Sarah Hunter, Booklist, starred review
“I. Love. This. Book. Look, about the time a kid’s Pop Rocks get stuck in his snot and start creating huge bubbles, I knew we had a future classic on our hands. So where the friggin’ heck has Pedro Martín been all these years? This doesn’t feel like a debut, but rather like a polished retelling of his Mexican/Mexican-American family and upbringing. The storytelling is wielded expertly, leaping back and forth in time, managing to make you laugh uproariously one moment and get a little weepy the next. I mean, at the moment that the family’s digging up grandma’s grave before she floats down the river . . . you know what? I’ll stop describing it to you. You’re just going to have to read it yourself in August. Believe me. It’s worth the wait.” —Betsy Bird, School Library Journal site A Fuse #8 Production: Newbery/Caldecott 2024: Summer Prediction Edition
“Mexikid is a delightful story packed with family history, culture, closeness . . . and a Winnebago full of laughs.” —Terri Libenson, New York Times bestselling author of Emmie & Friends series
“Mexikid is poignant, laugh-out-loud funny, and masterfully weaves road trip misadventures with history and family legacies. This is one of those books that kids will pass to their friends as soon as they have finished it.” —Victoria Jamieson, creator of National Book Award Finalist When Stars Are Scattered
Coming to bookstores everywhere August ‘23!
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/691514/mexikid-by-pedro-martin/
See the entire collection of stories over at MEXIKID.COM!
I created Asteroid Andy as a kids character property for Hallmark Cards several years ago. To make it fun, I used both improvised and scripted voice work by children of friends and colleagues as my starting point. I edited and animated these shorts myself, but I had a lot of support from some very talented friends and family to make it happen.
Asteroid Andy© Hallmark Licensing, LLC
Check out the adventures
of the little boy from the future here:
Welcome to the near future! Mexico has launched it’s newly developed galaxy exploration force known as “La Fuerza de la Galaxia” and YOU are invited to enlist. Pilots, scientists, musicians and explorers are needed to join the most advanced fleet the world has ever seen. Together we will explore the wonders of the cosmos and seek out new lifeforms. But space is a dangerous place, so we’ve designed many defensive and exploratory tools to help us out. Comeback often to see our latest developments.
El Rayo De Tequila X-3
Manufactured in Oaxaca to be the first line of response in global emergencies.
The Heart Breaker! “Es tan corto el amor y es tan largo el olvido.”
Love is so short but forgetting is so long.
(Pablo Neruda)
The Golden Eagle! 2nd Year Galactic Academy’s cadet sidearm. Multiple stun settings and force pulse for target practice.
The Red Volcano. La Fuerza’s standard field crew's side arm that maintains a firey kick. Rapid fire, mid-range atomic fireballs as well as sustained fire bolts. Defensive stun settings available through level 8.
“Love, my territory of kisses and volcanoes.”
― Pablo Neruda
The Black Bolt X-7. This standard sidearm is issued as a defensive solution against the hostile forces we've been encountering on the galactic frontier. It offers multiple “stun” settings and several destructive and disintigration options. Classification: Atomic Lighting level 2
La Tormenta! When only bolts of atomic lightning will do.
Join the crew of the FGM Guadalajara! Fresh from the orbital shipyards of Pegueros, our latest Aventura Class cruiser is ready to explore
The Silver Ghost. The side arm of the galactic security agents.
La Spada Del Sur: Forward defense dress rifle. Distance and close range offensive weapon.
The turquoise fire serpent. The Jungle Force’s greatest ally.
Xolotl, The Dark Wolf: God of lightning and fire
This collection centered around a rich story about the hidden fairy world. It is a story for mothers and children to share and help create their own stories. It is a magical place where the they can make lasting memories.
I helped create the concept and worked on the character design and world-building. I led a team of talented artists to create these special garden friends.
©Hallmark Cards, Inc.
While working on the HOOPS&YOYO team, I got to develop hundreds of fun toys and product. Everything from talking mugs to talking cards to talking plush to iPhone apps (they talked too.)
The excitement and fan love also allowed me to create product for an on-line fan shop which included travel posters, t-shirts, watches, umbrellas… etc. I also led in creating international style guides for clients all over Europe and South America.
© Hallmark Licensing, LLC
Watch it here: hoops&yoyo’s haunted halloween
After waiting until the last minute to search for Halloween costumes to wear to Chili Bear’s awesome party, hoops&yoyo and piddles end up shopping at the last place they want to go. The mall. And then it gets worse. Accidentally locked in after the mall closes, the trio soon discovers they are not alone.
I helped concept the story and developed the look and feel with a small and mighty team.
Animation by Bent Image Labs: http://bentimagelab.com
Nominated for an Annie Award for Outstanding Production Design!
©2011 Hallmark Licensing, Inc.
hoops&yoyo Ruin Christmas
When hoops&yoyo and piddles wait up to catch Santa in the act on Christmas Eve, potentially disastrous consequences follow. Will Christmas ever be the same? Will SANTA ever be the same? Only time (and perhaps a little time travel) will tell.hoops&yoyo Ruin Christmas is full of laughs, songs (two brand-new ones from Parry Gripp!), and fun for the whole family!
Nominated for an Annie Award for Outstanding Production Design!
©2011 Hallmark Licensing, Inc.
