We had the good fortune of connecting with Monica Lopez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Monica, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Never crossed my mind to start my own business until I was let go from my last corporate job in the beginning of 2020. I happen to immediately get a referral for an illustration project the week after. Since then, I have acquired to continue good reputation with clients to sustain work for the past four years. In the beginning I wanted to just do client-based work, a year after I was inspired to design and develop my own comic series. While working for yourself can liberating, I needed to find ways to expand. So, I decided to start participating in artist alley at conventions last year. Not only to sell my own work but to meet people in person and network with other peers in the similar industry. For the name of my business, came easily as my siblings use to call me Moniliza as a kid; a merge of my first and middle name.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My journey in my career has taken many turns but led me back to the one thing I’ve always been passionate of doing as a kid which is illustrating. It all started when I was lucky to have an amazing fashion program in high school and my teacher Ms. Gallagher told me I had to go to Otis College of Art and Design no matter what. Being 1st generation Mexican American, I was thankful for supportive family to help me follow my dreams. Which I eventually was accepted and graduated with a bachelor’s in fine arts majored in Fashion Design. Three years into the fashion industry, I decided it wasn’t for me as I yearned for a more creative outlet and decided to switch gears and work at Mattel as a Graphic Designer in Girls Soft-goods division. Being there was a positive experience that open my curiosity for toy design and filled in the void that I was missing as creative individual. After a year, I switched department and started my role as a Senior Designer for brand called Ever After High. Where I was grateful to illustrate couple of costume designs that would be featured in the movie Epic Winter and designed/developed fashion dolls.

Eventually I ended up at another competitor, being a Lead Designer in both IP and licensed brands for girls’ fashion dolls division. I had the amazing opportunity to co-design for a collab with Marvel for their first ever girls fashion doll line featured from 2018 Marvel Rising: Secret Warriors animation series. Becoming my proudest design moments, I created since it featured fun and diverse super hero characters. But slowly after four years of working as a Lead Designer, my creative outlet was starting to dissolve due to most of the projects were vended out. Although I was unable to draw in this position, I was able to get insight information for rates on being a freelance illustrator and this sparked something within me that I too can do this.

In the beginning of 2020, I decided to take the leap and switch on over to becoming a fulltime freelance illustrator focus on character and product design. A year after, I had a vision for a comic book story about two sisters (Metzi and Sola) from a royal family based in outer space. At the end of 2021, I self-published a prelude short original comic named Metzi, that will set the tone for the larger story. The story is still being under development due to world building that draws influences from Mexican mythology and my love for astrology. In 2023, I decided to make it official by first trademarking and calling my business Moniliza™; a combination of my first and middle in which my sisters used to call me as kid. For the first time ever, decided to sell products at three events, one of them being LA Comic Con; where I sold my short comic Metzi, prints and stickers.

It wasn’t an easy road to get there, but I am thankful for being where I am at today and where Moniliza™ is going in the future. With switching careers a few times and dealing with people who don’t want you to succeed; it has not stopped me to continue creating and strengthening my skills. To be honest neither should it stop you, there is always going to be something that isn’t for you and it’s ok to keep trying many things to see what you essentially would love to do longterm. Without my fashion design background, I wouldn’t understand how fabric/ design is constructed on a body which is a useful asset to doing character design and sets my apart from other creatives. Without toy design, I wouldn’t be able to know what makes a character memorable and/or unique which is something I keep in mind while developing Metzi comic.

With the challenges along the road, my proudest moment is developing my own original comic series that features a moon princess named Metzi. Inspired by Mexican mythology and my love for astrology.

What sets my brand apart is not only my career background, but my love for creating imagination into reality with my illustration. Drawing inspiration from many outlets that includes to original webcomics, kpop, traveling, art, and anime.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I would first take the them to one of my favorite breakfast places called Belles Bagel, then head over to Thank You Coffee for Matcha Latte. Walk around Chinatown and shop at Paper Plant for cute stationary supplies. Head over to Alhambra and look at art at Gallery Nucleas then have either Bahn Mi or some delicious dumplings near by. For another day, would grab an overpriced but delicious smoothie from Erewhon, then head over to my favorite hike in Swizter Falls. See if there is any local pop up for art or books. Then relax at some k-spa and enjoy the saunas.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My biggest credit has always been from two individuals I can count on. Sara Coon and Eva Ozon, were both my managers when I used to work in corporate and essentially became my greatest mentors/friends.

Website: www.moniliza.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/monilizadraws/

Other: https://linktr.ee/moniliza?utm_source=qr_code

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