Making a MISTACO Gag Reel: Part Uno
Writing super silly with mi favorito cutting room scraps.
I am very fortunate to have severe OVERCONFIDENCE in my work.
As I think every first version of a story I write is the PERFECTO version!
But, since ¡MISTACO! was the first book I would go out on submission to publishers with EVER, I did a ton of versions of get one sub-WORTHY!!
(Ohhhhh to be sub-worthyyyyyyyy)
Honestly, I probably could of sold 10 versions of Mistaco as they are ALL GENIUS!!
But INSTEAD, I went back to the drawing board over 10 times to revise the story.
Trying to make the bestest book I could.. for over two years!!
(Geez, get a room with Mistaco why don’t cha, Eliza?! )
ACTUALLY I DID as I upgraded my studio space during the process.
But that tale is for another post.
Now let’s go back to the very beginning….
In case you were not aware, Mistaco was inspired by painting memories of making tortillas with my Grandparents in my sketchbook back in April 2020.
And I was later told that there was a picture book waiting to be born here!
I AM STILL ALWAYS TRYING TO BRING BACK SIDE BOOTY!!
(And my lovely Art Directors are STILL trying to talk me out of it.)
So near the end of 2020, I got to work on it!
Originally I was calling it “A Tortilla Full of Mistake” or “Error de Taco” for the very first draft.
These are the very first thumbnails for it used in my FIRST VERSION!
I LOVED revisiting these! As it’s always amazing to me how many images make it into the final book.
ALSO, this cut spread…
is sooo much like the spread that came later in Papá’s Magical Water-Jug Clock!!
My personal theory is that all images you design will make an appearance somewhere else down the line.
If NOT your current book.
As they are waiting for a turn,
or they will float off to join another artist’s book.
Very sweet thinking I knowwwww…
Or maybe I just hate the idea of orphaned thumbnails.
ALSO, in a bunch of sketches before the thumbnails,
sprung out the memories of making tortilla masks as a kid!
It was urgently wanting to somehow get in the book as well!
And it did in the end as we know now…
Now VERSION 2 is when the word MISTACO came out to play.
As I realized
MISTAKE + TACO
were dyinggggggg to be combined. As Spanglish!!
I highly recommend looking for lots of layers in your book.
As depth makes everything so memorable, and tasty.
Also putting kids in Tacos!
I still get a lil sad that this isn’t my cover.
But book covers, woooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo…that’s a whole ‘nother post.
From there I was so in LOVE with the title,
I was like THIS BOOK IS DONE.
And made that rookie mistake of making tons of nice drawings when the manuscript isn’t even close to being final.
SHUTUP, SALSAS!!
Eliza is too distracted by your cuteness to realize she made a mistaco!
Now on to Version 3, that has a ton of drawings I love!
That all got tossed out wahhhhhhh.
ALSO, I originally had Izzy trying to get Lito to eat a Mistaco as well!
But I cut for page count as I felt it got too repetitive.
So from here, I went back to even rougher drawings. HAPPILY!!
And I still draw very rough today when I’m figuring out a dummy as I don’t want to become TOO ATTACHED to a drawing.
Of course, I always have to assure a new Art Director that it will definitely look different for final drawings.
DON’T WORRYYYYYYY, THE KINKZ is here to make it all better!!!!
Let’s ride on to version 4!! The one with the HORSE.
Gah I miss this version!!!
But like I said these drawings have a way of coming back. As that horse will definitely be making an appearance in my graphic novel shortly….
The above was my entire K-12 experience in a nutshell.
Unfortunately, none of the schools I attended were made out of pecans though...
LOOK AT THIS HAIRBRUSH STUCK IN IZZY’S HAIR.
Which is a reality for me as I have 20 times the amount of hair a normal human being has.
HOW WAS THIS NOT IN THE FINAL VERSION?!
These lines are amazing. Also, I could of had as partnership with Fanta by now.
Um…….I TOLD YOU I AM KIDLIT KOMEDY GENIUS!!! The above proves I am right.
Basically how every Telenovela goes…
So THIS version was starting to get really close as the ending was coming together, but I had to go back to the drawing board for the opening.
Which was a mistake…AS HORSE!!
Now on to Version 5
As you can tell by the above, I am definitely starting to get tired of doing new versions, but I am also letting LOOSE!
A lot of my early versions, the writing wasn’t flowing, but SO MUCH OF THE GOOEY MIDDLE was there. It just needed to be properly mixed together.
DON’T WORRY, Izzy. It’s getting there. You don’t have to burn it all down.
BUT, I WILL BY THROWING OUT THE BEGINNING YET AGAIN in this version.
Although THIS version did contain my Tortilla Recipe, which is very tasty!
Maybe I should make this into an extra for the website?
Andddddddddddd
I am going to PAUSE it here as you have probably already passed out from laughing too hard!
BUTTS, I’ll post PART DOS next week!!
Until then have a lovely week!
I love this post so much! I LOVE your sketches, faces, emotions, silliness & especially bottoms & toots! Now I am hungry for tortillas! Do you think your tortilla recipe would work with gluten free flour? Asking for a friend.... 🤭❤️