Jorge, you’re one of my heroes. You and your works are a positive influence in my life and I carry that fact in my heart. Thank you.

I’m disappointed with a lot of my past decisions and still hung up on regrets of what I haven’t done, but it’s not too late for me to change that. Watching El Guapo made me regain my creative spark and I am determined to work more on my art this new year.

2025: I’m 28 now. In my final year of grad school doing my student teaching in art education. I watch El Guapo vs The Vampire Cartel. I love it as much as your other works, but it also hit me with the reminder that I am an adult woman.

My mind was in a dark place at this time, and Maya and the Three almost felt like a lifeline for me. Whenever I felt horrible about myself, I would rewatch the series, which would give me the small beacon of hope I needed to keep my chin up and hold on.

2021: Maya and the Three comes out on Netflix the day before my 24th birthday. I was going through a rough patch at this time. My brain was still fried from COVID, i struggled in grad school, and going through a bit of an existential crisis.

Watching Book of Life and rewatching El Tigre inspired me to switch my major to Animation and Illustration and really pushed me to try to find my voice as an artist. The Book of Life is one of my favorite movies as a result and I rewatch it any chance I get.

2015: I didn’t get a chance to see Book of Life when it came out in theaters. But I caught an airing of it on HBO a year later. I was just about to start college, and this movie not only gave me the courage to step into the nerve wracking world of adulthood, but gave me confidence as an artist.