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Artist Mister Cartoon (Courtesy of Associated Students Inc.)\t\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tArtist Mister Cartoon (Courtesy of Associated Students Inc.)\t\t\t\t\t\t
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Even when his drawings consisted of stick figures and simple scenes, Mister Cartoon knew that he loved making art.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Growing up in Los Angeles, Mister Cartoon found inspiration in his daily life, like attending car shows with his dad and seeing brightly painted murals.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI fell in love with art, and I drew everything I could see,\u201d said Mister Cartoon.\u00a0<\/p>\n
At Cal State Fullerton\u2019s Beyond the Conversation<\/a> event during Social Justice Week, Mister Cartoon shared how he transformed his passion for street art into an accomplished artistic career, creating works of art that reflect scenes from his childhood in LA.\u00a0<\/p>\n Today, his artwork can be found in such publications as Rolling Stone, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and GQ. In addition to collaborating with companies like Apple<\/a>, Nike and Disney<\/a>, he has designed tattoos for celebrities and professional athletes, including Eminem, Travis Barker, CC Sabathia and others.\u00a0<\/p>\n He encouraged Cal State Fullerton students to chase what they love and be adaptable as they move through their careers. Although he started out drawing and painting, Mister Cartoon said he learned to expand his style to create murals, airbrush artwork, album covers and tattoo designs.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cTrust the process. If you find something that you love, that\u2019s the first step,\u201d said Mister Cartoon. \u201cOnce you find that, know that that can change and grow as the road goes.\u201d<\/p>\n Mister Cartoon added that it\u2019s common for young artists to mimic professionals that they admire, but it\u2019s important that they develop their own style and voice: \u201cI think being yourself and trying to be the best that you can be is all you can really do.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n He said it can be easy for students to feel like they need to have all the answers while they\u2019re still in college.\u00a0<\/p>\n He challenged students to stay in the moment and focus on their education as just the first step toward their goals.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cGive yourself credit for investing time into higher learning. You\u2019re showing up. You\u2019re studying,\u201d he said. \u201cJust try to soak it in, and then once you get out there, you will learn every day.\u201d<\/p>\n The Impact of Representation in Art<\/p>\n Mister Cartoon was joined on stage by campus leaders JC Cavitt, executive director of Project Rebound; Ricardo Pitones, assistant director of the Latinx Community Resource Center and HSI student initiatives; and Alexandro Gradilla, associate professor of Chicana and Chicano studies, to further discuss the impact of representation, artistry and authenticity.<\/p>\n Gradilla said that Mister Cartoon\u2019s artwork is powerful in its storytelling, capturing the culture and vibrancy of Southern California communities.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThis type of artwork heals and restores our souls,\u201d explained Gradilla. \u201cI think one of the great things that I see in Mister Cartoon\u2019s work is that he builds bridges and is a unifier.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/BTC-Interview.jpg\")
International business student Emily Pizarro, right, interviewed Mister Cartoon at CSUF\u2019s Beyond the Conversation event during Social Justice Week (Courtesy of Associated Students Inc.)<\/p>\n![\"Ricardo](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/BTC-Panel.jpg\")
Ricardo Pitones, assistant director of the Latinx Community Resource Center and HSI student initiatives, from left with, Alexandro Gradilla, associate professor of Chicana and Chicano studies; Mister Cartoon; and JC Cavitt, executive director of Project Rebound (Courtesy of Associated Students Inc.)<\/p>\n