Sucking back a few chipotle salt-rimmed House Micheladas at Mercado Pasadena, our cheves of choice as summer continues to crisp everything in sight, is to be in the presence of greatness. Not only because of the cóctel’s blend (Tecate, house michelada mix, lime, with a tamarindo straw – along with Chef Jose Acevedo’s many other masterpieces, including elote, Carnitas Sandwich, and Ceviche Negro), but because of what’s on the walls.
The murals here – a modern, abstract calavera (skull) glinting with gold leaf, as well as the art on the walls of Mercado Hollywood, are the inspired work of Carlos Nieto III, whose current projects include a graphic novel in progress, and reaching out to youth through the library system with his drawing program called “Anime Your Way.”
The step-by-step approach, which Nieto calls “Manga Madness,” covers character design, story development, page layout, panel composition and online publishing guidance so that teens can create their own comic books, graphic novels, web comics and zines.
Nieto, who is of Colombian descent and grew up in Echo Park, is self-taught and often works in watercolor, generally considered the least forgiving of visual mediums.
“I started sketching in high school and just kept at it,” says Nieto. “Now, I equate art with meditation. Watercolor requires analysis, and I approach it in layers and plan out the pieces, like a puzzle.”
The artist’s facility in mastering any visual style, from naturalistic realism to the simpler geometry of anime and manga, landed him a few years of work as a layout artist for “The Simpsons” and “King of the Hill.” His calling to be of service to others then led to his role as artist-in-residence for Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.
“I supplied art experiences to kids in treatment, their parents, their siblings,” he recalls. “I’d gown up and go into the ICU. We’d do art and different kinds of projects, depending on the child and the situation. Drawing and painting was sometimes a way for a child or a family to escape from the pain a little bit, but also sometimes the art explored the experience itself of being ill and getting help.”
A New Venture
Today, Nieto is focused on his graphic novel, initially working in pencil and pen, which he calls a labor of love. “My story is about a Chicana superhero,” he says, “who traces her roots to Mexico, to Spain, and discovers her unique abilities and her destiny.”
On the controversial topic of AI, he says, “I view AI like Photoshop and Adobe programs. It’s just another tool, and it puts creative power into the hands of lots more people. It normalizes the idea of creating art, which is a good thing.”
He adds that the ability to use his own original drawings and paintings as the basis for replication using a large-scale scanner means less wear and tear on his hands and arms.
Nieto has recently taught his anime classes at branches of the Glendale Public Library, the Altadena Public Library, Sun Valley Public Library, and around northern California, as well as at the City of Angels orphanage and a community daycare facility in Tijuana.
His art reflects the changes and challenges that surround us all. “Echo Park and Silver Lake have changed so much since I was growing up there,” he says. “The word is gentrified. It’s so elite now.” He follows the @wetheunhoused podcast by Theo Henderson, a college-educated former school teacher who found himself unhoused in Los Angeles during the Great Recession and views art-making as a democracy.
Nieto will offer face painting at one or more of the Mercado locations for Dia de los Muertos because “It’s really important to me to be in touch with the people.”
