By his own admission, Alonso Ramirez Ramos doesn’t have the best memory. Names, dates, and life events must be fact-checked online or with friends and family.
But his experience with movies? Those he remembers down to the last detail.
Growing up in Guanajuato, Mexico, one of Ramirez Ramos’ earliest memories is when his father took him to see The Land Before Time. Although he was only four, he can still recall the plot and drawings in the animated dinosaur adventure film. He also remembers the look of the movie house and that the concession stand sold cherry candies that were a promotional tie-in.
As he got older and went to movies with friends, everyone would be excited to see the newest release. But after it was over, he was the one who wanted to “stand up and clap and just be really appreciative of the artform,” he says.
His passion overlapped with school, as well. His homework was riddled with doodles of Disney characters, and some of his favorite assignments were math questions that asked you to draw out the answer. One of his first directing jobs was school murals. Teachers would give him time off from class to sketch elaborate drawings to celebrate various holidays, and he’d employ his friends to help color them.
Ramirez Ramos’ free time was equally creative, spent with toys like My First Sony Electronic Sketch Pad, a drawing tablet that could connect to the TV. And he was enamored with a VHS recording of Ziggy’s Gift, watching it over and over, studying animator Richard Williams’ work.
Growing up in an artistic family with a plastic surgeon and art collector for a father, a floral designer for a mother, and a writer for an older brother, Ramirez Ramos says he wasn’t met with any pressure when he decided to continue his education in the United States instead of staying in Mexico. He studied illustration for a year at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. However, when he got accepted to CalArts in 2007, “that’s where I really found my community,” he says. He likens it to a monastery where he was immersed in learning every day.
After graduation, Ramirez Ramos briefly worked in graphic design for Disney Consumer Products before landing a job as a storyboard artist on Gravity Falls—something he says was so hands-on, he equates it to still being in school. As he gained more experience, he considered himself lucky to find talented people who allowed him to insert his own creativity. He went on to win an Emmy in Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation for his work on the show.
He’s since worked on classic projects like Mickey Mouse shorts. “When I was drawing it, it didn’t feel like an icon,” he says. “It really felt like it was all about the story and about what the character was feeling.”
Ramirez Ramos says that working on these and other known properties like Steven Universe Future, the Cartoon Network series where he served as Writer, Director, and Co-executive Producer, feels very personal even though they are branded television. “I put a lot of my thoughts and heart into it, and I really enjoy seeing the passion of everyone around it,” he explains. He’s also developed other series with friends, where he thrives because he’s a support system to others’ visions—something he finds satisfying.
His current home at Disney Television Animation as Executive Producer, Development, has also influenced his growth as a person because he interacts more with people. “It’s not only drawing, but presenting my ideas, speaking up in meetings. I went from being more shy to being more open and receptive,” he says. “Finding that support really helped me open up. [Because] at the same time, I was coming to terms with my identity as a queer man.”
Ramirez Ramos adds that he doesn’t want his art to be limited to animation. “I have interest in puppets, and I have interest in just getting back to sketching for myself,” he says, though he still loves where he’s going with his journey in animation. He’s excited about the new people it will introduce him to and the new projects it will bring to the screen.
One thing he’s certain of—he won’t forget a minute of it.
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