S: How did you come up with the concept and name of your show?
M.O. (Martin): Our show is called "M.O.F.O." (Martin Ontiveros, Felix Ontiveros). I originally titled us "Team Ontiveros", but then one day we were walking back from school and the acronym hit me... and I was like, "DUH. Why hadn't that occurred to me before??" It's cool because it's similar to other comic team's logos, like S.H.I.E.L.D. for instance. And it's a dirty joke, but Felix doesn't know that... The show concept is pretty simple, it's just about our love of superheroes--specifically Marvel this time around. I was booked to do this show by myself initially, but then thought I'd bring Felix in on it too. He's pretty obsessed with this stuff (in no small part due to my influence of course), churning out comic after comic of his own, and bombarding me with questions about heroes (I have since purchased both the Marvel and DC encyclopedias to relieve me of this duty)... so I figured this could be a good way to channel this obsession. It turned into a great thing to do on our days together over the summer, especially the papier mache sculptures!
F.O. (Felix): I like superheroes, and thought we should do Marvel superheroes first.
S: Wow that is pretty awesome and I love the acronym! So, do you have craft hour/night?
M.O.: Pretty much anytime we feel like it, never a set time really. We do it more than we watch TV, actually.
F.O.: We do it anytime we want to.
S: That’s a really great way to spend time together. So what's your favorite old and new cartoon?
M.O.: Man, that would be several for me. Old: Battle of the Planets. New: Batman-The Brave and the Bold
F.O.: My favorite old cartoon is Ben 10. My favorite new cartoon is Batman-The Brave and the Bold.
S: Seems like great cartoonists think alike! Where do you get your inspirations?
M.O.: For me it's all the cartoons, movies and comics I ingested as a kid, and rock n' roll. Music is a huge part of it. Felix too-- seeing him develop as an artist and storyteller is really something... like the Juggernaut, he's unstoppable!
F.O.: It's something to do while you're bored.
S: Well Felix, I hope you get bored a lot! What's your favorite holiday tradition?
M.O.: Can't say we're very traditional... but the last few years I've had a little silver electronic tree that I pull out of the closet and switch on. If Felix gets a big Lego set for Christmas (and he usually does), we'll hang out and build it together, listen to tunes and eat.
F.O.: Get presents!
S: Sounds like a good time, I think everyone loves presents, especially lego sets! I know I do! Do you have any new projects coming up that you'd like to share?
M.O.: As a team, we're going to continue to make papier mache sculptures of superheroes. Maybe make another zine or two. We're booked to do a show here in Portland next Fall too (at Black Wagon), which will be DC comics themed. F.O.: The DC comics show I guess.
S: Good to share the wealth with DC and Marvel I suppose…What's a perfect dinner together?
M.O.: Cheap sushi night downtown, probably!
F.O.: Sushi at Sushi Ichiban downtown, the one with the train. It used to be called Sushi Takahashi, but they changed the name. Everybody still calls it Sushi Takahashi though.
S: Any last words for the world to know?
M.O.: Uhhh... I turn 40 years old the day after our opening.
F.O.: I'm good.
S: Looks like we will have another great show on our hands at Schmancy in just a week and a half!! See you at the opening!! xo
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