Dustin Hansen_Author

Cartoon Base’s Full Exclusive second Q&A with the amazing creator Jorge R. Gutiérrez: CB: Can you give us an overview of La Venganza Rodríguez is about? What's the story, and how long is it planned to be? Jorge R. Gutiérrez: Right now, I’m making a La Venganza Rodríguez teaser short with my insanely talented friends at HAMPA Studios in Spain. It’s a loud, proud taste of the film’s wild and unapologetically Mexperimental visual style—a glorious mash-up of stop motion, 2D, and CG, all dripping with spicy atomic salsa. The short acts like a mini trailer for the full-length, R-rated feature: a brutal, hilarious, and oddly heartfelt revenge action extravaganza set in my beloved Tijuana. At the center is La Venganza Rodríguez, a fierce young luchadora who dives headfirst into an underground fighting tournament to avenge her murdered family. Think blood, sweat, and Tequila tears. It’s gonna be pure Mexploitation mayhem—gritty, gorgeous, and gloriously over-the-top. CB: What inspired the concept behind your indie project "La Venganza Rodríguez," Jorge R. Gutiérrez: After 25 years working with giant studios—and surviving the beautiful chaos that is Hollywood—I felt a deep craving to make something raw, risky, and 1000% me. In today’s IP-obsessed climate, it’s almost impossible to tell original, personal stories inside the big studio machine. So I said, why not go indie and go global with this one? La Venganza Rodríguez is my way of breaking free. It’s the kind of bold, messy, emotional, and gloriously unfiltered story I could never get made in my beloved/cursed Hollywood. I’m finally taking the creative risks I’ve always dreamed of—no rules, no brands, no legacy characters. Just pure, bloody-hearted storytelling from my soul. When HAMPA asked me to pitch them something, I jumped at it! CB: Are there any updates on shelved projects like I, Chihuahua or Kung Fu Space Punch, is their release possible? Jorge R. Gutiérrez: Happy to report that both of those projects are still very much alive and kicking! The I, Chihuahua feature script is finished, and I’m currently exploring all kinds of exciting ways to get it made. Netflix has been incredibly supportive and is letting me team up with potential partners to bring this ridiculous, action-packed, heart-filled film to life. Just you wait! As for Space Punch, that one’s had more lives than a luchador cat! It started as a feature at Reel FX, then became two movies at Netflix Feature Animation, then morphed into a limited series at Netflix Series Animation—and now I’m rewriting it yet again as a single animated feature film. It’s been a wild ride, but I’m not giving up. The Book of Life took me 14 years from pitch to premiere, so trust me—I play the long game. CB: How close was the El Tigre movie to reality, do you still want to make the movie? Jorge R. Gutiérrez: Let’s just say… El Tigre is lurking in the shadows again. I’m currently in talks with Nickelodeon about bringing El Tigre back in a way that’s really cool. Something unexpected. And yes… something that could absolutely lead to a movie. Patience, amigos. Back in 2019, we were this close to making an El Tigre movie. But Netflix wanted me to go full throttle on Maya and the Three and the other original IPs I was building for them. At one point, I had seven projects in development—features, limited series, adult series, shorts, even a preschool show. Total creative madness. I was in heaven. But El Tigre has a habit of showing up when you least expect him. And when he does… he’s gonna roar. THIS I SWEAR! CB: How did you and Vivienne Medrano team up for the Helluva Boss short? Jorge R. Gutiérrez: I’ve been a fan of Viv and her work since day one! Her voice, her style, her fearless storytelling—it all just explodes off the screen. We kept bumping into each other at panels and animation events, and over time we became friends. So when she asked if I wanted to do a voice for Helluva Boss, I didn’t even let her finish the sentence—I screamed YES! I was thrilled to jump headfirst into her brilliantly twisted universe. Honestly, I’m still a huge fan. Always will be. CB: How do you see the animation industry evolving in the next few years? Jorge R. Gutiérrez: What excites me most is that nobody really knows what’s coming. The industry is in flux, the power structures are shifting, and the gatekeepers are nervously sweating as more and more creators take control of their own stories. The tools are in our hands now. The audience is global. The hunger for authentic, risky, personal animation is louder than ever. I see a future where giant studios and scrappy indies collide and collaborate in wild, unexpected ways. Where no one cares if it's 2D, 3D, stop motion, oil paint, or made with blue-corn tortillas—as long as it feels real and hits the heart. As for me? I’ll be right there on the front lines—hopefully making my Mexperimental stuff, hopefully breaking molds, and hopefully forever telling stories that shouldn’t exist... until they do. Animation isn’t just artform, it’s a machine of empathy. Let’s leave our beloved medium, and this world, better than we found them!