Shuvrajit Das Biswas
‘LA Originals‘ pushes two Chicano artists to the forefront, who have been instrumental in shaping hip hop the way we know it. We’ve often associated hip hop, especially the West Coast sound, with the likes of Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg, cruising in a low rider, puffing the chronic. At the same time, we’ve identified hip hop with gang culture and tattoos.
A particular look has defined the genre, and that look has been characterized by the aesthetics of Mark Machado, aka Mr. Cartoon, and Estevan Oriol. While you can read our review here, you might be wondering what these artists are up to currently. Is Cartoon still inking celebrities? Is Estevan still shooting stunning pictures of famous personalities? We have got you covered with the latest updates here.
Where is Estevan Oriol Now?
Oriol went from being a bouncer to being the tour manager for groups like House of Pain and Cypress Hill. His father, the famous photographer, Eriberto Oriol, recommended that Estevan should document his cool lifestyle. It started Estevan’s journey towards being one of LA’s most iconic photographers.
Fast forward to the present, and he’s worked with magazines like Rolling Stone, The Source, and GQ. Among the celebrities, he’s photographed, Al Pacino and Robert De Niro. He’s also done the photoshoot for ‘Gangster Squad,’ the Ryan Gosling starring movie. You can check out the video of Estevan at work, below.
The affiliate of Soul Assassins is married to Angel Baby and has a daughter, Angela Oriol. Since photographs are a means to document the LA lifestyle for Oriol, he has a few books on the subject. Most recently, he’s come out with ‘This is Los Angeles’ in 2018. It is a definitive look at his hometown through his eyes.
Although the trend of photography has been adopted by too many people with iPhone cameras, Oriol remains active. He’s expanded into directing videos as well. We already know he’s directed videos for D-12 and Cypress Hill, and ‘LA Originals’ is helmed by him, as well. In 2018, he directed a video titled ‘If The Shoe Fits.’ The video deals with Chicano culture in LA, concerning the Nike Cortez shoes that Cartoon helps design. You can check out the video below.
Most recently, Estevan is worried about stocking up for the lockdown in place, due to the coronavirus pandemic. Like most of America, he’s concerned about toilet paper too. His most recent Instagram post shows him creatively promoting ‘LA Originals’ while picking up the essentials.
Where is Mr Cartoon Now?
Cartoon or Mark Machado was born with the preternatural talent for drawing. However, Cartoon molded it into an art form that influenced the world. The iconic black and grey tattoo lines became unanimous with Cartoon’s name. Now that he’s older, Cartoon continues to be a man of many identities. He’s a husband and father, now, and is famous enough to work in his own time. He follows a schedule where he works on an appointment basis only. However, there is no denying that Cartoon remains operational. Like always, he flits between his talents.
While Cartoon’s fame is undeniable, he remains proud of his Chicano roots, and his early days as a graffiti artist. There’s still a bit of ‘Flame’ (Cartoon’s initial graffiti art tag) in the older man now, as you can see from his installation at Casa Vega, a Chicano landmark.
As of April, 2020, he’s collaborated with Topps to work on a classic baseball card redesign. You can catch a glimpse of his artwork below.
Naturally, he’s still extremely friendly with Oriol, despite their studios shifting, and paths slightly diverging. He’s put out a long and heartfelt post about their camaraderie, in light of ‘LA Originals’ being released on Netflix. You can take a look at the post below.
Read More: LA Originals Review
