Author Archives: Rafael Esquer

January 16, 2019

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Rafael Esquer

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The Legend Behind the Football Badge: Club America

The Mexican team Club America is one the few clubs in the world whose name and badge design are attributed to one person; Pedro “Cheto” Quintanilla. The multitalented Quintanilla was also a player in the…Continue reading

January 7, 2019

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Rafael Esquer

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Happy 15th Anniversary Made in NY!

When I rode the NYC subway this morning, I saw the Made in NY mark in a poster. This sighting made me so happy and brought good memories. I can’t believe it’s been 15 years…Continue reading

January 1, 2019

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Rafael Esquer

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Alfalfa’s 7 Most Popular Blog Posts of 2018

Someone said, “We can’t move forward without looking back.” As we welcome 2019, it’s worth looking at the year that just ended. 2018 was full of surprises that gave us plenty of reasons to both,…Continue reading

December 13, 2018

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Rafael Esquer

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14,000 (Missing Childhoods) and Counting…

Leaving one’s motherland must be one of the hardest things in life. Imagine leaving behind everything you know to venture into an unknown territory. As an immigrant myself, I can tell you it’s not easy;…Continue reading

November 16, 2018

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Rafael Esquer

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Love Bikes? “Chain Reaction” Opens Today

Last month, I received an invitation from Colossal and The Chicago Museum of Design to create a poster about bicycles. The show, aptly called Chain Reaction: Posters About Bikes, celebrates the culture and history of…Continue reading

November 12, 2018

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Rafael Esquer

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18 New Yorker Covers Featuring Trump, the “Endless Fascinating Muse”

I normally agree with the English idiom “don’t judge a book by its cover” but when it comes to magazine covers, I cannot help but judge its contents. One magazine that, for more than 90…Continue reading

October 26, 2018

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Rafael Esquer

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WIP: 100+ Sketches, One Poster, and One Powerful Play

The Way North is a new play by Tira Palmquist that through four intricate, compelling characters poses difficult moral questions about immigration, politics, refugees, law enforcement, race, and civil and moral duties. Therefore, it makes…Continue reading

October 19, 2018

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Rafael Esquer

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Seven Books that Changed My Life

Where someone asks me where my inspiration comes from, I said from reading. Literature, poetry, fiction, essays, biographies, and novels have nourished my imagination in more ways than I ever expected. It’s very hard to…Continue reading

October 10, 2018

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Rafael Esquer

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From the 17th-century: The First Color System Book

Out of all the elements of design, color has to be one of my favorites. Although Alfalfa Studio doesn’t have one particular style, the bold use of color is one of the distinguishing features of…Continue reading

September 28, 2018

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Rafael Esquer

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I Believe Her. 50 Artists Respond to ‘The Hearing’

September 27, 2018, will be ingrained in my memory for a long, long time. It is the day of the Brett Kavanaugh-Christine Blasey Ford Hearing. Blasey Ford accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexually…Continue reading