Jorge R. Gutierrez

Biography

Jorge Ramirez Gutierrez was born on January 25, 1975 in Mexico City and raised in Tijuana. As a child, he adopted the nickname “Super Macho” after his grandfather told him “there are two types of Mexicans: Macho and Super Macho’”.

Gutierrez attended the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts), where he received his BFA (1997) & MFA (2000) in Experimental Animation under Jules Engel, and was mentored by Maureen Selwood. There he created the 3D short Carmelo, which won the 2001 Student Emmy Award in animation and was screened at Kodak's Emerging Filmmakers Program at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival. In 2000, Gutierrez worked under animator Maurice Noble, for the art direction of Chuck Jones' Timberwolf for Warner Bros. In 2001, he began creating Jorge Gutierrez' El Macho, an animated web series for Sony Pictures.

Gutierrez has also done character design on many animated series including Nickelodeon's ChalkZone, as well as Kids' WB's ¡Mucha Lucha!, Cartoon Network's Class of 3000, and Disney's The Buzz on Maggie for which he was nominated for a 2006 Annie Award in character design. As a writer, he's worked on Scholastic's Maya & Miguel as well as Disney's Brandy & Mr. Whiskers and Vampirina.

In 2008, Gutierrez won two Annie awards (Best TV Animated Show & Best TV Character Design) and one Emmy (Best TV Character Design) working on his passion project for Nickelodeon, El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera, along with his co-creator and wife, Sandra Equihua who also won an Emmy for her character designs.

In 2010, he created some of the sketches in Cartoon Network's Mad including "Dear Reaper...", "Dog vs Mailman" (part 1, 2 and 3), "Video Game Cheats", "Arcade Boy" and "Dog vs Fire Hydrant".

In 2012, Gutierrez directed and co-wrote an animated adventure feature film with a Romeo and Juliet style love story set against a Mexican "Day of the Dead" backdrop. The film, with the official title The Book of Life, was co-produced with 20th Century Fox Animation and was released on October 17, 2014. He earned his first Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Animated Feature Film in 2014. He was also nominated for three Annie awards (Best Film, Best Director & Best Character Design).

In February 2015, Reel FX and Gutierrez announced a multi-year, multi-picture deal which included Kung Fu Space Punch and The Book of Life 2.

In 2016 Gutierrez designed, voiced, wrote and directed the Annie and Emmy nominated Son of Jaguar VR short for Google Spotlight Stories.

In 2016, Gutierrez was awarded an Impact Award by the National Hispanic Media Coalition for his “Outstanding Direction in a Motion Picture”.

On August 2, 2017, it was reported that Gutierrez would write and direct The Billion Brick Race, a spin-off of The Lego Movie, for Warner Animation Group. However, on February 8, 2018, it was reported that Gutierrez had permanently cancelled the project.

In October 2020, he signed an over-all-deal with Netflix Animation. He directed the Immigration music video for the Emmy Award-winning series We the People, and wrote and directed the Annie (Best TV Animated Show & Best TV Music) and Emmy (Best Writing, Best Promo, Best Sound and Individual Achievement for Color) Award-winning Maya and the Three, a nine episode animated limited series for Netflix Animation. He had been developing a follow-up series to Maya set in the same universe for Netflix titled Kung Fu Space Punch, however, it was scrapped in 2022 along with many other planned animated series. He was also set to direct an original animated film titled I, Chihuahua from a script he wrote with Gabriel Iglesias. However, the film was cancelled in April 2024, due to creative differences.

In December 2024 and February 2025, Gutierrez hinted that he and Equihua had meetings with The Walt Disney Company on a potential new project.

On June 20, 2025, it was announced that Gutierrez was developing an original animated independent film La Venganza Rodríguez at Spanish animation studio Hampa Studio.

On July 4, 2025, Gutierrez announced El Guapo vs. the Narco Vampires, an adult animated pilot in collaboration with Ánima Estudios who will be shopped to streamers and studios. The pilot debuted in January 2026.

In December 2025, Gutierrez teased that he was developing a Speedy Gonzales film at Warner Bros Pictures. Animation. The project will be greenlit at Warner Bros, in January 16, 2026.

Personal life

Gutierrez did not speak until the age of five. As an adult, he was diagnosed with autism following his son's diagnosis.

Filmography

Film

Television

Bibliography

References

References

1. ”Jorge Gutierrez” ''DFW Child''. Published June 2015. Accessed digitally January 27, 2026. https://dfwchild.com/jorge-gutierrez/
2. Gutierrez, Jorge. ''Jorge Gutierrez (a.k.a. SUPER MACHO) Journal''. Dark Horse, 2003.
3. ”About”. ''Super Macho''. Accessed digitally January 27, 2026. http://www.super-macho.com/
4. Gutierrez, Jorge. [https://youtube/%20LbRH8wUzjM?si=-sdna7WnPMQCnjdB ”Lucha con autismo”]. ''TedxSanAngel''. Published to YouTube November 30, 2023. Accessed January 27, 2026.
5. Post by Gutierrez celebrating his birthday in 2026 on [https://www.instagram.com/p/DT_babuEuco/?hl=en&img_index=1 Instagram]. Posted January 26, 2026. Accessed January 27, 2026.
6. ”Jorge Gutierrez”. ''Dallas Society of Visual Communications''. Published digitally 2015. Accessed digitally January 27, 2026. https://dsvc.org/speaker/jorge-gutierrez
7. [https://youtube/KYPc1kKe0pU?si=5A0aK%20Buo%201xj3Mo ”My Journey from Student to Showrunner - Jorge R Gutierrez Webinar”]. Posted to YouTube July 31, 2020. Accessed digitally January 27, 2026.
8. "my dad saved my first year CalArts review".
9. (27 October 2014). "Loved Book of Life? Then you need to see this short film by its director".
10. (February 21, 2012). "GUILLERMO DEL TORO JOINS WITH REEL FX TO PRODUCE EPIC ANIMATED ADVENTURE DAY OF THE DEAD". Reel FX.
11. McClintock, Pamela. (December 12, 2012). "Fox Animation Teaming With Guillermo del Toro on 'Book of Life' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter.
12. (October 15, 2013). "Fox Sets New Dates for Book of Life, Gone Girl and Frankenstein". ComingSoon.net.
13. (19 February 2015). "Untitled Kung Fu Space Western Is Reel". BCDB.
14. (April 24, 2017). "'Despicable Me 3,' Pixar's 'Coco,' 'The Big Bad Fox' to Bow at France's 2017 Annecy Animation Festival". Variety.
15. Roterman, Natalie. (2015-02-12). "Gina Rodríguez, Carlos Ponce, Elizabeth Peña To Be Honored At NHMC Awards".
16. (August 2, 2017). "Book of Life Director Developing LEGO's Billion Brick Race".
17. (February 8, 2018). "Jorge Gutierrez Departs as Director of 'LEGO Movie' Spinoff".
18. Thorne, Will. (2020-10-14). "'The Book of Life' Director Jorge Gutierrez Inks Overall Deal With Netflix".
19. Jorge Gutierrez. (May 27, 2022). "my beloved kung space western is not moving forward at Netflix Animation :(".
20. "*since everyone is asking, my beloved "I Chihuahua" is, as of now, officially dead at FAN (Feature Animation Netflix) over "creative differences". I adore the film with all my heart and absolutely plan to get it made somewhere else. Netflix is being really cool about letting me take it outside so I could not be more excited and hopeful for the future.".
21. "visiting friends again".
22. "visiting new friends".
23. "visiting new friends".
24. "visiting new friends".
25. Lang, Jamie. (2025-06-20). "Jorge Gutiérrez Unveils 'La Venganza Rodríguez': A 'Violent Love Letter to My Beloved Tijuana, '80s Mexploitation Border Cinema, Lucha Libre, Picasso, Basquiat and Fighting Video Games'".
26. Radix. "Jorge Gutiérrez apuesta por la animación para adultos con El Guapo vs The Narco Vampires".
27. Jorge R. Gutierrez. (2025-12-29). "El Guapo vs The Narco Vampires (FULL PILOT ANIMATIC)".
28. (2025-12-04). "The 'Speedy Gonzales' film is back on track. Will it make it to the finish line?".
29. Azeem, Safwan. (2025-12-05). "After 'Coyote vs. Acme' Was Saved, a Divisive Looney Tunes Icon Might Finally Get His Own Movie".
30. Gajewski, Ryan. (2026-01-16). "Speedy Gonzales Movie in the Works With Jorge R. Gutiérrez to Direct for Warner Bros. (Exclusive)".
31. "Jorge R. Gutierrez on Twitter: "It's #WorldAutismAwarenessDay ! I'm the autistic father (I was diagnosed 3 years ago) of a wonderful son who also happens to have autism. It has made us who we are and I could not be more proud of him."".
32. (12 February 2019). "Jorge Gutiérrez on the Power Being Autistic Brings to his Creativity".
33. "Jorge R. Gutierrez (@mexopolis) on X".
34. (July 24, 2025). "Jorge R. Gutierrez will voice Batman’s Father in ‘Aztec Batman: Clash of Empires.’".
35. (2025-12-04). "The 'Speedy Gonzales' film is back on track. Will it make it to the finish line?".
36. (March 23, 2022). "Jorge Gutierrez To Direct Netflix Animated Film "I, Chihuahua" Starring Gabriel "Fluffy" Iglesias". Netflix Media Center.
37. "thank you creators Chris and @shanehoughton and director @RedHerington for having me do a little cameo on Big City Greens!".
38. Jorge R. Gutierrez. (2025-12-29). "El Guapo vs The Narco Vampires (FULL PILOT ANIMATIC)".
39. (June 15, 2017). "Annecy: Reel FX, Jorge R. Gutierrez Announce 'The Book of Life 2,' Unveil 'Kung Fu Space Punch' (EXCLUSIVE)".
40. Gutierrez, Jorge. (May 26, 2022). "my beloved kung space western is not moving forward at Netflix Animation".
41. (Oct 17, 2014). "The Art of The Book of Life". Dark Horse Books.
42. (July 24, 2018). "Día de los Muertos". Little Simon.
43. (November 8, 2018). "Border Bang". Harry N. Abrams.