BY NICHOLAS BRANDT AND BRIAN LUU
After high school, WCHS alumni move on to greater and more broad endeavors. Tonatiuh Elizarraraz from Class of 2010 has proven this to be true. With experience in drama and theatrics, Elizarraraz is a prominent example of how both hard work and teamwork could potentially lead to involvement in one of the most successful campaigns in crowdfunding history.
Elizarraraz majored in film production and theater at USC before pursuing his career of becoming an actor. He has performed on multiple stages, whether it be from the USC stage to the hit TV show “Jane the Virgin” on the CW. After many acting jobs, Elizarraraz eventually ended up on the Exploding Kittens staff through connections with friends.
“We’re all connected in one way or another. I’m just myself, and I make friends everywhere I go. That’s kind of how I found this job; I made a friend. Every person you meet has value, and don’t take for granted anyone,” Elizarraraz said.
Elizarraraz aids the team in printing, play testing, customer service, video translation, and multiple other aspects of boosting the popularity of the game.
“My hands are in a little bit of everything in the company,” Elizarraraz said.
When asked about the success of the Kickstarter campaign and its record-breaking success in the first 24 hours of its crowdfunding campaign, Elizarraraz explains how the initial art fan base was what started the idea for the game, the internet’s obsession with kittens helped spread the word, and social media caused the game to become a recognizable and popular topic. Elizarraraz also commented on the work environment while producing Exploding Kittens.
“I love working here; it’s like going to work with a family every day. They’ve been extremely supportive,” Elizarraraz said.
Through the focus on the “crowd” portion of crowdfunding and the teamwork exhibited by his fellow producers, Elizarraraz related it to how WCHS helped him on the road to get where he is now.
“My participation in a plethora of different clubs (especially drama) freed me up to be unafraid of talking to an array of different people,” Elizarraraz said.
