User:Ocho mouse

OCHO-The Making of a Mouse is a story created by Mitchell Lara in 2007 about a cartoon character who has yet to realize his very existence.

OCHO was created as just a mouse and not as a super powered hero and not even as a gamma radiated villain, which is why OCHO is angry all of the time and is seething at the very thought that he was created as a regular cartoon mouse. No more... no less without any special abilities and without any powers, OCHO suffers from an identity crisis unlike any other cartoon.

OCHO must learn the importance of his existence and is given a tutorial as to where and how he came into existence. The story is an overview of cartoon history and how OCHO plays a very important role in the world laid before him. OCHO learns that he doesn't have to have theme parks and box office success to exist. His importance is to those who understand his frustration of never being recognized for who we are and where we are headed.

OCHO sidekick happens to be an eightball which is fully animated and a huge part of OCHO's life. The eightball symbol can transform OCHO into any character he had been inspired by and the very reason he exists today. There is nothing wrong by being inspired by those around us both real and created to transform us into the beings we are today. Without our predecessors... we are non-existent. OCHO believes that thrones should be shared and that no one mouse is ever greater than the next.

OCHO was created by Mitchell Lara in 1985 and grew alongside the artist as the years went by. He was named because of the eightball he carried around as a child that symbolized his eternal struggle to become recognized for his talents as an artist. Being the oddball of his family and the youngest of ten children growing up in Chicago's Logan Square/Humboldt Park area, Mitchell Lara created OCHO first as his childhood imaginary friend and later on as his alter ego. Through his teenage years and into his adult life, Mitchell Lara allowed OCHO to become a part of him and often times became his conscience for decisions right and wrong. OCHO was the punching bag for the pain that was experienced and he changed alongside the artist's aggression. Judging by OCHO's looks, we can tell Mitchell Lara had a troubled past himself and after years of turmoil and perfecting OCHO, Mitchell Lara believed that the time was right to allow OCHO to be cast upon the world to correct any mistakes made.

25 years later, OCHO was released into the wild and learned that being a mouse isn't so bad but being a mouse in a world of mice can be a little difficult to be recognized with so many fresh faces appearing from the silver screen to the box office graveyard. OCHO's goal is to become eternal and immortal by becoming a symbol of pop icon status. Hence the number eight being his symbol of recognition for eternity.

The story also reflects upon the existence of man and his creator. Almost as if the conversations that take place are similar to GOD and Adam before Eve was conceived. These are the questions that we ask in the beginning of our lives and later on find the answers through trial and error, strength and weakness and right and wrong. We should not punish those we inspire because of pitfalls we failed to inform others of. Mistakes will be made but as long as we are given free will then we have the choice(s) to correct those mistakes by experience and actions.