Gonzalo Cordova combined his childhood memories of summers in Ecuador with the filmography of Pedro Almodóvar, a filmmaker responsible for Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, Talk to Her, and Parallel Mothers, among many others. The result is the new Adult Swim show Women Wearing Shoulder Pads, a delightfully dramatic story about Spanish businesswoman Marioneta Negocios as she navigates love, high society, secrets, stalking, and more in bustling Quito, Ecuador. Women Wearing Shoulder Pads is a gorgeous celebration of Latin American culture and identity, created by Cordova and animated by Mexico-based studio Cinema Fantasma.

"I think this show is going to be really important for the Latin American community," said Arturo Ambriz, co-founder of Cinema Fantasma, in a conversation with The Best War Games. His brother and fellow co-founder, Roy, and series creator Gonzalo Cordova both agreed with him, citing Women Wearing Shoulder Pads' position as one of the first shows to be aired on Adult Swim in Spanish with English subtitles. They hope that Women Wearing Shoulder Pads will inspire other non-English shows, especially Latin America-produced shows, in the future, and are excited to see reactions from both US and Latin American viewers.

Women Wearing Shoulder Pads Aims For Honesty, Not Cliche

Gonzalo Cordova moved to the United States when he was six years old, but returned to visit his family in Ecuador every summer. Much of Women Wearing Shoulder Pads comes from the "fuzzy, half-remembered, fantastical memories of [his] childhood," such as listening to his parents' stories, looking at his mother's portfolios from her time as a fashion student, and being exposed to cuy (a type of guinea pig) as a food item for the first time at a roadside restaurant.

That authenticity resonated with the Ambriz brothers, who knew that they wanted to be the ones to animate Women Wearing Shoulder Pads as soon as they heard Cordova's original pitch. The founders of the stop-motion animation studio loved the authenticity of the show and how it did not rely on standard cliches of Latin American identity that often appear on television. Arturo Ambriz said:

"It's not the same - how other people see us and how Latin Americans see ourselves, and how we represent ourselves. We find little bits in the show, little details in the sets, in the wardrobe, in how the characters act and in how they move their hands in a very Latin way. It's not something that we often see in television."

Latin American Identity And Inspiration Is Everywhere In The Show

women-wearing-shoulder-pads-cuy-fighting

Cordova's childhood memories were not the only inspiration behind Women Wearing Shoulder Pads. The enormous grin never leaving his face, the show's creator rattled off other sources he drew from: Los Angeles marionette theater, Joan Crawford's acting roles, the Spanish-language comedy show Los Espookys, and much more. However, his greatest inspiration was the work of legendary Spanish filmmaker Almodóvar and the many iconic actors he worked with, such as Carmen Maura, Penelope Cruz, and even actor Antonio Banderas (although the show features no male characters). In creating Women Wearing Shoulder Pads, Cordova blended important cultural media with his personal history to create something that can deeply resonate with a wide range of viewers.

Ultimately, Cordova and the Ambriz brothers hope that Latin American viewers will relate to Women Wearing Shoulder Pads and will be able to see elements of themselves, their families, their history, and their culture portrayed on screen. They're also excited to hopefully see more Mexican and Latin American-produced shows airing on US-based networks in the future, and would be thrilled if their creation proves to be the start of a trend.

Rating block community and brand ratings Image