Indies Introduce Q&A with Juan E. Zambrano

Juan Zambrano is the author of Pacheco and the Witch of the Mountain, a Summer/Fall 2025 Indies Introduce YA selection, and July/August 2025 Kids’ Next List pick. 

Frederick Rossero of Oblong Books in Millerton and Rhinebeck, New York, served on the panel that selected Zambrano’s book for Indies Introduce.

Rossero said of the title, “This book is unbearably cute, with great characters, an exciting story, and some of the best creatures you've seen since Pokémon. I loved Pacheco and hope to see more of this world!”

Frederick Rossero: Hi everyone. I'm Frederick Rossero from Oblong Books in Millerton and Rhinebeck, New York, and I'm here talking with Juan Zambrano. He's an illustrator and cartoonist from Venezuela. He loves fun, heartfelt stories, and his work is usually focused on nature, magic, and staying true to yourself. In his free time, he likes watching birds and going out for a hike (which I also love). Pacheco and the Witch of the Mountain is his debut graphic novel, on sale in the US on June 17. Hi, Juan!

Juan Zambrano: Hi everyone, thank you for having me.

FR: I'm really excited to have this conversation. I loved Pacheco and the Witch of the Mountain when we were reading for Indies introduce. It was one of the earlier ones I read, and immediately I knew it was going to make the list. It was going to be a standout. I thought it was so adorable and sweet and just perfect for kids.

JZ: Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it!

FR: First, I wanted to talk about the setting of Pacheco and the Witch of the Mountain. It was just so magical and beautiful. I know it's based on Venezuela and some of the mythology and history of the country. What about Venezuela did you want most to shine through in this book?

JZ: I think it was a little bit of everything. When I first started working on this story, the first thing I did was draw a witch in the woods with a cauldron and a black cat — which is very stereotypical for a witch. Then I realized that I wanted to make something that was a bit more familiar to me, so I decided to make Doris a Venezuelan witch. Slowly, this story became what it is today. Now some of the witches are based on regions from Venezuela — Consuelo is from the Andes, Barbara is from Los Llanos, and so on. The mountain is based on Waraira Repano, which is a mountain in Caracas where I grew up. So, yeah, a little bit of everything — our traditions, our culture, our people.

FR: I love that you made it more your own, because it's so unique and special. And I really love that the characters and the landscape are so tied together. How was the process of making this book? Reading it feels so joyful and wonderful. Were there any parts of it that were frustrating for you, or was it joyful throughout?

JZ: Honestly, I had a blast working on this book, but it wasn't always easy. Growing up, I would draw comics for my friends and my family, or to post on the internet. But even as a professional illustrator, I had never worked on a project as big as this one. Writing the script and drawing hundreds of pages was very demanding, but also very rewarding. I really learned a lot from this process. I really enjoyed working with my editor, Cindy Harris, and my wonderful agent, Jason Yarn. There was a lot that I had to learn on the fly. But I'm very grateful that I had this chance. I really enjoyed it and I will do it again.

FR: That's good to hear! I felt like it was a really trim and well-made story. It didn't feel like there was a lot that didn't need to be there. But did that mean that you had to cut anything that was kind of precious to you?

JZ: No, not really. I was able to have all of the elements that I wanted to have in the story. I wanted to explore a little bit more of some characters — some of their backstories — but I kept what was necessary for this story and that only.

FR: That's great. One of my favorite parts of this book was all the incredible characters that were in it. I felt like each and every human character was so vivid and interesting, and all the creatures were amazing — so many of them felt very Pokémon-y, which is great because I'm a 90s kid. I know the creatures are in part based on mythology and legend, but do any of the humans have real life counterparts? Is there anybody you know in this book?

JZ: Not exactly. None of the characters are directly based on any real people, but their designs are. For example, Providencia, the villain. When I was working on her design, I wanted her to be imposing and elegant, and to have this powerful aura, because she has so much power. I was looking up Venezuelan divas, and I came across the Venezuelan singer, Mirla Castellanos, who my grandma used to love. And I based [Providencia’s] design a little bit on her. She has songs such as “Muera El Amor” — “Let Love Die” — which I believe are very fitting for a villain such as Providencia.

FR: That's amazing. Providencia was very glamorous, so I can definitely see where that inspiration comes from. Other than Pacheco, your main character, who is your favorite character from the story? And in addition to that, which of all these cute, amazing little creatures is your favorite?

JZ: That's a hard question. My favorite creature is Pimentón, which is the creature on the back cover, because he has fire powers and I really enjoyed working on his design. He's based on a Jaguar and a Dancing Devils of Yare mask, which is a tradition from Venezuela. It's a tradition where people wear colorful devil masks and dance to the beat of drums. So I really enjoyed working on him.

My favorite person is harder to answer. Maybe Doris, but that would be too easy. I really like her. She's smart, and she knows a lot about magic and nature. Maybe Barbara. I really enjoyed working on her as well. She's very strong.

FR: Barbara is so straightforward and to the point. I loved that about her. Of those two characters, who would be your first choice of companion if you had to take a magical adventure like Pacheco does?

JZ: Probably Doris, but she doesn't want to be bothered. So, Barbara.

FR: Fair. I really feel like this is a story that kids will love, from the story arc to the characters, the creatures and the setting. Do you have kids in your life that you wrote this for? Or was this just for your own inner child?

JZ: I think I wrote this for my inner child, or rather, for my younger self. When I was growing up, sometimes I would feel like I didn't fit in with the other kids. I didn't have a lot of friends; I couldn't relate to them sometimes. And as a teenager, I wanted to become an artist or an animator, and coming from where I'm from, I didn't know if that was going to be possible. It felt like a dream that was way too big for me. This is a story that I would have loved my younger self to read, so he would know it's okay not to fit in. It's okay that you're weird, everyone is. You'll find your place in the world, and it's okay to follow your dreams. If there's anything that I would love kids to take from this book, it’s exactly that.

FR: I love that. In Pacheco’s story, in the beginning, there’s this sense of isolation. His world is a little small. He has his grandfather and his father, and they fish. It feels like his dreams are being stifled a little bit. But as he grows and explores the world, everything expands for him. I thought that was really beautiful.

JZ: Thank you.

FR: That's the end of my questions for you. Did you have anything else you wanted to add about Pacheco and the Witch of the Mountain?

JZ: I really enjoyed working on this book. It was a labor of love. If the people who are listening to this pick up the book, I hope that you enjoy it. I hope it inspires you to draw your own witches, or start writing your own stories.

FR: That's amazing. Do you have anything else in the works currently?

JZ: I'm working on a little something, but I can’t talk too much about it.

FR: That's exciting, I'm really glad to hear that! Thank you so much for joining me. It was really nice to talk to you!

JZ: Thank you so much for having me and also for choosing Pacheco for the list. It's such an honor to be part of this list with so many wonderful debut authors. Thank you.

Find out more about the author at apamaate.carrd.co.

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