Gil Martinez was born and raised in Mexico City, where he became a defensive driver and drank the water recklessly. As soon as his folks let him loose, he moved to rural New Hampshire where he quickly learned to dress in layers and not to approach skunks. He spent eight years there, designing magazines and getting politicized by hippies and other left-of-left types. Over the years, he's volunteered his time to organizations that helped those afflicted with HIV-AIDS, the victims of natural disasters, lonely elders, and rural members of the queer community, and also became heavily involved in the freedom-to-marry movement in New England. He is often seen around town with his friend Perlita, a small dog of uncertain ancestry. He makes a living as a graphic designer and visual artist, and is part of the Ethics Committee and sometimes portfolio reviewer at the Registered Graphic Designers of Ontario, where he's been a member since 2005. He really likes libraries, parks, museums and the way things look after a heavy snowfall.

Why I do what I do:

There are people who struggle for a day, and they are good. There are others who struggle for a year, and they are better. There are some who struggle many years, and they are better still. But there are those who struggle all their lives, and these are the indispensible ones. — Bertolt Brecht.