Ignacio Estrada

His interest in ventriloquism came when he was in high school working in a local grocery shop where he encountered a man who could "throw his voice"; this moment inspired Ignacio and he started practicing ventriloquism daily and played pranks on his coworkers and family.^[1] One of his first times using ventriloquism was pranking his coworker Mr. Morgan by making it sound like a person from afar was calling his name.^[3]

While working in special education in the 1970s he used his ventriloquism skills to humor the students. In the 1980s he created his two best known puppet characters, Maclovio and Tortiya Monster.^[1][5] Estrada started going to most elementary and middle schools around South Texas entertaining the students; he would also travel to Mexico.^[1]

Estrada used his puppets to also teach morals including drug awareness and anti-bullying messages.^[1]

Estrada married his wife, Sallie Kay Bell, on November 4, 1967 in Burlington, Texas.^[1] They had two children. In the 1970s the family moved to Eagle Pass where Ignacio originally worked as a bus driver and then as a teachers aide in special education.^[1] He lived in Uvalde for a while and eventually settled down in San Antonio to raise his family.^[1] He was a Jehovah's Witness.^[3]

Ignacio Estrada died on January 28, 2024, at age 77, at his home in San Antonio after a lengthy illness. He was survived by his wife, two children and two grandchildren. A memorial service took place on April 6.^[1]