Lopez, Erika: - Erika Lopez lives a much too happy life in San Francisco being the sidekick to her two best friends, Mark and Mary. They all live on the same block. They walk big, leaky dogs and forget to whisper when they talk about other people's butts. Along with her sidekick adventures, she is the author and illustrator of several books, including Lap Dancing for Mommy and They Call Me Mad Dog!: A Story for Bitter, Lonely People.