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Preston Mutanga is not your average 14-year-old. As AfroTech previously told you, the Minnesota native is credited as an animator for the movie “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” Sony Pictures Animation’s highest-grossing animated film to date, earning over $684 million globally, according to Box Office Mojo.
Black creators are versatile in every way both inside and outside of traditional Black culture. Two Black background artists, Arthell and Darnell Isom, alongside animator Henry Thurlow, founded D’ART Shtajio — a 2-D animation studio in Tokyo — making it the “first major anime studio created by Black animators” in Japan, CBR reports . The three animators created their studio infusing American culture with Japanese anime, and in the process have worked on some huge anime projects. According to CBR, prior to opening the studio, Arthell Isom worked under animation studio Ogura Kobo as a background animator on shows such as “Bleach,” “Gintama,” “Black Butler,” “Lupin III: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine and Naruto.” He also worked with his mentor, Hiromasa Ogura, known for being a background animator on “Ninja Scroll” and “Ghost in the Shell.” Thurlow worked as an in-between animator and key animator previously, but always expressed his frustrations never having his creative input taken...
Dove wants increased representation in the digital world, leading the global personal care brand to launch a guide to help designers create characters with Black hair textures and protective styles for video games. “Code My Crown” — created with the help of Black game developers, artists, academics, and stylists — features instructions, personal insights, detailed references, and complete open-source code. “In the real world, there is an incredible variety of Black hairstyles. But this is rarely reflected in the gaming world,” said Lead Guide Contributor and Founder of the Open Source Afro Hair Library (Osahl) A.M. Darke in the guide. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Prof. A.M. Darke (@prettydarke) Recent research indicates that 85% of Black gamers believe video games poorly represent Black hair textures, according to Dove. Additionally, around 80% of Black gamers report feeling excluded, discriminated against, or inadequate when they do not see accurate...
Researchers have developed algorithms that accurately depict coily Black hair in computer graphics — a historic advancement for Black characters in media. According to The Guardian, AM Darke, an associate professor in the department of performance, play, and design at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and Theodore Kim, a professor of computer science at the Yale School of Engineering and Applied Science, co-authored the study. Despite increased representation and numerous papers published on computer graphics algorithms over the past 50 years — particularly regarding hair — Kim noted that representations of Black hair have remained relatively unchanged. Due to a lack of appropriate formulas, animators have struggled to accurately depict textures like type 4C hair , characterized by tightly coiled curls. “There’s only one or two hairstyles that people gravitate towards because they find that it’s culturally approved,” Kim said. “The vast diversity of type four hair is then...
Storytelling uses a plethora of mediums, and animation is one of them. During the 2023 AFROTECH ™ Conference, director and animator Chaz Bottoms and singer Dawn Richard led a session called “World Builders: The New Storytelling Frontier” to discuss how the technologies within the animation industry are creating revolutionary ways for people to tell stories. In their respective career journeys, Bottoms founded CBA Studios — one of the few Black-founded animation studios globally — and has worked with companies such as Disney, Hulu, and Adult Swim, per Forbes. Aside from Richard’s music career, she has a passion for animation. She created a comic book series called “Danity Kane” and works with Adult Swim as a creative consultant, as AFROTECH ™ previously reported, to amplify and create opportunities for Black animators in the space. “We are a beautiful people to draw, but we are a difficult people to draw in the sense that for people who aren’t us, they don’t know what they’re doing,”...
Miles Morales as Spider-Man has audiences captivated. Not only does the portrayal offer a fresh new perspective with all of its cultural immersions, but the ability to navigate across the multiverse also brings fresh energy to the film, introducing diverse versions of the character. Although Morales and his multiverse activities are fictional, real-life innovative practices allow people to leverage technology to support multilayered connections on various levels. Morehouse College senior Gera Baano-Stewart II recognized the power of this innovation and has launched several apps to support his generation, building a social connectivity ecosystem called Reign Verse.
The world of animation doesn’t have much color, and this couple is on a mission to change that. Jermaine and Whaketa Hargrove are making history with a first-of-it’s-kind Black-owned animation network, The Animation TV Network, per a report from ESSENCE. “We are using Animation TV and exclusive content to bring awareness to the lack of diversity and inclusion in the animation industry,” said Jermaine in an official news release. “By offering distribution to global animation creators, we will amplify the voices that sometimes go unheard. Structuring a theatrical partnership with a major film Studio for some of our stronger animation IP’s is also a goal of Animation TV. We are currently looking to finance, develop and distribute all forms of animation content(2D/3D) from creators all over the world.”
Kevin Hart can now add “Shark” to his ever-growing resumé. Yahoo reports that the actor, comedian, and businessman on the rise appeared on the Jan. 7 episode of “Shark Tank,” the hit ABC series that gives once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to small businesses looking for an investor to grow their businesses. The outlet confirms that Hart was filling in for longtime Sharks Daymond John and Robert Herjavec. He also endured some ribbing from fellow Shark Kevin O’Leary, who claimed that Kevin Hart was a “rookie” when it came to investing. (Despite O’Leary’s snark, Hart is far from a “rookie” when it comes to investing. According to Crunchbase, he’s made 10 investments as an individual investor, and he’s also a brand partner with Fabletics Men). Ignorant jokes aside, Hart explained on the show that he created HartBeat Ventures — an investment offshoot of his HartBeat Productions — to create what he called “financial inclusion” opportunities. HartBeat Ventures has already partnered with...
Seasoned Hollywood animator, producer, and director Leo Sullivan — together with his wife, Ethelyn O. Stewart — have committed their lives toward educating Black families. Recently the couple received Rev. Jesse Jackson’s Legacy Award for their outstanding achievement for their contributions in media, Black News previously reported. For the last 60 years, the couple has created entertaining interactive content for over 500,000 Black families to become informed through Leo Sullivan Multimedia, as per the company website. Its sister companies include AfroKids.TV , AfroKids.com , and TheAfroKidsFamily.com . AfroKids.com , and TheAfroKidsFamily.com . The mission of the multimedia outlet is to utilize visual arts to create a new future for children who are searching for a solution to their social and academic challenges. “Afrokids® is about every child having the opportunity to reach their potential. Sorry to say, the African American child is born into the world with many systemic...
Although the legendary Kobe Bryant is no longer here with us, his legacy lives on. Throughout his life, Bryant was more than just a basketball player. He made history in many ways. In 2018, he made history when his short film — “Dear Basketball” — took home the best short film Oscar at the Academy Awards. To this day, Bryant is the only athlete to win an Academy Award, and he also helped a veteran Disney animator take home his first Oscar, as well. But more than just films, Kobe Bryant was involved in a variety of business ventures. He was also a devoted philanthropist and frequently said that he was grateful that his celebrity allowed him to help other people in need. “Basketball is something that will come and eventually go, the beauty in that is trying to use that time to inspire others and provide some sort of escape for them,” he said, according to People Magazine. “I think that’s something that lives well beyond the game of basketball and is probably most important.” His NBA...
Sunny Hostin, a legal analyst best known for her co-hosting duties on “The View,” has announced that she’s launched a social justice-focused production company. Variety exclusively broke the story, and they revealed that the company — Roots & Wings Productions — will “spotlight characters neglected by Hollywood.” Roots & Wings will produce both films and television shows, and their stories will focus on social justice issues currently at the center of news stories in the United States. “I want to make sure that someone watches and knows that seeing an Afro Latina journalist on screen is a possibility,” Hostin told Variety. “I’m humbled to have the backing of a company like Disney. We’re going to create really intentional premium and diverse content together that centers on women and people of color, as well as people in the LGBTQ+ community — stories that I think, will be fresh and that you haven’t seen before.” Sunny Hostin also confirmed that the first production up for proffer by...
A Black-led anime series starring Oscar-nominated actor LaKeith Stanfield is making its way to Netflix this week. Netflix’s “Yasuke,” which tells the legendary story of the first Black samurai in feudal Japan, follows the titular character — voiced by Stanfield — as he navigates life following his violent past, until he is tasked with bringing a mysterious child who’s wanted by dark forces back to safety. According to Complex, the series is inspired by real-life samurai Yasuke, who many believe to have traveled from Africa to Japan back in 1579. In an interview with the outlet, the series’ creator LeSean Thomas — credited for animated series such as “Boondocks” and “Black Dynamite” — detailed his sentiments about creating and leading the charge for this revolutionary project. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Netflix “There is a serendipitous nature about this project, how an African-American man goes to Japan to live and work amongst the very best in Japanese anime to create an anime about...
When it was announced that Oscar-winning actress Lupita N’yongo would be teaming up with edu-tainment startup Kukua to serve as an executive producer of a new animated series, it didn’t take long for the news wires to light up with excitement. But according to the company’s chief operating officer, Vanessa Ford, the partnership with the “Black Panther” starlet was a natural one. “Lupita, as you may know — she’s a big vision type of a person,” she told AfroTech. “And initially, when we pitched her the idea, we thought she’d only be interested in getting involved on a surface level. But, you know, she was so in love with the idea of “Super Sema” that she asked to become a shareholder of the company, and it grew from there.” Billed as “Africa’s first kid superhero series,” “Super Sema” follows the adventures of the titular Sema and her brother, MB, who use their “tech-novating” powers to save their town of Dunia from a heartless robot uber-villain. From their “Secret Lab,” they code...
When talking about Maya Penn, the question to ask isn’t “what does she do?” The better question is, “what doesn’t she do?” At just 21-years-old, the Atlanta native is an entrepreneur, philanthropist, animator, artist, and CEO. She’s spoken at the TEDWomen event in San Francisco, which was subsequently broadcast live on TED’s official website — after which she did both a TEDx Talk and two official TEDTalks. She’s an animator and an artist, and was named to Oprah Winfrey’s SuperSoul 100 list of visionaries and influential leaders in 2016. Maya Penn is, in a word, a force of nature. But though she’s known as the CEO of Maya’s Ideas — a sustainable fashion company that she established long before it became chic to up-cycle clothes and accessories — she makes it clear that she prefers to be known for her work outside the industry. “The fashion, while enjoyable, is just one part of a bigger picture,” she told AfroTech. “I’m happy I’m able to do Maya’s Ideas. But what’s more important to...