By Monique
I love cartoons and I’m sure you love cartoons. But despite the plethora of amazing cartoons out there, there still isn’t enough diversity in the genre. The Weeklings, though, plans on changing that.
The Weeklings is an animated series featuring characters based on the days of the week. “Set in a surreal world in which anything can happen, the series chronicles the everyday adventures of Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday,” states the show’s Kickstarter page. “Each character has the personality of how each day feels.”
The show is created and directed by African-American animator and founder of Flydra Creative Jabril Mack. The series will “advance cultural representation in animation by highlighting cultures and ethnic groups that are not traditionally shown in cartoons.” From the official press release:
Los Angeles-based animation studio, Flydra Creative aims to increase cultural representation in cartoons with their latest project, an animated comedy called, The Weeklings. Set in a surreal world in which anything can happen, The Weeklings chronicles the everyday adventures of Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Each character personifies the characteristics of the day of the week they are named after. While Monday’s eccentric personality is off-putting to many, Friday’s natural charisma draws everyone in!
Creator and director of The Weeklings, Jabril Mack, wants to give people of all races, ethnicities, and sexual orientations the opportunity “to see a little of themselves in a cartoon”. He intends to combat the lack of cultural representation in mainstream media by drawing diverse characters everyone can relate to.
“The goal of the series is to celebrate diversity”, Mack says. He and his team at Flydra have spent the last year researching holidays and celebrations from all over the world to bring to life for the show. Characters like Diwali (inspired by the ancient Indian festival), Quinceanera, (inspired by the Mexican tradition), and many more will allow The Weeklings to highlight cultures and ethnic groups that are not traditionally shown in animation.
Check out the official trailer and clip from the show:
If you’re loving what you’re seeing, there’s a way to help make The Weeklings a fully-realized project. Flydra Creative has set up a Kickstarter for The Weeklings, and with 21 days left in their campaign, they’ve already met their initial $20,000 goal. However, the more money they get, the better The Weeklings can become. Make sure to check out their Kickstarter and donate what you can. The campaign ends Nov. 7. Make sure to follow The Weeklings at its website as well as on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
What do you think about The Weeklings? Give your opinions in the comments section below!
Julian 