Imagine Kids+Family Ties Up with Hair Love Producer Lion Forge

Imagine Kids+Family and David Steward II’s Lion Forge Animation studio, behind the Academy Award-winning Hair Love, have entered into an exclusive first-look partnership.

The partnership involves the animation company’s existing IP of both licensed and original ideas, starting with Chippy Hood, Puerto Rico Strong and Black Comic Anthology. Content development will include short-form, TV series and digital, and will be part of a strategic global franchise plan and consumer products.

Chippy Hood is an animated series, created in partnership with South Korean animation studio Mostapes, for preschoolers set in a magical place where four little chipmunks, Chippy, Kong, LaLa and BamBam, look for opportunities to add fun events into their daily lives.

Puerto Rico Strong is an animated anthology series based on the book that was created by the people who came together out of empathy after the devastation the island faced from Hurricane Maria. Puerto Rico Strong explores what it means to be Puerto Rican and the diversity that exists within that concept, from today’s most exciting Puerto Rican comics creators.

Black Comic Anthology (working title) is a series of animated episodes, featuring African American creators, offer a journey through time and a look at the Black experience at each stop. It will explore subject matters of race, inequality, triumphs and tribulations and has a connecting fiber throughout that culminates in a surprise ending that ties its seemingly unrelated episodes together.

Productions will be executive produced by Imagine Kids+Family President Stephanie Sperber and Lion Forge Animation President Carl Reed and Founder David Steward II.

The projects will be jointly produced and financed by Lion Forge Animation and Imagine. The two companies will collaborate on the development and preproduction of the projects, including the creation of story, character design and other assets. Animation work will be conducted at the Lion Forge Animation studios in St. Louis, Missouri.

“I have admired Carl and David for their originality and unique storytelling for years. They are visionary content creators and cross-platform franchise incubators,” said Sperber. “We are excited to partner with them to produce an original slate of content that also amplifies unique voices and tells diverse stories.”

Reed added, “The Imagine brand has always stood out as a blue-chip moniker for best-in-class entertainment and their Kids+Family group certainly carries on the tradition. We’re excited to work with Stephanie and the Imagine team as we explore and mine Lion Forge’s vast IP holdings that include comics, graphic novels, original content and celebrity affiliations, and as always, introduce diverse voices and characters to impressionable audiences who will see this as more relatable in today’s world.”

Steward II commented, “We’re seeing a surge in demand for animated content aimed at children and expect this trajectory to continue in step with the proliferation of screens and streaming platforms globally. To meet this demand and continue to deliver at the high-level families are accustomed to, we’re happy to forge this partnership with Imagine Kids+Family and collaborate on a really fun and distinct slate that carries our messages of diversity and inclusion.”