Lion Forge embarks on Hero’s Journey adaptation with Folktellers Studios

Hero’s Journey the Series depicts the rise of iconic black artists
US-based animation studio Lion Forge Entertainment has partnered with transmedia company Folktellers Studios on an animated adaptation of Hero’s Journey the Series, a set of stories exploring the rise of several black artists during the segregation era.
The series follows the tour route of juke joints, known as the Chitlin Circuit, that spread across the US from the 1930s to 1960s, serving as the backdrop for the origin stories of artists such as Jimi Hendrix, The Jackson 5, BB King, Ike and Tina Turner, Little Richard, Aretha Franklin, Redd Foxx and Richard Pryor. The series is seen through the eyes of circuit emcee Theophilus George Odell (aka ‘Gorgeous’ George).
Lion Forge will oversee the development and production of the animated adaptation, which marks the second collaboration between the companies.
Folktellers Studios and Lion Forge are also currently developing and producing an animated series based on Josef Bastian’s Excerpts from an Unknown Guidebook book series, which follows a group of teenage storytellers as they cross worlds and dimensions to fight the forces of darkness.
Lion Forge, led by founder David Steward II, recently expanded its production slate to include live-action projects and hired former Imagine Entertainment executive Stephanie Sperber as president and chief content officer. The company’s credits include Oscar-winning short film Hair Love and the upcoming Cartoon Network/Max series Iyanu: Child of Wonder.
Stephen Sadler, executive producer at Folktellers Studios, said the series is a “vibrant combination of adventure, music and history that will engage audiences both young and old.”
Steward II added: “At Lion Forge, we pride ourselves in telling the stories of the underrepresented, while bringing exciting and diverse entertainment to the world. The Hero’s Journey the Series franchise does just that, resurrecting the lives and music of black artists who had to struggle through a very turbulent time in our collective history.”