Vonnworld: The Animated Series

Fig. 1 - Vonnword: The Animated Series.

On the evening of February 28th 2015 in an East Oakland neighborhood in northern California, Davon Malik Ellis was walking with a couple of his friends to the store from his football coach's home when he was stopped by a random stranger and shot to death. He was only 14 years old with a promising future in football. It was this random violent act that birthed the idea of the animated project Vonnworld: The Animated Series (Fig. 1). The father of Davon Ellis, Christopher Ellis, decided to not only celebrate the life of his son through the medium of animation, but also to chronicle the personal stories of those whom his unexpected death affected most. Animator Bruce Bowers decided to team up with Ellis and develop an animation series, with the intent to create a window to view from a safe distance some of the challenges young people face day to day living in a city like Oakland. Though the characters would themselves be fictional, the stories would be loosely based on actual situations that Davon's friends would go on to experience in the years after his death. Although the series has serious undertones, there is enough humour and lightheartedness to balance out the sombre subject of dealing with the loss of a loved one. This blog post reflects on the origins of Vonnworld and its range of fictional characters. We suggest that Vonnworld as an animated series appeals to an audience mostly overlooked by the animation industry. Although Aaron McGruder’s controversial adult animated series The Boondocks (2005-2014) had already successfully tapped into racial politics in contemporary American, there really hasn't been a show that has been equally as impactful since. We look forward to using Vonnworld: The Animated Series to change that narrative.

The Vonnworld: The Animated Series project is a collaboration between award winning film producer Ellis and animation producer Bowers. The first episode was produced in 2016, with Bowers overseeing and producing much of the animation while Ellis handling the voice talent, music production, and Foley. The two East Oakland, CA natives first met each other on a music video set in 2009 and would eventually work together again on Ellis' 2013 independent film Hopes Identity (Christopher Ellis, 2014). It was on the set of the live-action Hopes Identity where Bowers first met Ellis’ son, Davon. When Davon was murdered only a couple of years later in 2015, Bowers was gifted by Ellis an original illustrated artwork mural of Davon’s life. He was touched by the gesture and it wasn't long before the two men decided to team up and create a small animated film project dedicated to Ellis’ only son. However, as the two spent more time together, trading stories back and forth, the idea for Vonnworld: The Animated Series was born.

Fig. 2 - (L-R) Darren, Reese, AD and Zelly.

The backdrop of Vonnworld is set in various parts of Oakland, mostly on the East Side of the city. Oakland has earned the reputation of being culturally rich, diverse and one of the most interesting cities in the Bay Area. It also has a reputation of being one of the most dangerous urban areas to live in as well. This hybrid identity is authentically captured in both the setting and characters of Vonnworlds. Four main characters are prominently featured in every episode of the show and who make up a crew that call themselves NFBR - Nappy Fros and Bank Rolls (Fig. 2). This is a term that the group use loosely to describe their entrepreneural spirit and endeavours, many of which form the basis of individual episodes. Darren is the right-hand man of the leader, AD. Darren is a hardcore gamer at heart, and the gentle giant of the group. From time to time, he does get teased because of his height, but serves as the "protector" of his crew when things get tense. Reese is the younger brother one of Oakland's notorious "street legends" Big Maine. Reese is the ladies man of the crew and spends a lot of time texting girls on his phone. He is essentially the youngest of the four boys as well, so he tends to come across as entitled from time to time. AD is the self proclaimed leader of the crew. Hot headed, he has a slight temper and is quick to use his hands to settle beef. He secretly has a crush on one of the girls in the series named Sha Sha too. Finally, Zelly is the most laid back of the crew. He says a lot of things before thinking them through, so he usually ends up putting his foot in his own mouth even though the series also depicts him as a momma's boy.

Fig. 3 - The supporting cast of Vonnworld: The Animated Series.

Vonnworld also features a colourful supporting cast that help shape the boys’ world. These characters are used as a way of bringing greater authenticity to the animated world of Vonnworld, and to accurately depict Oakland as a vibrant contemporary location. The supporting cast is therefore made up of a variety of both younger figures and adults who are always involved directly or indirectly in a lot of the stories told throughout the series (Fig. 3). The supporting cast includes authentic characters like their homeroom math teacher Ms. Steinberg, Reece’s older “OG” brother Maine, and the three girls that call themselves The BBC (Billionaire Boss Clique) Sha Sha, Shaila, and Shate’. As we begin to produce more episodes and explore the relationships between our cast, there are more and more characters that will be introduced that are pertinent to the boys’ development in a difficult and changing world without their leader and best friend at their side.

The first season of Vonnworld: The Animated Series is now showing on the Bayworld Unlimited YouTube Channel. The second season is in pre-production and is being shopped to various networks and streaming services. Hopefully, you'll get to see it on your TV screen very soon. With a new Vonnworld spinoff show Woman’Hood and film festival distributed animation project City of Dope on the horizon, the future looks extremely triumphant!

**Article published: January 13, 2023**

Biography

Bayworld Unlimited, LLC is the animation company established by Christopher Ellis and Bruce Bowers. Their main mission is to create animation shows for all online, television, and film platforms that are centred around their hometown Oakland, CA. Established in 2016 with their flagship title Vonnworld: The Animated Series, they have gone on to create other animation series like It’s The Van Amburgs, Bootywoman presents Booty Shortz and The Mario Hodge 5 Minute Comedy Hour.