Meet the Animator and Director Flipping the Script on the Portrayal of Black Fathers
by Black Love Team
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June 17, 2024

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Meet the Animator and Director Flipping the Script on the Portrayal of Black Fathers

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Audiences are far too familiar with stereotypical depictions of Black fathers in TV and film. The Black dad is often portrayed as emotionally distant, tough as nails, in and out of the home, or at in its worst depictions, completely absent altogether. Director Carl Jones is working to combat that narrative with the release of his new animated short film “The League of Black & Unlimited Dads.”  

Meet the Animator and Director Flipping the Script on the Portrayal of Black Fathers
Animator and director Carl Jones (Courtesy of Carl Jones)

Jones, who previously worked on iconic animated TV series like “The Boondocks” and “Black Dynamite,” has partnered with Walmart’s Black & Unlimited Fatherhood Project to release his newest animated film about Black fathers who are superheroes in their communities. As a father of four children, Jones felt passionate about creating something that can reframe the narrative and flip the script on how Black dads are portrayed. 

“I have an animation company, Martian Blueberry, and that’s kind of the thing that we specialize in,” Jones explains to BlackLove.com “We formed this company to do projects that we’re really passionate about, but that are culturally specific and really handle our culture in a very nuanced way that I feel like a lot of animation studios have trouble doing right.” 

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“The media has a tendency to shine a spotlight on all the negative things that happen with Black men,” he continues. “I think it’s a great honor to be able to do something that’s very different from that, and actually show — in a slightly exaggerated way — what it means to be a superhero, or Black father. A lot of times, we’re taught that superheroes wear capes and have all these crazy powers, but there’s so many heroes in our community that go unnoticed. People that actually had an impact on your life in a very real way, especially for fathers — not just Black fathers, but fathers period.” 

 

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Jones worked with producer Omar McClinton, composer Childish Major (Markus Randall), Ludacris’ manager Chaka Zulu, entrepreneur Jacob York, animators in Houston, who overcame two power outages, storyboard artists, character designers, and his wife, Love Jones, to bring “The League of Black & Unlimited Dads” to life before Father’s Day. Walmart assisted in the process, sponsoring the short film’s upcoming premiere at the 2024 American Black Film Festival in Miami on Saturday, June 15.  

Carl gushes about his wife, animation producer Love, who gave her all on this project. 

“My wife Love Jones – that’s her real name,” Carl says with a laugh, “she is wonderful, amazing. She’s an amazing, amazing animation producer. She kind of jumped in [to animation] with both feet maybe less than three years ago. And she’s become, I think, a real force in the industry.”

Carl and Love’s home life with their children isn’t directly seen in the “The League of Black & Unlimited Dads,” but it did serve as a source of inspiration, according to Carl. 

“We all as parents — a lot of parents are incredibly busy, you know,” Carl explains. “I mean between work, and then having to balance a household, take care of a household, and also be there for your children emotionally, mentally, physically — all of that can be really challenging. So, more than anything, I think [the film] was designed to inspire us to think more about how we can show up as superheroes for our kids.” 

“The League of Black & Unlimited Dads” premiered at ABFF on Saturday followed by a panel discussion, “Beyond The Screen: Black Dads Off Set.” Carl was joined by actors Lance Gross and Devale Ellis for the conversation, presented by Walmart Black & Unlimited New World Center – Performance Hall.   

“This film is an awesome opportunity to shift the narrative and shine a spotlight on the positive attributes of Black men, but also, just for the medium of animation,” Carl says. “I think it’s really cool to be able to see ourselves animated in a very powerful, respectful way because we don’t really see that too often, either.”

“What it means to me to be a father is to be someone who is willing to learn new and more things about fatherhood so that you can grow and become a better father,” Carl concludes. “I think that’s the most important thing.”

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