Animation Guild | We are 839 Digital Magazine
Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1313527
14 KEYFRAME A NEED TO SPOTLIGHT BLACK CREATIVES INSPIRED WAYMOND SINGLETON TO CO-CREATE THE PODCAST BLACK N' ANIMATED. Black artists remain woefully underrepresented in the animation industry. That's why Waymond Singleton co-created Black N' Animated, a podcast that aims to increase visibility for black creatives. Throughout his career, the storyboard artist for Disney Television has found himself in rare company as one of just a handful of black animation artists. In fact, it was during a fish out of water moment that the seeds of Black N' Animated were first sown. After a Cartoon Network mixer in 2017, Singleton found himself and a handful of other black industry professionals quite literally on the outside looking in. "There was a group of people hanging outside and we realized that we were all black," he says. "It was a circle of black people standing outside this restaurant watching a bunch of white creatives hanging out and talking to each other inside. And we were like, 'This is a weird metaphor for the animation industry.' So we started the podcast because we wanted to highlight black creatives and let students and [prospective animators] know we're here." With co-host Breana Williams, Singleton interviews black creative professionals about their experiences navigating the industry. "I really love talking to folks about their careers and their paths into animation," he says. "In college, we learned about black creatives within the industry. We heard about guys like Floyd Norman or Bruce W. Smith but rarely did we hear about anyone else. My first job in animation, I was the only black person on the team and yet the stories that were being told were very black- focused. It made me question myself like, 'Am I here because I'm talented or because I check a box?' Even when I am in spaces where I'm one of a handful, it's very exciting and uplifting." Despite knowing what he wanted to do from a young age, Singleton's SPEAKING YOUR TRUTH Image credit: Tim Sullens A F T E R H O U R S