Key Points

• Gammy & The Living Things fuels Mary Jane’s animation dream.

• The show highlights Africa’s storytelling in a global spotlight.

• Her project creates jobs and inspires young African creatives.

Mary Jane Udo is a Nigerian animator. The long nights of sketching and rewriting scripts have finally paid off. The creative businesswoman, who went to school at the University of Lagos, has officially started her first big project, Gammy & The Living Things. It’s a colourful and heartwarming series that brings African-inspired characters to life on screen.

The series is about Gammy, a curious child who finds the secret world of “living things” that teach her lessons about bravery, kindness, and strength. Jane’s studio, MJ Animations, made the show, which mixes jokes, adventure, and African folktales. The launch event in Lagos drew top creatives, like animator Komi Olaf and filmmaker Kemi Adetiba, showing that the industry is behind it.

According to a report by Vanguard news, Jane, who had worked with studios on short ads before going out on her own, said the project was “years in the making.” She said her goal was to fill a gap in children’s programming: “I wanted kids to watch cartoons that felt familiar but were also from around the world.”

African storytelling is becoming more popular around the world

Gammy & The Living Things comes out at a time when African animation is getting more attention around the world. Netflix Africa just put out films like Supa Team 4 from Zambia. Disney+ is also supporting African short films through its “Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire” project. Triggerfish Animation Studios from South Africa has already made it into Hollywood distribution.

Jane wants to ride that wave. She worked with illustrators and sound designers from Lagos, Nairobi, and Cape Town to make a creative team that crossed borders. At the launch, representatives from the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and the Nigerian Film Corporation said that the project was an important step in making Nigeria’s animation known around the world.

Gammy and the Living Things is aimed at kids

Jane thinks that there aren’t enough shows for kids aged 5 to 12 in Africa, so she made this one for them. The series is both fun and educational, teaching respect for the environment, teamwork, and empathy. Parents who attended the launch praised the stories for being both fun and educational. Teachers from Corona Schools in Lagos said they could use them in the classroom.

Jane also said that she wants to turn the project into books, products, and an educational app for phones. There are talks going on with local broadcasters and with Netflix Africa about possible licensing.

Creating a legacy in animation

For Jane, Gammy & The Living Things is more than just a personal success. It shows that Africa’s animation industry can become important around the world if people work together and keep going.

“This is only the beginning,” she told the crowd. “All over the world, our kids deserve stories that show who they are.”