Animal Nation, a web series created by animation portal aniBoom.com launched on multiple platforms this week. The series, which follows the adventures and misadventures of six animal roommates, features a Latino leading character, Polo the Chicken. The series is the first mainstream web series with a Hispanic cast.
The show, which has already been gaining popularity on video sharing platforms like YouTube.com was created by Sergio Lebrija. The Mexico City-based animator is also the creator of the
Telemundo TV series La Familia del Barrio, which has been on the air on the U.S. station for two and a half years. Lebrija began working on the series when he heard from his brother that
aniBoom.com was looking for new talent.
"I decided to send them some of my work. I figured no harm, no foul," says Lebrija, who previously had worked on commercials and architectural walk-throughs. "They loved it and they
wanted to form a partnership. Needless to say I was ecstatic."
The series is loosely based on Animal Farm, the iconic novel by George Orwell. The webisodes of Animal Nation revolve around food and friendship -- and the difficulties that arise when a
chicken, dog, duck, frog and cat are all best friends. The episodes are available online in both two-and-a-half-minute "long form" and 90-second "short form," meant for users watching the
series on mobile phones.
With the current TV writers' strike and the lack of new sitcom episodes on traditional media, Animal Nation has been enjoying extra visibility and popularity online. Feedback from online
viewers has been positive, with many praising the show as aniBoom.com's best. The series, along with games, e-cards and video blogs featuring the characters, can be found at http://www.aniboom.com/animalnation.
aniBoom.com is a portal for animations and animators on the web. It teams up with animators around the world to create, produce and distribute high-quality animations and cartoons to web,
mobile, gaming and TV media industries worldwide. The site also features a plethora of original animations and cartoons on its website, at http://www.aniboom.com.