The creator of The UnCommons web series visits a school for homeless students to bring some anime-themed Christmas cheer.
A school received the gift of anime cheer from a surprise visitor this holiday season.
Tony Weaver Jr., creator of the webcomic The UnCommons and CEO of Weird Enough Productions, teamed up with Funko to bring gifts to a school for students who are homeless. According to a video posted to his Twitter account, a teacher at the school uses anime to make sure the students never feel like they are inferior. Above the whiteboard hangs a large poster of Naruto Uzumaki with a quote that epitomizes their unique approach: “Never give up on yourself! That’s our ninja man.”
Weaver encourages uplifting communities
Weaver further states that the strength of anime lies in its community, which provides a place for everyone to belong. Anime fandom has the power to bring people together, as evidenced by the vibrant communities of cosplayers and fan content creators that transcend cultural and geographic boundaries. “That’s why something as simple as a toy can go a long way,” says Weaver, urging others to uplift those in their found communities, not just during the holiday season, but throughout the year.
The unusual launched in 2014 as the flagship comic of Weaver’s Weird Enough Productions, a company he started on an $80,000 grant while still in college. The series follows Iris, a West African teenager with a mystical power called “Second Sight”, which allows her to see things others cannot, such as an impending apocalypse. Having glimpsed this terrifying future, Iris travels to the futuristic Delta City in an attempt to change the fate of the world with a team of super-powered allies. The series has been viewed nearly three million times on WEBTOON, while Weaver’s work with Weird Enough Productions earned him a spot on Forbes’ 30 under 30 in 2018.
This Christmas’ collaborative class visit with Funko isn’t the first time Weaver has gone out of his way to give back. Weird Enough’s educational platform, Get Media LIT, offers over 400 pages of free lesson plans, comics, and activities for students, teachers, and administrators. Weaver also retained the production team TheUnusual “100% POC” and LGBTQ inclusive, providing opportunities for creatives from historically marginalized communities to gain a foothold in the industry.
The unusual is available to read on WEBTOON, while all of Get Media LIT’s comics and curricula are available for free on their website.
Source: Twitter
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