March 12, 2025 • 9 mins
Saxton Moore on ‘Iyanu,’ Black Animation & The Power of African Storytelling | Black in the Green RoomBlack in the Green Room with Keith L. Underwood | Exclusive Interview with Saxton Moore
In this must-listen episode of Black in the Green Room, host Keith L. Underwood sits down with legendary animator Saxton Moore to talk about his groundbreaking new series, "Iyanu: Child of Wonder"! Based on the hit graphic novel by Roye Okupe, this African fantasy series is bringing Yoruba mythology, epic storytelling, and powerful representation to the world of animation.
How did Moore go from Cartoon Network to creating a historic Black animation project?
What makes "Iyanu" a game-changer for the industry?
Why is authentic African representation in media more important than ever?
"Iyanu: Child of Wonder" premieres April 5 on Cartoon Network & streams on Max the next day!
Tune in for:
Behind-the-scenes insights on making "Iyanu"
The challenges & triumphs of bringing African stories to animation
The future of Black creatives in Hollywood
What’s next for Saxton Moore in the animation space
Drop a review, share with your network, and let us know—What does Black representation in animation mean to you?
Subscribe now and never miss an episode of Black in the Green Room!
#Keith L Underwood #Black in the Green Room #Iyanu Child of Wonder #Saxton Moore #Black Animation #African Mythology #Cartoon Network Series #Representation Matters #Diverse Storytelling #Black Creatives
In this must-listen episode of Black in the Green Room, host Keith L. Underwood sits down with legendary animator Saxton Moore to talk about his groundbreaking new series, "Iyanu: Child of Wonder"! Based on the hit graphic novel by Roye Okupe, this African fantasy series is bringing Yoruba mythology, epic storytelling, and powerful representation to the world of animation.
How did Moore go from Cartoon Network to creating a historic Black animation project?
What makes "Iyanu" a game-changer for the industry?
Why is authentic African representation in media more important than ever?
"Iyanu: Child of Wonder" premieres April 5 on Cartoon Network & streams on Max the next day!
Tune in for:
Behind-the-scenes insights on making "Iyanu"
The challenges & triumphs of bringing African stories to animation
The future of Black creatives in Hollywood
What’s next for Saxton Moore in the animation space
Drop a review, share with your network, and let us know—What does Black representation in animation mean to you?
Subscribe now and never miss an episode of Black in the Green Room!
#Keith L Underwood #Black in the Green Room #Iyanu Child of Wonder #Saxton Moore #Black Animation #African Mythology #Cartoon Network Series #Representation Matters #Diverse Storytelling #Black Creatives
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
[Silence]
(00:12):
And joining me in the room right now is my friend and my colleague.
He has an expansive career in animation, including Cartoon Network.
And he's here to talk about his latest project.
Ayanu, child of Wonder, welcome to the room,
Saksden Moore, Saksden, what's up brother?
(00:35):
Thank you for having me.
This is great to be here.
You know, joining me to speak today.
Yeah, thank you, man. Thank you.
Saksden, tell me a little bit about your background in animation
and how you found your love for the medium.
I mean, well, as a kid, it was the Saturday morning,
(00:55):
but you know, Saturday morning, cartoons were very limited
back when I was growing up.
You know, you see, you either got up super early on Saturday morning
to watch cartoons or you would watch cartoons after school.
And so, once I found out that you can make a living
in a career at actually drawing cartoons for a living,
(01:18):
I was like, sign me up.
So, you know, once I try to get into the comic book industry,
I had a little portfolio drawing my favorite heroes,
then I went to the artist, Tudor Vellana,
and you know, went there for animation.
And then I, you know, then a little network called Cartoon Network
(01:43):
decided to show up and show cartoons for 24 hours a day.
And the talent pool was very limited here in Atlanta.
You know, Cartoon Network started out here in Atlanta,
Georgia, and two other studios.
And, you know, once I got in there, I had my hands
and, you know, as a director, I came into the business
(02:06):
as a director to help brand Cartoon Networks,
the short bumpers and commercials that they had
surrounding the shows.
So, I started like right when they, right before they launched.
So, it was an exciting moment in time to be a part of that.
And, you know, once I did that,
that a music video for Tony Braxton,
(02:28):
once she came out of her retirement,
he wasn't man enough for me.
He wasn't man enough?
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
And then I went out to LA for a little bit
and moved my, did at Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network,
did a few things for Disney,
and then I came back to Atlanta
and worked for a few shows on Adult Swim as an animator.
(02:50):
It was the Aquatine Hunter Force,
RV Birdman, Squid Billies.
And I went to American Greetings
and helped them relaunch care bears,
strawberries, shortcake, mad balls,
all those great franchises from the '80s.
I actually still do work time to time for, you know,
care bears.
(03:11):
So, yeah, that's pretty much been the,
oh, yeah, and then I went and became an executive
over at Lion 4's Animation.
A award-winning Lion 4's Animation.
Yeah, right when I came in,
I brought in a project from Sesame Street
and we won an Emmy,
won an Emmy for the Power of Wee,
(03:33):
which was an animated and live action special,
educating kids about racism and the pandemic.
Wow, I love it, man.
(04:10):
So let's talk about Ayanu, child of Wonder.
I mean, man, and it's going to be airing
on Amazon, correct, or streaming on Amazon.
No, it's streaming on, well, first it premieres
on Cartoon Network, it's a Cartoon Networking series.
It's a kid shows like for kids and family,
so when people look at it,
(04:32):
sometimes they compare it to like Avatar,
the last airbender, things like that,
but it's definitely for kids, you know, kids and family members.
Yes.
After it airs on Cartoon Network April 5th at 9.30 a.m.,
which shows you it's a kid's kid show.
Right.
The following day, each episode would stream on Max.
(04:55):
Nice, man.
And how much pride do you have in this project
because it's deep seated in African mythology?
And, you know, what was that process like for you
and then how much pride do you have in this project?
My pride is through the roof.
I mean, you know, as I mentioned before,
(05:16):
I grew up loving cartoons,
but the representation wasn't there.
You might get your ancillary sidekick character
that was black and a lot of the popular shows,
but for this, it was an all black cast of characters.
Authentic, to Nigerian culture.
(05:36):
I've always, throughout my career,
the latter part of my career,
you know, a big fan of anime.
And all anime is showcasing and introducing people
to the world of Japanese culture.
And I think the same thing for my culture.
Come on now.
I wanted to create shows and develop projects
(05:57):
where it would not only entertain,
but also educate people about African American
and African cultures.
And so this was like the icing on the cake.
It was a great opportunity to tell this amazing story
created by Roya Hubei who has unique studios
(06:18):
and, you know, produced the graphic novel,
which is now published by Dark Horse Comics.
Nice.
It was my job to take the comic book
and adapt it for television.
What's it about?
- So Iyano is about a young girl.
It's based in ancient Nigeria, first of all.
(06:40):
And it's about this young girl that is the chosen.
And she has these unique abilities
that she starts to discover to help find herself
and find the strength within her.
So she could be the hope for the people
within the walls of the city of Aloum.
- I love that, man.
And what do you hope audiences really take away
(07:02):
from this project?
- I mean, the same thing.
I experienced while working on it.
- Mm.
- African Americans.
We, you know, it's upon ourselves to go research
and learn about our African brothers and sisters
and about the Lord, folklore,
and the history of African culture.
(07:23):
But, you know, with this project,
I was able to work with Roy
and the whole voiceover cast was from Africa.
They were from Nigeria.
- Nice.
- Through the artists,
there's a lot of Nigerian artists
that we brought on to the project
and learning more and more about the culture
(07:45):
made it more authentic.
And so I was learning as I was working and creating,
which is, and I hope that when people watch the series,
not only are they entertained, but they're educated
about the culture and the history of Nigeria.
- I love that, man.
And tell us again, when Ianu begins to stream again
(08:08):
where they can find it
and then where everybody can find you too.
- Okay, so Ianu premieres on Cartoon Network,
April 5th this year.
And then following the following day,
each episode will start streaming on Max.
It's also being streamed on show Max
(08:28):
in 14 other countries in Africa.
So it's an international series as well.
And you can find me at Sax tomorrow
on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn,
or Sax tomorrow productions.
- All right, Sax tomorrow.
Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful story
(08:50):
of Ianu and a little bit of your story, man.
I really appreciate it.
We got to bring you back too.
- Oh, most definitely.
I got another project up my sleeve that I'll be starting
to share really soon.
- All right, I love that, man.
And everyone, please follow me, Mr. Keith L. Underwood
on IG.
You can also follow me at Keith L. Underwood on SB.
(09:13):
And you know you have to follow Black in the Green Room
across all platforms at Black in the Green Room
until next time.
(upbeat music)
[BLANK_AUDIO]
(09:34):
[BLANK_AUDIO]
[Silence]
(00:12):
And joining me in the room right now is my friend and my colleague.
He has an expansive career in animation, including Cartoon Network.
And he's here to talk about his latest project.
Ayanu, child of Wonder, welcome to the room,
Saksden Moore, Saksden, what's up brother?
(00:35):
Thank you for having me.
This is great to be here.
You know, joining me to speak today.
Yeah, thank you, man. Thank you.
Saksden, tell me a little bit about your background in animation
and how you found your love for the medium.
I mean, well, as a kid, it was the Saturday morning,
(00:55):
but you know, Saturday morning, cartoons were very limited
back when I was growing up.
You know, you see, you either got up super early on Saturday morning
to watch cartoons or you would watch cartoons after school.
And so, once I found out that you can make a living
in a career at actually drawing cartoons for a living,
(01:18):
I was like, sign me up.
So, you know, once I try to get into the comic book industry,
I had a little portfolio drawing my favorite heroes,
then I went to the artist, Tudor Vellana,
and you know, went there for animation.
And then I, you know, then a little network called Cartoon Network
(01:43):
decided to show up and show cartoons for 24 hours a day.
And the talent pool was very limited here in Atlanta.
You know, Cartoon Network started out here in Atlanta,
Georgia, and two other studios.
And, you know, once I got in there, I had my hands
and, you know, as a director, I came into the business
(02:06):
as a director to help brand Cartoon Networks,
the short bumpers and commercials that they had
surrounding the shows.
So, I started like right when they, right before they launched.
So, it was an exciting moment in time to be a part of that.
And, you know, once I did that,
that a music video for Tony Braxton,
(02:28):
once she came out of her retirement,
he wasn't man enough for me.
He wasn't man enough?
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
And then I went out to LA for a little bit
and moved my, did at Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network,
did a few things for Disney,
and then I came back to Atlanta
and worked for a few shows on Adult Swim as an animator.
(02:50):
It was the Aquatine Hunter Force,
RV Birdman, Squid Billies.
And I went to American Greetings
and helped them relaunch care bears,
strawberries, shortcake, mad balls,
all those great franchises from the '80s.
I actually still do work time to time for, you know,
care bears.
(03:11):
So, yeah, that's pretty much been the,
oh, yeah, and then I went and became an executive
over at Lion 4's Animation.
A award-winning Lion 4's Animation.
Yeah, right when I came in,
I brought in a project from Sesame Street
and we won an Emmy,
won an Emmy for the Power of Wee,
(03:33):
which was an animated and live action special,
educating kids about racism and the pandemic.
Wow, I love it, man.
(04:10):
So let's talk about Ayanu, child of Wonder.
I mean, man, and it's going to be airing
on Amazon, correct, or streaming on Amazon.
No, it's streaming on, well, first it premieres
on Cartoon Network, it's a Cartoon Networking series.
It's a kid shows like for kids and family,
so when people look at it,
(04:32):
sometimes they compare it to like Avatar,
the last airbender, things like that,
but it's definitely for kids, you know, kids and family members.
Yes.
After it airs on Cartoon Network April 5th at 9.30 a.m.,
which shows you it's a kid's kid show.
Right.
The following day, each episode would stream on Max.
(04:55):
Nice, man.
And how much pride do you have in this project
because it's deep seated in African mythology?
And, you know, what was that process like for you
and then how much pride do you have in this project?
My pride is through the roof.
I mean, you know, as I mentioned before,
(05:16):
I grew up loving cartoons,
but the representation wasn't there.
You might get your ancillary sidekick character
that was black and a lot of the popular shows,
but for this, it was an all black cast of characters.
Authentic, to Nigerian culture.
(05:36):
I've always, throughout my career,
the latter part of my career,
you know, a big fan of anime.
And all anime is showcasing and introducing people
to the world of Japanese culture.
And I think the same thing for my culture.
Come on now.
I wanted to create shows and develop projects
(05:57):
where it would not only entertain,
but also educate people about African American
and African cultures.
And so this was like the icing on the cake.
It was a great opportunity to tell this amazing story
created by Roya Hubei who has unique studios
(06:18):
and, you know, produced the graphic novel,
which is now published by Dark Horse Comics.
Nice.
It was my job to take the comic book
and adapt it for television.
What's it about?
- So Iyano is about a young girl.
It's based in ancient Nigeria, first of all.
(06:40):
And it's about this young girl that is the chosen.
And she has these unique abilities
that she starts to discover to help find herself
and find the strength within her.
So she could be the hope for the people
within the walls of the city of Aloum.
- I love that, man.
And what do you hope audiences really take away
(07:02):
from this project?
- I mean, the same thing.
I experienced while working on it.
- Mm.
- African Americans.
We, you know, it's upon ourselves to go research
and learn about our African brothers and sisters
and about the Lord, folklore,
and the history of African culture.
(07:23):
But, you know, with this project,
I was able to work with Roy
and the whole voiceover cast was from Africa.
They were from Nigeria.
- Nice.
- Through the artists,
there's a lot of Nigerian artists
that we brought on to the project
and learning more and more about the culture
(07:45):
made it more authentic.
And so I was learning as I was working and creating,
which is, and I hope that when people watch the series,
not only are they entertained, but they're educated
about the culture and the history of Nigeria.
- I love that, man.
And tell us again, when Ianu begins to stream again
(08:08):
where they can find it
and then where everybody can find you too.
- Okay, so Ianu premieres on Cartoon Network,
April 5th this year.
And then following the following day,
each episode will start streaming on Max.
It's also being streamed on show Max
(08:28):
in 14 other countries in Africa.
So it's an international series as well.
And you can find me at Sax tomorrow
on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn,
or Sax tomorrow productions.
- All right, Sax tomorrow.
Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful story
(08:50):
of Ianu and a little bit of your story, man.
I really appreciate it.
We got to bring you back too.
- Oh, most definitely.
I got another project up my sleeve that I'll be starting
to share really soon.
- All right, I love that, man.
And everyone, please follow me, Mr. Keith L. Underwood
on IG.
You can also follow me at Keith L. Underwood on SB.
(09:13):
And you know you have to follow Black in the Green Room
across all platforms at Black in the Green Room
until next time.
(upbeat music)
[BLANK_AUDIO]
(09:34):
[BLANK_AUDIO]
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