Henry Bonsu
Creator, Lazor Wulf Adult Swim
Take one look at Henry Bonsu’s brilliant new animated series Lazor Wulf, and you can tell he is a true fan of classic UPA toons and oldschool Hanna-Barbera. The gifted 34-year-old creator, who grew up in East Orange, N.J. and Philadelphia, loved cartoons and drawing comics at an early age. “I watched everything back then,” he says. “I loved Tiny Toons and Animaniacs, and even watched the animated show based on Jumanji!”
After studying animation at the Art Institute of Philadelphia, he moved to San Jose, Calif. “I was living with a couple of my friends and dreamed about making a cartoon about a wolf with a laser on his back,” he recalls. “At night, I made a comic about it, and I put it on the Internet. It just grew from a joke and became this Tumblr comic.”
After Adult Swim exec producer Dan Weidenfeld discovered the comic online, Bonsu was invited to come to L.A. and make the show at Bento Box. “I just pitched the show to him, and he got me to meet some dope folks,” he recalls. “We have a team of about 30 people. The studio in Atlanta works on the animation, and we do the boarding and preproduction and animatics in L.A.”
Bonsu says he’s beyond thrilled to be able to create animation that he can stand by and which speaks to people. “I want to make stuff that
people enjoy. I think it’s important for black folks to realize that they can also make animation like this and create things that speak to them and their audience. But you can’t stop on your laurels. You always need to be motivated to make things better. It all comes down to people opening doors and providing you with platforms to express your view. Other people did it for me, and I hope I can do the same for a new generation of animators.”
“Cartoons are a major part of my black experience,” he adds. “They are a dope medium to tell stories and showcase ideas. It takes time and patience, but you got to be consistent with your goals. Make sure what you’re making has the energy and authenticity you envisioned. Then stand up for it and speak to it when you’re challenged. But also, open yourself up to being wrong. Know that messing up is part of the process, and can result in growth!”