‘Garbage Boy and Trash Can’ Wins Cartoon Network Africa’s Creative Lab Competition

Cartoon Network Africa has announced the winners for its Creative Lab, an initiative to discover and develop African creators rather than relying purely on North American and European-produced Cartoon Network content.

Nigerian Ridwan Moshood took the top prize for his creation Garbage Boy and Trash Can, about a boy who believes he has superpowers and fights for justice with his sidekick, Trash Can. “Ridwan’s style is a perfect fit for the channel and shows fantastic graphism that makes the show instantly lovable, unique, and full of energy,” said Ariane Suveg, head of programming and acquisition, Turner Kids Africa.

In September, the project was also pitched at the Lagos Comic Con, where it was selected as one of two projects that will present at Annecy’s MIFA Pitches Animation du Monde in 2019.

Over 250 projects were submitted for the competition. In addition to Moshood’s idea, two other projects were selected as runner-ups:

• Intergalactic Ice Cream by Andrew John Phillips (South Africa), about a 13-year-old former cool kid, Makhaya, whose after-school job as a delivery boy for a mysterious ice cream parlor rocket-launches him into the craziest, danger-filled and dairy-fueled adventures this side of the Milky Way.
• Majitu by Mark Kinuthia (Kenya), which follows the duo, Jasiri and Bokari, on their quest to rid the world of evil and stop an evil witch from opening the gates between earth and the phantom’s universe.

All three of the winning projects will be given the opportunity to produce pilots with Cartoon Network Africa, which will then premiere the shorts on Cartoon Network Africa and its digital platforms in 2019.

“We are thrilled that the Creative Lab winner and runner-ups reflect the vibrant nature of the continent and look forward to collaborating with each of them,” said Suveg. “We’re excited to have seen strong African inspiration and captivating proposals all around, with strong human stakes in characters and stories that go straight to the heart.”