LAND O' LAKES, Fla. — The idea for "Our Heroes Rock!" started something like this: "What if we did Schoolhouse Rock for important black figures?"
And turned into something like this: "Imagine the Smithsonian, but it was designed by Tony Stark."
When WWE champion Ettore "Big E" Ewen and local artist Jonathan Davenport get together, wild wonderful things happen.
"I always have these harebrained ideas, and Jonathan always finds ways to execute them," says Big E.
Davenport has worked for Disney and Marvel. He also designed wrestling gear for Big E and his popular wrestling crew the New Day.
Following the death of George Floyd, Big E approached Davenport about creating visually stunning, culturally profound outfits celebrating black heroes.
"Through my one God-given ability — drawing pictures — I realized I could send a message," says Davenport.
The uniforms were a much-discussed hit, especially with teachers. Journalist Andreas Hale suggested the logical next step: a hiphop-driven animated series featuring the voice and personality of Big E, with the warm, sci-fi-leaning creations of Davenport.
They're calling it "Our Heroes Rock!"
Kids in the future learn about Black heroes of the past. The first episode to be about child activist Ruby Bridges.
Big E and Davenport are launching a kickstarter campaign to get the series properly animated, with a hopeful launch on a major streaming site.
To find out more about the "Our Heroes Rock!" kickstarter, click here.
