Following its debut with an all-star comedy event earlier this year, animation-driven politics nonprofit Now What!? has launched its first batch of animated shorts, free to stream online. The team, led by founder Brendan Burch (CEO of Los Angeles animation studio Six Point Harness), describes the key aims of the Now What!? shorts program as “to get young people engaged in critical political issues and make the process of learning about them fun, accessible, and — above all — entertaining.”
The first three shorts are available to watch now via the org’s official website, now-what.us (where you can also donate to support the nonprofit’s work) and YouTube channel @NowWhatAnimation. The shorts are created by an assortment of filmmakers each lending a unique style to their animated message.
- Stop It with the Voting — Richard Prickle, an entitled CEO billionaire, wants you to stop it with all the voting — especially you women after your “rights.” It ruins his strategy to manipulate politics for his personal gain. So just stop it!
- By Kate Purdy, co-creator/writer/exec producer of Prime Video’s Undone, writer/producer of Netflix’s BoJack Horseman
- Fetus Monster — In the near future, a pregnant teenager discovers a compound that turns coercive natalists into giant fetus monsters. After she sneaks it into her town’s water supply, she‘s shocked to discover it worked … just as her own fetus monster is making his escape.
- By Annah Feinberg, writer/producer/cartoonist (The New Yorker – Daily Shouts, McSweeney’s, The Workplace short) and creator of Mulifarious Maris, in development with Showtime
- Snubby the Friendly Gun — Found in a trashcan, Snubby the Friendly Gun is home-schooled in the woods by his gun-loving parents. After their arrest, Snubby is allowed to attend public school where he discovers to his horror that guns are used to kill people.
- By Grant Lindahl, video editor & animator (campaigns for Mattel, Frankford Candy) and creator of Comedy Central’s Tales from the Trip
- Middle Class Matt (Coming in October) — Wealth inequality has gotten so bad that the American middle class is now just one guy: Matt. He has a job, a house, a car, some debt but not too much, a modest 401k. His cozy house is nestled between million dollar mansions and unhoused tent cities. He literally is the middle class.
- By Adam Lustick, actor (Battle of the Sexes, Corporate, Adam Ruins Everything) and writer (CollegeHumor’s Dropout, The Third Wheel short)
To help spread these important messages, Now What!? has partnered with SoSHA.ai to create easy-share toolkits to help fans and supporters promote the animated shorts across all major social media platforms. The nonprofit is also seeking influencers and organizations to partner with.
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