Cyril Jones Working on an Animation Project
Photo Credit: Cartoon Brew
For almost two years Cycil Jones Abban, now 37, managed a pharmacy and spent his nights animating. Like the cartoonist Batman of Ghana’s capital, Accra, Abban started by working from his home, and eventually, he became the head of his own studio, Parables Animation Studios (pictured at top).
The movies and shorts that Parables creates breathe life into classic Ghanaian folklore and history by putting modern twists on tales that Abban grew up with. The studio churns out colorful and vibrant 2D cartoons that are inspired by American TV animation, some of which have been viewed 60,000 times on YouTube.
Parable Animation GIF
Photo Credit: Cartoon Brew
As of today, Parables has created an animated short titled Anansi Must Die, a 45-minute film titled 28th The Crossroads, and Storytime in Akwaaba, a television series that aired on a government channel for one season. These productions have garnered national attention and have served as a way to preserve local culture in the face of mainstream American shows, like Spongebob Squarepants and Fairly Oddparents, which have become popular in Ghana.
“Children learn from cartoons so it’s an excellent way to incorporate culture,” said Abban as he sat in a sparsely furnished office surrounded by wooden cutouts of characters from his animated series. “We translate our shows into the local languages so that everyone can enjoy them; this ensures that our culture isn’t overshadowed by foreign productions.”
Cyril Jones Working Takes a Shot with Cut-Outs of His Characters in his Studio
Photo Credit: Cartoon Brew
