New Manifesto From Fantoons Captures The Heart of Animation

Award-winning Los Angeles-based animation studio Fantoons has released a bold new manifesto that writes a love letter to the medium they use to create visually stunning content for some of the biggest names in entertainment, technology, and music. Co-founded by Venezuelan immigrants David Calcano and Linda Otero, Fantoons seeks to expand its craft and passion for animation to advertising and direct-to-brand clients, where they will continue to create meaningful stories.

“Animation is something that lives in our bloodstream; when combined with a heartfelt story, it makes you feel alive like nothing else,” notes David Calcano, who also serves as Fantoons’ Chief Creative Officer and Director. “Animation never stands still. It evolves with new styles that ultimately become part of our utility belt to support a story. Our visuals are an invitation, a door for audiences to come in and experience a brand in a new way.”

Transforming their favorite eras of animation into visual poetry, the :95 manifesto walks viewers through the ever-evolving styles of the medium that form the core of what Fantoons does: fan-driven storytelling.

As part of its ongoing growth, the studio has retained Astra Dorf of Astra Reps to help lead its business development initiatives in the entertainment marketing space.

“Just one look at Fantoons’ incredible body of work and you can’t help but marvel at their range in animation,” says Dorf. “David, Linda, and their team bring a depth of creativity that’s refreshing and passion that’s contagious. I can’t wait to share with the media and entertainment world and beyond.”

To date, Fantoons has created cross-platform content for a wide range of clients. Their healthy-eating PSA campaign for the Disney Channel was so successful that it was translated for international airing. Fantoons has also produced animated content for HBO Max’s sports dramedy Las Bravas, commercials for Nestlé, and a series of product videos for Microsoft Office 365.

According to Calcano, Fantoons aspires to transcend different audiences, industries, and clients through animation and storytelling, by partnering with brands propelled by the same ethos as Fantoons. The studio’s music video for the Universal Music Frank Sinatra classic, “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas,” exemplifies this creative philosophy, exploring themes of the immigrant experience during the holidays.

Fantoons has also collaborated with a number of music legends, including RUSH, The Beach Boys, Iron Maiden and Frank Zappa. For the latter, they collaborated with the guitar legend’s son, Ahmet Zappa, to create an experiential concert package for Bizarre World of Frank Zappa Holographic Tour. Fantoons’ wild 2D animations were cast across seven screens.

Fantoons’ work has been featured in Rolling Stone, The Guardian, Univision, CNN, Billboard, Sirius XM, and PROG Magazine.

Beyond moving content, Fantoons has taken their unique perspective and expertise to the literary space, writing and illustrating many graphic novels including Billie Holiday with Ebony Gilbert, and also creating activity books and products for artists like Alice Cooper, Motörhead, and Johnny Ramone, as well as several children’s books.

“We strive to tell narratives that touch people’s hearts,” concludes Otero, who also serves as Executive Producer. “It doesn’t matter which medium; the emotions driven by a great story is what people will remember.”