How MLB Made Its Animation Debut for Black History Month
This Black History Month, Invisible Collective founder Justin Polk and Invisible-represented director Carl Jones - the founder of animation studio Martian Blueberry - co-directed an original series for Major League Baseball (MLB). The first animated series in MLB history, ‘Undeniable’ is a contemporary retelling of the history and legacy of the Negro Leagues, the baseball leagues that were comprised of African American teams during the period of racial segregation in the sport from the late 19th to mid 20th century - dubbed ‘the Baseball Colour Line’.
The series explores and celebrates the impact that the Negro Leagues and its players had on baseball as a whole, highlighting some of its legendary stars, including its historic female ballplayers. To bring these stories to life, director Justin Polk partnered with Carl Jones, known for his work on ‘The Boondocks’ and ‘Black Dynamite’, to create an exquisitely detailed and characterful comic strip animation, influenced by art styles of the period and highlighting the underrepresented stories in a dynamic way.
To discuss how the project came about and the process of honouring these Black heroes during Black History Month with MLB’s animation debut, LBB’s Ben Conway spoke with the co-directors Justin and Carl. Among other things, they shared their own experiences with the Negro Leagues’ legacy, the importance of promoting Black culture and stories year-round, and how the team created the perfect animation style for the project.
LBB> How did this project come about, have you worked with MLB before?
Justin> I had worked with MLB before on a commercial with [baseball players] Christian Yelich and Cody Bellinger. The project came about when I emailed MLB and asked them if they were going to do anything content-wise for the merging of the MLB and Negro record books. I was given a chance to pitch a bunch of ideas to them and this one stuck.
LBB> For those outside the US, this campaign is likely their first exposure to this part of American sporting history. What has your own experience been like with the Negro Leagues - has it always been prevalent in Baseball discourse?
Carl> Many Americans are familiar with the Negro League, but not its influence. I took a personal interest in these stories in particular because they’re an important piece of sports history and American history as a whole, given its socioeconomic context. Also, there is a need and a want for more diverse stories across all media platforms and as an animation director and writer, I aim to be the change I want to see.
Justin> The Negro Leagues are well known in American culture on at least a surface level. Like Carl said, I think the influence the league had on baseball and culture is lost on most Americans. For me, as a baseball fan and player growing up, it has always been a part of my life. Names like Satchel Paige and Josh Gibson were spoken in my house.
(Invisible Collective's Justin Polk and Martian Blueberry's Carl Jones)
LBB> The three shorts highlight different trailblazers - how did you decide whose stories to showcase? What was the research process like for you?
Justin> To be honest, we had the ultimate source of information with the president of the Negro Leagues Museum, Bob Kendrick. We sat down with Bob and mined for stories that really hadn't been heard of before. Once we had them, we did as much fact-checking as we could and picked the stories that we thought would resonate t with the most people - baseball fans or not.
LBB> What did you learn from Bob? And how did you want to marry his live-action elements with the animation?
Carl> I voice-directed Bob, and he was a real pleasure to work with. Not only was he a real pro in the recording booth with an amazing voice, but he also shared a wealth of knowledge. He’s a walking library of knowledge. So I think it was important to see him on camera first, so the audience can connect with the living, breathing legend - and then we take them on a more fantastical journey into his head.
Justin> This [project] doesn't happen without Bob Kendrick. I learnt that he's one of the best orators of this generation. The man has a refined memory and can remember exact details from the Negro Leagues like no other. I learnt so much from him when it came to the Negro Leagues that I had not heard before. People should hire him to tell more stories! After hearing and seeing Bob do the openings, we knew he had to be the constant between live-action and animation. Using anyone else would have been too distracting.
(Bob Kendrick, president of the Negro Leagues Museum)
LBB> This is MLB’s first-ever animated series - what does that mean to you? Why was animation the route you chose to go down?
Carl> I’m truly honoured to be a part of such a monumental series that will help to immortalise such legendary icons in the Black community. Animation is the perfect way to capture the warm nostalgia of the era, and our use of a fresh, cinematic approach to storytelling will also speak to a younger generation.
Justin> Animation is such a rich way to tell a story when you don't have physical footage or video to show people. You can also recreate the look and feel of the people and an era without having the worries of having to cast actors in a live recreation. It is also a way to preserve these stories in a fun way.
Carl's talent is immeasurable. He took the little idea I had and seamlessly came up with an animation style that pays homage to the animators of that generation and honours the power and grace of the Negro League players. It was cool for me to watch Carl and his team work from the style frame to the animatics to the finished product. It was an easy collaboration all around.
LBB> When it came to the animation - what were some of your key principles and inspirations for the art direction?
Carl> The art direction was heavily inspired by artists such as Takeshi Koike, Kadir Nelson, Earnie Barnes and a little Robert Valley. I wanted to find a visual language that had an emotional weightiness about it, so I went with some heavy black shadows and thick black lines. This also gave the characters a certain boldness and strength. Then I chose to go with a more muted colour pallet, to give the series a timeless feel. Then we used some dynamic angles and strong cinematic compositions to really turn these players into ‘Marvel superheroes’, so to speak.
LBB> What was the hardest challenge you faced on this campaign, and how did you overcome it?
Justin> To be honest, the hardest challenge was making sure we did the best we could with these stories to honour the legacy of the Negro Leagues. When you have stories or players that the audience is hearing for the first time, you want to make sure they leave wanting more. And, our team was focused on making these shorts unforgettable.
Carl> The most difficult part was nailing down a lot of details that were not only specific to the players but also the era. So this took a lot of research and photo references. We wanted to make sure we were accurate in every way to give the series the authenticity it deserves.
LBB> For 100 years, MLB didn’t recognise the Negro Leagues players in the MLB history books. How important is it that you can officially celebrate these players and commemorate their legacy with this series?
Carl> It’s one of the most important things in my life because it inspires young Black children to be strong, aspirational, and overcome adversity. There isn’t a lack of Black heroes in the world, we just don’t know about them.
Justin> I don't think there's a measurement as to how important the merging of the record books has been. What it does is say that this league and these players are finally being recognised, accepted and seen. They knew how great they were and we all saw it with the records they broke once they got to the major leagues. MLB is right to give them their flowers.
LBB> This project is clearly very important to everyone involved - how does it feel to be entrusted with this - especially to commemorate Black History Month?
Carl> It feels amazing. I’m beyond grateful and honoured to be a part of what I consider a historic event about such historic events.
Justin> It means the world to me. Educating people about our history is crucial. The players of the Negro Leagues were Black legends who never got their due and l’m honoured to help make their legacy known.
LBB> How would you like to see the industry promote projects that honour Black History year-round, and not just in one month of the year? Is this something that you think about at this time of year?
Carl> My whole career has been about telling more culturally specific stories and empowering more Black creatives. I wake up each morning with that initiative and I will do all that I can to push us into a new paradigm of entertainment where more diverse voices can be heard and seen. Therefore, I launched my animation company Martian Blueberry, which is another way of saying ‘Strange Fruit’. Our goal is to bring those stories to life in an authentic way.
Justin> This is exactly why my partners and I created Invisible Collective. Promoting Black culture and telling these kinds of stories is what we think about every day of the year. Black history is American history and just like we celebrate and promote American history all year round we should do the same with Black history. It shouldn’t have to be one or the other and our industry should treat it as such.
