Axel y El Lago
Concept
A bilingual animated series about an axolotl family in South Texas.
Axel is an axolotl growing up on a South Texas lake, in a family that moves between English and Spanish the way the kids do. A show bible, a cast of characters, episode concepts and a theme song exist; the series is in concept.
Background
Axel y El Lago started as a question about who bilingual kids see on screen. The answer was an axolotl: a creature that stays young its whole life, native to Mexican lakes, and odd enough to be lovable. The family speaks both languages without subtitles or lessons, because that is how the house sounds.
The show is built for the age when kids are still happy to watch something with a parent in the room. Short episodes, one small problem each, songs that stick. Concept art for the cast exists, and the show bible covers the family, the lake, and the first season's episode ideas.
Where it stands
Show bible, character designs, episode concepts and a theme song are written. Concept art exists. No animation has been produced.
What's next
A pilot script and an animatic for one episode, built with the production tools that now make a small studio's animated short feasible.