WRITERS | PRODUCERS | STORY DEVELOPMENT

 

 

The Gibbs Sisters (Shawnee ́ Gibbs & Shawnelle Gibbs) are an award-winning writing team from Oakland, California with backgrounds in television, animation, and comics . The twin sisters and collaborators have created a brand of quirky, fun projects that have entertained audiences across the globe. They are the creators of the popular online animated series’ Adopted by Aliens and Old Ladies Driving, and the YA time-travel comic book series, Fashion Forward. Their adventure series, The Invention of E.J. Whitaker, a diverse re-imagining of the early 20th century, made its comic book debut in 2018.

 

 

The Gibbs Sisters are members of Writers Guild of America, West, The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and the Organization of Black Screenwriters. Their combined credits included Producing for Emmy-Award winning series Top Chef and Project Runway, and popular television series' X-Factor, The Ultimate Fighter, Food Network's  Holiday Baking Championship, Cupcake Wars, Discovery Network's Shark Week and National Geographic's Wicked Tuna, as well as contributions to Disney’s Emmy winning sitcom, Wizards of Waverly Place.

 

 

The pair are also alumni of the renowned USC Guy Hanks & Marvin Miller Screenwriters Fellowship.

 

The Invention of E.J. Whitaker -- Comic Book Series (BopSee Books) When Ada Turner, a young inventor's apprentice creates the patent for a flying machine, she's introduced to the dangerous side of the Industrial Age in this diverse steampunk adventure. Fashion Forward -- Comic Book Series (BopSee Books) When lowly fashion assistant, Sam Tate, and her physicist friend create the perfect time traveling device in the form of stiletto boots, they set off a series of events that may jeopardize New York's most elite and change the future of fashion forever.
Jessie and Bessie Are Outside -- Comic Book Anthology Short In the rough and tumble of the Wild West, Jessie and Bessie are two young African American sisters on a quest through a dusty California town to find and bring to justice the band of cowards who stole a treasured family chest.
Sule and The Case of The Tiny Sparks -- Animated Film A young African girl solicits the help of Sule, a pint-sized proverb detective, to discover the meaning of the proverb: "Great Fires Erupt from Tiny Sparks." Old Ladies Driving -- Animated Short Loosely based on the adventures of the Gibbs’ Sisters experience growing up around their maternal grandmother and her circle of eccentric friends. When these old ladies are driving, anything can happen. Starring creators Shawnee Gibbs and Shawnelle Gibbs as "Erma" and "Ruth Anne." Comedy.
Adopted By Aliens -- Animated Series The now classic animated web series revolving around the unusual life of Whitney Ward, a 12-year old orphan who must survive middle school and a new family of extraterrestrials.
Princess of The Strange -- Screenplay The Gibbs Sisters spent five years researching the life of Harriett Elizabeth Thompson, an African American star of the Ringling Bros and Barnum and Bailey Circuses of the early 1920s who came to be known to the world as "Princess Wee Wee." The fictional account of "Princess Wee Wee's" life dramatizes the adventures of the circus star and her life among the sideshow 'freaks'.
Africa Channel -- Dec. 2017 The Gibbs Sisters talk about their background in comics and animation with Africa Channel's Segun Oduolowu.
Oxygen -- Nov. 2016 The Gibbs Sisters talk with Sharon Lynn Pruitt of Oxygen about their serendipitous journey into television and their mission to create adventure stories for young women of color.
Black Girl Nerds -- March 2016 The Gibbs Sisters chat with BGN's Caron about their upcoming comic book project, "The Invention of E.J. Whitaker" and their unconventional career path in comics, animation and television.
BLAVITY -- March 2016 Shawnee´and Shawnelle chat with Blavity's resident Blerd expert Ira Hobbs about their backgrounds growing up in Oakland, their love of science fiction and their greatest literary influence: Octavia E. Butler.
COMICS BEAT -- March 2016 The Gibbs Sisters talk steampunk comics and the complexities of being African American female comic creators in today's comic landscape. Article by Nicholas Eskey.

Interested in more Press about the Gibbs Sisters?

NewsARama -- Apr. 2018 The Gibbs Sister’s first issue of The Invention of E.J. Whitaker has been nominated for five 2018 Glyph Awards including Story of The Year, Best Writer, Best Artist, Best Female Character, and the Rising Star Award.
GRAPHIC POLICY -- July 2018 Graphic Policy calls The Invention of E.J. Whitaker, Issue #1 'A hell of a ride...' in this 9/10 review.
BLACK SCI-FI -- June 2018 The Gibbs Sisters chat with Amber Hubbard of Black Sci-Fi about their careers in comics and television, and the inspiration for their Glyph Award nominated series, The Invention of E.J. Whitaker.
PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY -- Dec. 2018 The Gibbs Sisters' "Ghost Roast," a paranormal YA graphic novel with art by Emily Cannon is slated to be published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt's Versify imprint in Spring 2021.
The Invention of E.J. Whitaker: Issue #1 The Invention of E.J. Whitaker is an ongoing comic book series which follows the adventures of Ada Turner, a young African American college student who, against all odds, dreams of being an inventor at the dawn of the 20th Century. The series combines elements of Historical Fiction, Sci-Fi, Steampunk and Romance for a diverse re-imagining of the Victorian Era. Fashion Forward: Issue #1 "The Fabric of War" When Sam Tate, an MIT drop out turned lowly fashion assistant, helps to create a time traveling device in the form of a stiletto boot, she single-handedly threatens to change the future of one of New York's most prominent industries. "One charming comic book adventure..." -- Brian Cronin, Comic Book Resources
Encyclopedia of Black Comics The Gibbs Sisters are featured creators in Dr. Sheena Howard's Encyclopedia of Black Comics
Black Comix Returns Professor John Jennings and Dr. Damian Duffy's second installment of their coffee table collection celebrating art from African American comic book creators features The Gibbs Sisters (Published by Lion Forge Comics)
Ladies Night Comic Anthology Vol. 3: How to magic Ten magical stories from 22 women in comics features The Gibbs Sister's bewitching tale, "Tati" following the journey of one girl from the ancient kingdom of Sudan's Kush to Ancient China.
The International Girl Gang Encyclopedia 2017 4 international groups of women comic organizations including FEMSKT (Finland), Comic Book Slumber Party and Laydeez do Comics (UK), and the United States' own Ladies Night joined forces for The International Girl Gang Encyclopedia which debuted at France's 2017 Angoulême International Comics Festival in Angoulême, France Fashion Forward: Issue #2 "Sole Power" Lowly fashion assistant, Samantha Tate, and her physicist best friend, Carey, have created the perfect time traveling device in the form of stiletto boots. But when Sam pushes the boundaries of the boots' powers, she finds herself on a risky ascent that could unravel the threads of her newly upgraded life. "Witty, quirky and fun to read..." -- Girls Read Comics Fashion Forward: Issue #3 "Dangerous design" Sam Tate, former lowly fashion assistant turned design star, has time traveling stiletto boots to thank for her meteoric rise at Ivan Fellipe, INC. But will Samantha's glimpses into the future come at a costly price to her present?

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