Help bring Jonathan Gullible's Adventures to life

Millennials and Gen Z are increasingly moving towards socialism and rebelling against the rich and capitalism, according to reports on social media. Despite their belief in some form of liberty, their methods of achieving it do not align with free-market ideas. Studies also support this trend, with over 50% of young people in the heartland of laissez-faire economics rejecting capitalism. 

To promote a lasting understanding of free-market principles among Gen Z, we are creating an animated series based on "The Adventures of Jonathan Gullible: A Free Market Odyssey" by Prof. Ken Schoolland. The series will use the power of storytelling and the audio-visual medium to convey abstract ideas through engaging characters and story arcs. With its wide reach and ability to convey information in a short period of time, it will be an effective tool for education.

The book has been widely popular since its publication in 1989 and has been translated into 57 languages and published in over 85 editions. Its protagonist, Jonathan, is a relatable character for our target audience and he embarks on a journey that leads him to question the status quo and understand the principles of a free market.

The project will produce a three-season 2D animation cartoon series consisting of a total of 24 episodes that have an average runtime of 10 minutes each. The goal of the project is to engage and captivate the young generation, particularly Gen Z, over a period of three years. The objective is to use the animated series to influence their perspectives towards free-market ideas, foster a questioning attitude towards the status quo, and develop an openness to differing opinions and ideas.

Our animated adaptation of Jonathan Gullible will follow the classic Hero’s Journey that was so well defined by Joseph Campbell on his book The Hero of a Thousand Faces. The Hero’s Journey is a classic narrative archetype where the hero goes on an adventure, learn lessons, wins a victory with that newfound knowledge, and then returns home transformed.  

Throughout his journey, Jonathan embodies a skeptical and questioning nature, forcing viewers to question their own views of the world. By the end of his journey, Jonathan formulates his own set of philosophical principles, aligned with Ayn Rand's ideas of individual liberty, voluntary exchange, and laissez-faire capitalism. These principles promote the idea that individuals should be considered as ends in themselves, not as means to the ends of others, and that voluntary exchange, not initiation of force, is the key to a prosperous society.

In order to make the narrative more engaging to a wider audience, we expanded the role of some characters from the book, like Alisa and the Old Fisherman, to have a more prominent role alongside Jonathan’s journey, while also adding clearly defined antagonists that will pose a challenge throughout his adventure. This will provide Jonathan with clear obstacles to overcome.

We have already created a pilot episode and we’re well underway in the creation of season 1. Our plan is to finish production of the first season by July.

This video will give you a glimpse into the amount of work that goes into creating an episode of the show, briefly describing the stages of creation:

Risk 1: Culture & Language Barrier: The libertarian message might not translate well across all cultures, potentially causing offense or disinterest. The series may also face language barriers as it is being developed in English.

Mitigation Strategy: To involve consultants from various regions during distribution and discuss the importance of the series and ways to portray a respectful understanding of diverse viewpoints. Going forward with availability of funds and local partners, we shall consider dubbing or subtitling the series in multiple languages to cater to a wider audience globally.

 Risk 2: Competition from Established Entertainment Giants: Gen Z has countless established entertainment options like Disney+, Netflix, and YouTube. Standing out amidst this competition will be crucial.

Mitigation Strategy: We shall develop a clear marketing strategy that highlights the series USP, which focuses on how it combines entertainment with education, fostering critical thinking skills around economics and philosophy. We shall partner with libertarian organizations, influencers including celebrity libertarians who are giving their voices to our series, and student groups. We have already gauged the support from Free to Choose Network being our distribution partner.