Posted on July 22, 2026

Iyanu Season 2, 2026

After the Covid lockdown ended, Hollywood production resources shifted and left TV animation in freefall. It suddenly became very hard to find work and the future of my career became opaque. But at the end of 2023, I was thrown a lifeline. Lion Forge Entertainment was working on a groundbreaking TV series based on a graphic novel titled Iyanu, by Roye Okupe and Youneek Studios. They needed a storyboard artist and I needed work. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect.

Season 1 and the first movie Age of Wonders were wrapping up as I came on board at the beginning of 2024, and I helped to polish them off before diving into Season 2. Within a few weeks I was surprised to hear that I was being reassigned with a new job title: Assistant Director.

What does an Assistant Director do? In my case, just about everything. My duties changed by the day and sometimes by the hour. Technical advisor and traffic cop. Idea man and editor. Designer and puzzle-solver. Coach and cheerleader. I was equal parts teacher and student, helping to make this dramatic, heartfelt story and re-learning how much fun it is to be part of a team.

It was the first time in my career that I had the privilege of being involved in every moment of every episode of an entire season (and a movie titled War of the Twin Princes), and it was rewarding in ways I could scarcely have predicted. Roye Okupe encouraged all of us to put our hearts into it, and his creative passion made it easy for our hearts to fully engage. I was allowed to use my entire skill set on a project I thoroughly enjoyed, making it the most fulfilling production experience I could ask for.

The only downside was that it had to end someday. But as hard as it was to say goodbye, it started the clock ticking toward the Season 2 premiere in March 2026. All of Iyanu (two seasons and two movies) is viewable RIGHT NOW on Cartoon Network and HBO Max in the US, and a growing number of nations around the world. Presented here is a collection of sources that will help you connect with it on as many levels as you like.