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Celebrating the Animated Series Iyanu with Exclusive Events at the Schomburg Festival |
A two-day celebration of the hit animated series Iyanu, featuring a special screening, book signing, and creator panel — all part of the Schomburg Center’s Centennial Festival Block Party.
Thursday, June 12 | 4:00 PM – 6:30 PM Iyanu Screening + Fireside Chat with Creator Roye Okupe Screening of Iyanu Episodes 1–3 (edited to 60 minutes), followed by a live discussion with Roye Okupe, moderated by Karama Horne. Book Signing to follow. Sponsored by The Schomburg Shop
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
515 Malcolm X Blvd (at 135th Street), New York, NY 10037
Saturday, June 14 | 4:00 PM
Panel – “Comics to Cartoons: Adapting Sequential Art to the Screen”
An official Schomburg panel featuring Roye Okupe (Iyanu:Child of Wonder) and David Crownson (Harriet Tubman: Demon Slayer), moderated by Karama Horne.
Schomburg Festival Main Stage at the Centennial Block Party
The Schomburg Centennial Festival – Presented by the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, this landmark festival marks the Center’s 100th anniversary. Taking place on Saturday, June 14 at 135th Street and Malcolm X Boulevard in Harlem, the event will feature author readings, comic creators, cosplay, panels, a curated marketplace, and live performances including a headline set by hip-hop icon Slick Rick.
Roye Okupe – Born in Lagos, Nigeria, Roye is an award-winning filmmaker, screenwriter, author, and founder of YouNeek Studios. Roye has been recognized among Ventures Africa’s “40 African Innovators to Watch,” New African Magazine’s “100 Most Influential Africans,” and was nominated for the Dwayne McDuffie Award for Diversity in Comics. In 2021, YouNeek signed a landmark 20-book publishing deal with Dark Horse Comics to launch a line of superhero and fantasy stories. From that deal came IYANU: CHILD OF WONDER, now an animated series produced by Lion Forge Entertainment. Okupe serves as Creator/Executive Producer and Showrunner of the animated series.
Karama Horne – Known online as @theblerdgurl, Karama is the Integrated Marketing Lead at Lion Forge Entertainment and will moderate all Iyanu programming during the Schomburg events. She is a culture journalist, podcaster, content creator, host, and critic operating at the intersection of geekdom and diversity. A former commercial video editor, Karama is also the founder of theblerdgurl.com, a site dedicated to Black nerd culture, geekdom, and pop
WHY:
This free two-day celebration invites audiences of all ages to experience Iyanu on the big screen, meet the creator, and explore how African-inspired comics are adapted into animation. Hosted by the Schomburg Center as part of its 100th anniversary, these events amplify diverse storytelling and highlight the next generation of Black creatives.
Rooted in Nigerian mythology, Iyanu follows a teenage orphan who discovers divine powers and sets out to save her kingdom. The animated series debuted on Cartoon Network in April 2025 and streams in the U.S. on Max.
Internationally, Iyanu will launch on Showmax across 44 African countries starting June 13, and on ITVX in the UK and Ireland starting July 3.
Produced by Lion Forge Entertainment, the series has been renewed for Season 2 and two feature-length films.
- #1 show among kids 2–12 on Cartoon Network
- Top 10 Kids & Family series on Max
- Over 525,000 viewers to date
STAY CONNECTED:
Follow Iyanu (@iyanuseries) on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.
Also follow @royeokupe, @youneekstudios, @lionforgeent, moderator @theblerdgurl, @schomburgcenter, and @schomburglive on Instagram.
Author Profile
- I'm Al Mega the CEO of Comic Crusaders, CEO of the Undercover Capes Podcast Network, CEO of Geekery Magazine & Owner of Splintered Press (coming soon). I'm a fan of comics, cartoons and old school video games. Make sure to check out our podcasts/vidcasts and more!
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