GUNGNIR LAUNCHES FAN-POWERED ANIMATION STUDIO TO REDEFINE DIGITAL STOR

Academy Award-nominated and Emmy-winning creators Matthew Medney, Rosa Tran, Eric W. Phillips, and Wayne Brinton are launching a modern-day animation studio for the YouTube era—a page to picture platform uniting storytelling, fandom, and commerce. The new studio will develop and produce original IP for the GUNGNIR Animation Network YouTube channel, igniting a new wave of fan-driven series, films, and franchises.

GUNGNIR launches its slate alongside partnerships with Macmillan Publishers and Blumhouse Games, guided by a board including Ellen Goldsmith-Vein, Curtis Lelash, Oliver Luckett, Kathy Schlein, Barry Kotler, and Olan Rogers.

LOS ANGELES, December 9th, 2025 – GUNGNIR, the bold publishing venture founded by visionary creator and former Heavy Metal CEO Matthew Medney, today announced the launch of GUNGNIR Animation Studio, a vertically integrated content powerhouse built to transform how audiences experience animation in the digital age.

Founded by Medney alongside producer Rosa Tran (Anomalisa, Robot Chicken), writer Eric W. Phillips (For All Mankind, The Umbrella Academy), and veteran VFX supervisor/EP Wayne Brinton (Deadpool, Game of Thrones, Star Wars: Rogue One), GUNGNIR Animation Studio will develop original series and feature films for the GUNGNIR Animation Network—a YouTube-first channel built to be the cultural heartbeat of animation and nerd culture.

“I’m thrilled to throw GUNGNIR headfirst into direct-to-fan animation—not on a platform that shapes culture, but one that is culture,” said Matthew Medney, Founder and Publisher of GUNGNIR. “Our mission is nothing short of tearing up the old playbook and building the Cartoon Network of the digital era. With a killer team and deep industry ties, we’re here to ignite a new wave of fan-powered storytelling.”

GUNGNIR has revealed an Advisory Board reflecting the ambition and scope of its mission, including Ellen Goldsmith-Vein (Founder and CEO, Gotham Group; producer of Percy Jackson, Maze Runner, Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere), Emmy and Peabody Award-winning producer Curtis Lelash (Adventure Time), Former CAA Agent Barry Kotler, Inkwell Technology Studios Co-founder and CEO Oliver Luckett, investor and advisor Kathy Schlein, and filmmaker and creator Olan Rogers (Final Space).

"Writing bold, original, fan-forward stories on a boundless platform is what every genre writer dreams of, and I'm very excited to help build that opportunity with the perfect team, for both creators and fans," said Eric W. Phillips.

GUNGNIR Entertainment, following another strong year in publishing and a new distribution partnership with Macmillan Publishers, is expanding its creative universe with the launch of GUNGNIR Animation Studio, the next step in realizing its broader multimedia vision. Several projects are already in active development: Deadweight, a supernatural action-comedy from comedian Bobby Lee (Mad TV); They Bleed Black, a Kaiju-battling period piece from J. Hotham (Handmaid's Tale, Jessica Jones); Big Guns, a genre-bending, high-octane, action-satire from Price James (You Cannot Kill David Arquette) & Thomas Steventon; Wild North, a nautical action-thriller in the future Arctic from Eric W. Phillips (For All Mankind, The Umbrella Academy); and adaptations of GUNGNIR publishing fan-favorites, Chupacabra: Tales of Blood and Ink about a teenager's quest to solve a cultural legend and the disappearance of her father, and Mutant Cats, an off-the-wall comedy about unlikely heroes.

To realize that vision, GUNGNIR Animation is building a production model where artists lead and innovation amplifies their craft. “GUNGNIR is putting power back in the hands of artists and rewriting how this industry treats creativity,” said Wayne Brinton. By streamlining pipelines and launching franchises that connect deeply with audiences, the studio will deliver original series and films that reflect the imagination of their creators—bold, distinctive, and built to resonate globally.

GUNGNIR has launched a fundraising push to fuel expansion, scale production, and extend its global reach. “Building a network and being able to guide stories and shows for fans is a once-in-a-lifetime endeavor that we will not take lightly. We have a big hill to climb, so put on those hiking boots and let’s go!” added Rosa Tran.

GUNGNIR Animation is built on the foundation of GUNGNIR Publishing, whose successful strategic partnership with Macmillan Publishers—one of the world’s leading book publishers—extends the company’s reach far beyond the screen into global publishing and consumer markets. Through this alliance, GUNGNIR’s stories seamlessly expand across books, animation, merchandise, and live events, powering a 360° entertainment engine that unites storytelling with direct audience engagement worldwide.

For more information, visit www.gungnirbooks.com.

About GUNGNIR Publishing: GUNGNIR is a pioneering publishing house committed to bold, genre-defying storytelling. Inspired by Odin’s legendary spear, GUNGNIR seeks to shatter industry norms and create a sanctuary for daring and visionary creators. With a mission to amplify voices that challenge the status quo, GUNGNIR delivers storytelling that cuts deep and resonates across audiences. From graphic novels to prose, every story is a new frontier.

About GUNGNIR Animation: GUNGNIR Animation is a fan-powered studio building original worlds that connect directly with audiences. Fueled by visionary creators and fearless storytelling, we’re redefining how animation is made, experienced, and owned across platforms worldwide—all vertically integrated with GUNGNIR Publishing and its best-selling stories.