Draft:Zoonicorn

Zoonicorn is a CGI-animated preschool television series developed by creator Mark Lubratt. It is based on social emotional learning curriculum, supported and directed by educational curriculum expert Dr. Natascha Crandall.

The Zoonicorns, a magical mix of zebra and unicorn hybrids, inhabit the dreams of young animals, guiding them through a whirlwind of amazing, fun-loving, colorful adventures while they sleep. As they tackle obstacles, the stories focus on learning optimism and resilience, which are the essential foundation for developing other social emotional skills.

History
Around 2003, Mark Lubratt saw a friend’s mom developing porcelain figurines of zebra unicorns. Mark thought if these characters were younger, these would make a great children’s brand and he acquired the rights to the name. Years later, Mark decided to connect the concept of optimism & resilience with the Zoonicorn brand. In 2013, Mark attended Licensing Expo. He then worked with local creators to develop a storyline, imagery and a self-published book for Zoonicorn. He also worked with licensing consultant, J’net Smith, in 2015, to prepare for exhibiting at Licensing Expo, and they started to plan for a global property. Zoonicorn was named by License Global Magazine as a top five “One to Watch” finalist.

Characters

 * Valeo the Zoonicorn is athletic and strong, a natural born leader. He approaches life with gusto and confidence. Valeo is flexible and doesn’t let the little things don’t bother him. He is always willing to help those in need and his loyalty and bravery can see him through almost any situation. Though Valeo can be very competitive and try to solve problems first with his brawn.
 * Promi the Zoonicorn is wise beyond her years. Kind and understanding, Promi is cautious and has sage insights to share with the other Zoonicorns. She likes to use her artistic and creative talents when planning events, offering advice and helping friends. Promi finds beauty in everything in the Zooniverse, and while she’s extremely patient, she really likes to do things in her own way.
 * Ene the Zoonicorn is the youngest of the bunch and a super-smart tech whiz who loves solving problems.


 * Aliel the Zoonicorn is a bubble of energy, cheerful, and always eager to help.


 * Odessa the Ostrich is a natural born leader, with a lot of curiosity and a dramatic flair!
 * Pancake is a mellow yet enthusiastic five-year old otter who loves to play! He is athletic, lovable and inquisitive!
 * Maple is Pancake’s little sister, a high-spirited mischief maker who loves her brother and loves driving him crazy!

Development
In 2017, Zoonicorn released 11 original music videos to YouTube exploding into the children’s entertainment landscape, reaching 3.6+ million views on Zoonicorn’s first YouTube channel. The original music videos were available on Kidoodle.TV, Kid Genius Cartoons, Happy Kids TV, Toon Goggles Jr, and Kabillion.

In 2020, Zoonicorn secured a global distribution partnership with Toonz Media Group to produce a brand-new CGI-animated television show for Zoonicorn with an updated look and feel. Upon distribution, the new series launched on NBCU’s kids OTT platform Peacock (USA) as well as Kidoodle.TV (USA), Astro (Malaysia),True Corp (Thailand), La Teletuya (Venezuela), and Viu (Hong Kong). The show has gone on to distribute on additional streamers such as: Clan, FutureToday, Guest Choice TV, El Reino Infantil, Semillitas, Digital Virgo (Maroc Telecom), SkyVision, MBC Group, 华视网聚 (Huashi TV), and Cineplex.

Writing
In anticipation of the 2021 global launch of 52 original seven-minute Zoonicorn episodes, the preschool brand expanded their team, bringing the Zooniverse to life once again with new, original CGI-animations developed by Toonz Media Group.

Zoonicorn’s season one writing team was lead by television writer Mark Zaslove, serving as showrunner and lead writer and editor for the series. Zaslove’s credits include Winnie the Pooh, for Disney, for which he received two Emmy Awards. Other credits include Lazytown for Sprout, Bob The Builder for PBS Kids, Strawberry Shortcake for DIC, Shopkins for Netflix and Duck Tales and TaleSpin for Disney.

With Zoonicorn season two well into development, Mark Zaslove has taken on the role of showrunner and sole writer to the series.

Licensing & Merchandising
In the Fall of 2018, Zoonicorn partnered with Jay@Play to launch a Zoonicorn plush toy line for its ‘Wish Me’ line. Other products include a picture book, three interactive story apps and four games which were available for download.

In September 2019, Zoonicorn launched a print-on-demand apparel line for infants, toddlers and early elementary age kids, featuring the Zoonicorn characters on an array of onesies, bibs, dresses and tees in a variety of colors.

In 2022, Zoonicorn closed two new licensing agreements for the global market.

E-Graphic Design began producing and selling custom designed Zoonicorn wallpaper, wall decals, and other wall decor in the Fall of 2022. You can purchase the products on E-Graphic Design's website.

In 2023, United Smile, a boutique toy company, was announced as the new worldwide master toy licensee for the global preschool property Zoonicorn. The upcoming Zoonicorn toy line from United Smile will include plush, feature plush, figurines and playsets, for children ages 2-5. The new products will be available through a global network of distributors in Spring 2024.

Music
The music for the Zoonicorn series is composed by Emmy Award winning musician, Rich Dickerson. Rich scored and wrote the songs for the Warner Bros. show and films Scooby Doo and as well as the theme song for the television series What’s New Scooby Doo?

Themes
Central themes in the show highlight optimism, resilience, and perseverance, which are the building blocks of social emotional learning. Through fun, short stories, the Zoonicorns visit young animals in their dreams to help them overcome a challenge or obstacle. When the young animals wake up, the Zoonicorns have helped them figure out how to solve their problem!