Photography by Alex Rogers Studio

Joshua Leonard

Joshua Leonard is an illustrator, concept artist, character designer, and traditional 2D animator, specializing in creating compelling, inclusive, and diverse characters that are often underrepresented and overlooked while also creating relatable stories. His focus on disabilities, neurodiversity, and representation has already had a significant positive impact on youth around the world, regardless of ability. He has been drawing since kindergarten and graduated top of his class from the Art Institute of Atlanta in 2018 with a 4.0 GPA and a degree in Media Arts & Animation. 

Seeing a need for diversity and inclusion in animation and the animation industry itself, with less than 4% of animators being of color, Joshua founded his own studio, Leonard Studios, to help change how cartoons and films portray being different, along with normalizing it. “I believe I was put here in the animation industry to make a huge difference to show and create what diversity, inclusion, and empathy really look like, while also just creating some dope shows. The best way to do this is to start with the kids. That’s rewarding to me.”

Joshua has been featured in several magazines, and media sites, specifically including his ATTN: feature, which went viral with over 6.5 Million views. He’s also done illustration work for major companies including Netflix, Nickelodeon, Sony Immersive, The Jim Henson Company, Hillman Grad Productions, Illumination, Disney, Axis Studios, Reprise Post, Baobab Studios, OVO, 9 Story, and is currently a Character & Prop Designer at Lion Forge Entertainment. The work nearest and dearest to him is his creation, Team Supreme, which is about a group of young superheroes who each have intellectual or physical disabilities, but their disabilities double as their superpowers. Each hero in Team Supreme has what society deems as a medical difference, including Autism, Blindness, Epilepsy, and Spina Bifida, but they don’t let their diagnosis stop them. 

While Team Supreme was originally set out to start as a television series, Joshua has found it quite challenging to get Team Supreme picked up by a major production company, despite big names in the industry also being interested in bringing these characters to life. Nevertheless, he is determined to share these characters and stories with the world, because he knows how necessary and important it is. He is now currently working on a highly-anticipated Team Supreme series through Leonard Studios.