ABOUT — Here Comes Mavo!

About Here Comes Mavo!

Every story starts somewhere. Mavo’s started with a tree.

Long before Mavo leapt onto the screen in 3D, there was The Baobab, a bilingual storybook app in ASL and English created by Melissa Malzkuhn. Told in sign language and illustrated for young readers, The Baobab invited Deaf and hearing children alike into a world where stories are seen, signed, and shared.

The Baobab became one of a family of storybook apps, alongside The Blue Crayon and The Blue Lobster, developed at Gallaudet University’s Visual Language and Visual Learning (VL2) center and Motion Light Lab. Families and classrooms embraced them. And one question kept coming back: what if these illustrated characters could sign?

Here Comes Mavo! is the answer. Melissa carried the heart of those storybooks into a new form: an animated series that blends 3D animation with a hand-crafted 2D sequence. Mavo is a spunky and curious 8-year-old Deaf girl, and every episode is built around community and discovery, with visual language at the center of how the story is told.

The Team

Melissa Malzkuhn is a third-generation Deaf artist, storyteller, and creative producer. She is the founder of Motion Light Lab at Gallaudet University, where she has spent more than fifteen years creating bilingual media that gives children early, joyful access to sign language. She holds an MFA in Visual Narrative from the School of Visual Arts.

For Here Comes Mavo!, Melissa assembled a production team that brings Deaf and hearing artists together at an industry level, including animators, designers, storytellers, and sign language talent. Deaf creatives hold key roles in shaping how Mavo & her friends look, move, and sign, so the authenticity is built in from the first sketch.

Alongside them, experienced animation professionals bring the craft and polish of children’s television. The goal of this series is also to serve as a training ground, building the next generation of Deaf animation talent for an industry that needs them. Together, they’re making something new: a series made with Deaf children in mind, ready for every audience.

Credits & Thanks

Here Comes Mavo! exists because people believed in it.

Our Lead Supporter
We’re deeply grateful to Sorenson, our largest donor to the series. Their support comes from a belief we share: Deaf-led stories deserve a place on screen.

Our Patrons
To the 197 patrons who backed Mavo on Seed&Spark: thank you. You helped bring an 8-year-old Deaf girl to life, one frame at a time. This series is yours too.

With Gratitude
Here Comes Mavo! grew from storybook apps created at Gallaudet University’s VL2 center and Motion Light Lab. We thank everyone who supported this.