The Gibbs Sisters (Short Bio)
The Gibbs Sisters (Shawneé Gibbs & Shawnelle Gibbs) are an award-winning writing team with backgrounds in television, animation, and comics. They have served as Lead Writers for Cartoon Network, Staff Writers for Warner Brothers Animation, and have written for Dreamworks Animation, Mattel Studios and Marvel Comics. Their critically acclaimed debut YA graphic novel, Ghost Roast, debuted in 2024. Originally from Oakland, California, they currently work, live and play in Los Angeles.
Their mission is to use the power of narrative to uplift the world.
Shawnee´Gibbs (Long Bio)
Shawneé’s artistic journey began in Oakland, CA, where she immersed herself in the magic of Walt Disney films, Saturday morning cartoons, Sunday comic strips, and the novels of Octavia Butler. Amidst these inspirations and her vibrant community, Shawneé and her twin sister, Shawnelle, crafted their own quirky cartoons and short films, sharing them with audiences across the San Francisco Bay Area via local film festivals and leased air-time on Public Access television. The sisters' unique style quickly gained popularity, leading them to Los Angeles, where they rose through the ranks of TV production at networks including ABC, NBC, The Discovery Channel, The Learning Channel, Food Network, and National Geographic Channel.
As one half of the Gibbs Sisters writing team, Shawneé has co-authored the Glyph Award-nominated series The Invention of E.J. Whitaker and contributed to Marvel Comics' acclaimed Women of Marvel anthology series. Her YA graphic novel, Ghost Roast, has been recognized with a nomination for the 2025 Great Graphic Novels for Teens by the American Library Association and was selected as one of 2024’s Best Young Adult Books by the Harvey Awards for achievements in comics.
Shawneé has served as a Lead Writer for Cartoon Network, Staff Writer for Warner Bros. Animation, and has penned tales for Dreamworks, Mattel Studios and Disney Television Animation. She is a member of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, Women in Animation, The Animation Guild, and the Children's Media Association.
Shawnee’s art practice has afforded her the space to share her expertise with academics, aspiring artists and youth, and as a Creative Consultant for the Nonprofit and technology sectors. In addition, she has used her position to build community in the form of workshops and safe creativity spaces for burgeoning artists. Shawnee’ has been a featured speaker at the California Library Association, The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, the California State University Systems, and Stanford University.
Her mission is to build bridges through the art of storytelling, one story at a time.
Shawnelle Gibbs (Long Bio)
Shawnelle Gibbs is a writer and producer from Oakland, California currently based in Los Angeles. Her credits span television, animation, film, and publishing. She’s produced on Emmy and Peabody Award
winning series for NBC Universal, and countless hours of programming for networks including ABC, Food Network and Discovery, Inc.
As one half of the Gibbs Sisters writing team, she’s authored the YA comic book series Fashion Forward, The Invention of E.J. Whitaker, and the acclaimed graphic novel, Ghost Roast, published by HarperCollins in 2024. Shawnelle has served as Staff Writer for Warner Bros. Animation, and has also written for Dreamworks Animation, Mattel Studios, Cartoon Networks and Marvel Comics. She is a member of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, Women in Animation and The Animation Guild.
Her ultimate goal is to create and produce a legacy of television projects that reflect the magical realism of the African American experience.