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 non-fiction 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 Arts & 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 tale at a time.

• 2025 Children’s & Family Emmy Award Nomination, Outstanding Writing for a Preschool Animated series, Jessica's Big Little World
• 2025 NAACP Image Awards Nomination, Outstanding Graphic Novel, Ghost Roast
• 2025 Great Graphic Novels For Teens, Nomination, American Library Association
• 2024 Annie Award Nomination, Outstanding Achievement for Writing in Animated Television, Jessica's Big Little World
• 2024 Harvey Awards for Achievements in Comics, Best Young Adult Book
• 2024 Opera America, Digital Excellence Award, Mozart's A Pocket Magic Flute (with the San Francisco Pocket Opera)
• 2023 Disney Writers Program Fellows, Eunetta T. Boone, Comedy Writing Scholars 
• 2021 Renaissance House, Martha's Vineyard Writing Residency