Asbury Screenwriters Write Episodes for Upcoming Anime Series

November 27, 2023

Asbury University Associate Professor of Screenwriting Sean Gaffney and Cooper Boss ’22 recently wrote episodes for an upcoming anime series funded by Angel Studios and produced by Colossul Studios. Set to release in 2025, “Gabriel and the Guardians” is a captivating fantasy series that draws inspiration from ancient Hebrew text, much like how “Lord of the Rings” was inspired by northern European legends and lore. Learn more: https://www.angel.com/torches/guardians.

“This action-packed anime is inspired by the book of Genesis,” said Gaffney, who serves on a team of 13 writers with Boss, both of whom wrote two episodes for the series so far. “We meet a guardian named Gabriel who finds himself on the equivalent of Earth trying to track down a stolen seed, while fighting giants, monsters, and leviathans.”

Noteworthy voice actors in the series include Johnny Yong Bosch, Cristina Vee, Matt Lanter, and James Arnold Taylor. Given the co-production efforts between the US and Japan on this series, the episodes also will be translated into Japanese.

“The collaborative nature of storytelling has been fun with this series,” said Boss, an Asbury alumnus of Media Communication and Spanish. “I get to use what I learned about writing good stories from professors Sean Gaffney, Andrea Nasfell, and Rich Manieri.”

Before this series, Boss worked as a storyboard revisionist for Nickelodeon Animation. Gaffney brings significant industry experience to the table, previously working as story administrator for Warner Bros. Features after getting his MFA from Columbia University.

The Asbury University Media Communication major recently launched the Screenwriting emphasis for undergraduate students.

“Story is at the core of the Media Communication program, and we are excited to offer this new emphasis,” Gaffney said. “What sets us apart is that our professors are working professionals who have industry experience. We have tested stuff, worked on film and TV sets, and are happy to offer our knowledge to Asbury students. Here, you get hands-on experience in screenwriting.”

“This new emphasis definitely will be beneficial for students who want to grow their writing skills,” said Boss. “I’ve learned so much from Asbury professors and am thankful to Sean Gaffney for helping me make connections and land jobs in the screenwriting world.”

The Asbury University Media, Journalism, and Digital Storytelling department offers majors in Media Communication and Multimedia Journalism. Online majors include Digital Content Creation and Instructional Design & Media. Graduate programs include the M.A. in Digital Storytelling; the M.A. in Instructional Design, Innovation & Leadership; the MFA in Film & Television Production, and the MFA in Screenwriting. Learn more: https://www.asbury.edu/academics/departments/media-journalism/.