S.A.L.E.M.: The Secret Archive of Legends, Enchantments, and Monsters

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Not to be confused with Salem (TV series).

S.A.L.E.M.: The Secret Archive of Legends, Enchantments, and Monsters
Genre
Created bySamantha "Sam" Sawyer
Based onS.A.L.E.M.
by Sam Sawyer
Directed bySwampy Marsh
Voices of
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
Executive producers
  • Swampy Marsh
  • Randy Abrams
ProducerQ Fortier
Production companySurfer Jack Productions
Original release
NetworkYouTube

S.A.L.E.M.: The Secret Archive of Legends, Enchantments, and Monsters, otherwise known as Salem or S.A.L.E.M., is an upcoming animated fantasy and mystery web series created by a queer woman named Samantha "Sam" Sawyer.[1][2] It is based on an unpublished comic of the same name by Sawyer[3] and was funded by a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter.[4] The show's exact date has not been announced.

Premise[edit]

The story, set in the fictional town of Hollow Watch, West Virginia,[5] follows the adventures of a non-binary cryptid named Salem who finds out they have been adopted and begins on a journey to discover their origin, joined by an enchanted book, a photographer named Oliver, and a psychic named Petra who is a medium for ghosts.[6][7] Salem, a creature who doesn't have a core identity or gender, travels through a "world of fairies, goblins and other cryptids."[8][9]

Characters[edit]

Main[edit]

  • Salem (voiced by Laura Bailey[10]) is a non-binary cryptid who begins their journey to find out who they really are after learning they are adopted. In October 2020, Salem was also confirmed as pansexual.[11] Sawyer described Salem as excitable, willing to learn, and has a "thirst for knowledge."[12]
  • Oliver (voiced by Adam McArthur[10]) is a wannabe photographer of cryptids. In October 2020, he was confirmed as a gay character.[11]
  • Petra (voiced by Riele Downs[13]) is a psychic medium terrified of ghosts. In October 2020, she was confirmed as an asexual character.[11] In an exclusive interview in January 2021, Downs described Petra as being loyal and figuring out what she is doing with her life.[14]

Supporting[edit]

  • The Cryptorium (voiced by Rob Paulsen[15]) is the enchanted book that guides Salem on their journey.
  • Boogeyman (voiced by Rob Paulsen[16]) is Salem's stepfather.
  • Arlo is the older brother of Petra who likes to read, enjoys quiet nights, and is working hard to get in college.[17]

Other characters[edit]

  • Freddie (voiced by Maisy Kay[18]) is a cat with black fur.
  • Bigfoot (voiced by Brock Powell[19]) is a monster in the woods that Salem, Petra, and Oliver encounter.
  • Daniel (voiced by Q Fortier[16])

Production, development, and release[edit]

The project itself was envisioned in 2013, but it wasn't until November 2018 that the series started production.[20] Sawyer launched a Kickstarter campaign in order to complete the "first cycle of production" of the series.[21][22] By November 2019, the crowdfunding campaign had fully funded the series.[23] By February 2021, more than $75,000 had been contributed to the project's Kickstarter.[24] Sawyer noted that while the show has an animation studio helping create episodes, she designs the characters and helps with the storyline.[24]

Sawyer often pointed to the uniqueness of the series. In a January 2020 interview, Sawyer said she always knew this story was about "someone who was different" and noted that the show's "main character identifies as nonbinary," adding that creators are getting better at telling stories about people with disabilities, people of color, and that they are opening up the story "for people who don’t identify with a gender."[8] Also, Sawyer said that the show is influenced by The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy, Courage the Cowardly Dog, and Invader Zim.[25][26]

For the series, Swampy Marsh will be executive producer and voice director, while Q Fortier will be Senior Producer.[20][16] Spectrolite is the main storyboarder,[27] along with others working on the series. Marsh's company, Surfer Jack Productions, will be producing the series.[20] On August 13, 2019, the animatic trailer for the series was released,[28] and the opening animation was released on October 17, 2019.[29]

In January 2020, it was predicted that the series would be released "around October 2020."[30] On January 23, 2020, in an AMA, Sawyer stated that the series will be on YouTube but if it doesn't work out, it will be posted to a website where everyone can see the first episode, and stated that they "hope for early 2021" in terms of the release of the first episode.[12] In January 2021, Sawyer stated on Twitter, in response to a question from a fan, that the show is "not out officially yet, but we’re getting closer."[31] In July 2021, Sawyer said that they had to "take a brief hiatus" from posting on the official Twitter account, but that they would be "resuming posts and updates soon."[32] As of December 2021, posting has not resumed on the official Twitter account for the series.

On January 24, 2022, Sawyer told a fan that she couldn't "say anything right now" about the series but would share news "as soon" as she could.[33] On May 21, 2022, one of the show's staff said that she would be able to talk about the series soon, but could not do it at the present.[34] On June 26, 2023, Sawyer responded to another inquiry about the show, saying "I can’t talk about it yet unfortunately" and said she hoped to talk about it "soon."[35]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ As stated on the official YouTube channel description.
  2. ^ As noted on the official Instagram description.

References[edit]

  1. ^ Johnson, Bill (4 February 2020). "Artist Sam Sawyer to LVL UP Expo". Las Vegas, NV Patch. Archived from the original on 12 December 2020. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
  2. ^ "Sam Sawyer". Tucson Comic Con. 2019. Archived from the original on 12 December 2020. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
  3. ^ Sawyer, Sam (18 December 2019). "Artist Sam Sawyer Creates First Animated Series with Non-Binary Hero". Starshine Magazine (Online). Interviewed by Sandy Lo. Archived from the original on 18 November 2020. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
  4. ^ Sawyer, Sam (6 October 2019). "Interview with Creator Sincerely Sam on the SALEM Kickstarter!". Geek Lyfe (Online). Interviewed by DeAngelo Murillo. Archived from the original on 12 December 2020. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
  5. ^ Salem Series [@SalemSeries] (8 October 2019). "Greetings from Hollow Watch! A small town nestled near Point Pleasant and Flatwoods, West Virginia. Many tourists skip Hollow Watch in favor of other towns with more exciting legends. But the town is homey, and a place our cryptid hunters call home" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 8 October 2019. Retrieved 19 September 2021 – via Twitter.
  6. ^ Johnson, Bill (28 October 2019). "Sam Sawyer Creates The First Series Featuring A Non-Binary Hero". Las Vegas, NV Patch. Archived from the original on 2 June 2020. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
  7. ^ Sawyer, Sam (15 February 2020). "Interview with Sam Sawyer". Mackenzie Amyx (Online). Interviewed by Mackenzie Amyx. Archived from the original on 12 December 2020. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
  8. ^ a b Gomez, Adrian (17 January 2020). "Monster maker". Albuquerque Journal. Archived from the original on 26 November 2020. Retrieved 15 January 2021.
  9. ^ Sohmers, Gary (10 February 2020). "Animation Gets a New Look, Artist Sam Sawyer at NEComicCon". Northeast Comic Con. Archived from the original on 14 February 2020. Retrieved 15 January 2021.
  10. ^ a b Jason Dowd (29 November 2019). "Sam Sawyer & Sofia Evangelina". AME Radio Show (Podcast). iHeartRadio. Archived from the original on 19 September 2021. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
  11. ^ a b c Salem Series [@SalemSeries] (12 October 2020). "Happy #NationalComingOutDay from your fave trio! Wearing their colors with pride 😉 Whether you're out or still waiting for just the right moment, the Salem crew is here for you and to say the most important thing about today is that you remember to a… https://instagr.am/p/CGOtcdtljxR/" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 18 August 2020. Retrieved 12 December 2020 – via Twitter. The Instagram post linked in the tweet further clarifies these LGBTQ identities.
  12. ^ a b Sawyer, Sam (23 January 2020). "I'm Artist Sam Sawyer and I've create "SALEM: The Secret Archive of Legends, Enchantments, and Monsters". AMA!". Reddit. Archived from the original on 29 January 2020. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
  13. ^ "DIGITAL EXCLUSIVE COVER: The Future Is Female, Riele Downs Discusses the Importance of Voting, Diversity in Hollywood, New Projects, Fashion, Natural Hair, and Her Time on 'Henry Danger'". Glitter Magazine. 21 October 2019. Archived from the original on 1 November 2020. Retrieved 12 December 2020. I star in a fun, new animation series called Salem, which is due to air soon, as well as being hot on the trail of a few cool projects, so stay tuned!
  14. ^ "SALEM Riele Downs Question and Answers". Salem Series. YouTube. 24 January 2021. Archived from the original on 16 February 2021.
  15. ^ "Sam Sawyer's new series starring non-binary hero to SacAnime Con" (Press release). Sacramento, California: PRLog. De Waal & Associates. 23 December 2019. Archived from the original on 19 September 2021. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
  16. ^ a b c "Exclusive S.A.L.E.M sneak peek". Inconceivable Events. 13 November 2020. Archived from the original on 19 September 2021. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
  17. ^ Salem Series [@SalemSeries] (14 January 2021). "Meet Petra's older brother! His name is Arlo and he loves to read, enjoys quiet nights in, and is working hard to get into the college of his dreams! Books • #meetthecharacters #meetarlo #arlo #petrasbigbrother #bigbro #lovestoread #petra #characters #an… https://instagr.am/p/CKBB_FdFK9X/" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 16 January 2021. Retrieved 16 January 2021 – via Twitter.
  18. ^ Kay, Maisy [@maisykay] (30 January 2020). "So excited to announce that I will be the voice of 'Freddie' in the upcoming animated series @SalemSeries . It has been wonderful working with the cast and I can't wait for you guys to see it!" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 10 February 2020. Retrieved 12 December 2020 – via Twitter.
  19. ^ Piper Reese (5 April 2020). "Kool-Aid Man Brock Powell's Best Acting Voice Roles". PipersPicks.TV (Podcast). Himalaya Media, Inc. Archived from the original on 12 December 2020. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
  20. ^ a b c Sawyer, Sam (15 February 2020). "SALEM Animated Series Creator Sam Sawyer, Cryptids, Nonbinary & Witchcraft". Piper's Picks TV (Online). Interviewed by Piper Reese. Archived from the original on 12 December 2020. Retrieved 12 December 2020. YouTube video of interview here
  21. ^ "Sam Sawyer Creator of S.A.L.E.M." Bionic Buzz. 26 October 2019. Archived from the original on 22 October 2020. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
  22. ^ Erik Nagel (13 November 2019). "'Salem' Sam Sawyer". It's Erik Nagel (Podcast). Liberated Syndication (Libsyn). Archived from the original on 12 December 2020. Retrieved 12 December 2020. Watch interview on YouTube here
  23. ^ Sawyer, Sam (27 November 2019). "Animation Gets a New Look as Artist Sam Sawyer Creates the First Series Featuring a Non-Binary Hero". VoyageLA (Interview). Interviewed by Judy Shields. Archived from the original on 19 September 2021. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
  24. ^ a b Sawyer, Sam (21 February 2020). "Animation Gets a New Look as Artist Sam Sawyer Creates the First Series Featuring a Non-Binary Hero". The Hollywood Times (Interview). Interviewed by Judy Shields. Archived from the original on 2 March 2021. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
  25. ^ Belle, Elly (5 December 2019). "A New Cartoon Aims to Air the First Ever Lead Non-Binary Character". Dot and Line. Archived from the original on 28 August 2020. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
  26. ^ "Sam Sawyer". Albuquerque Comic Con. October 2019. Archived from the original on 9 August 2020. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
  27. ^ Ward, Rachael (27 October 2019). "Kickstart This! "S.A.L.E.M: The Secret Archive of Legends, Enchantments and Monsters"". Animation for Adults. Archived from the original on 24 October 2020. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
  28. ^ Salem Series (23 August 2019). "Salem Animatic Trailer and Pre-Orders for Merchandise". Archived from the original on 11 January 2020. Retrieved 12 December 2020 – via YouTube.
  29. ^ Salem Series (17 October 2019). "Salem Opening Animation and Message from Sam Sawyer". Archived from the original on 25 August 2020. Retrieved 12 December 2020 – via YouTube.
  30. ^ Sawyer, Sam (January 2020). "Comic Book Artist SAM SAWYER Discusses Her Graphic Novel Salem and Development of its Animated Series [w/ Audio]". V13 (Online). Interviewed by Alex Young. Archived from the original on 12 December 2020. Retrieved 12 December 2020. Listen to here
  31. ^ Sawyer, Samanatha "Sam" [@SamSamSawyer] (21 January 2021). "It's not out officially yet, but we're getting closer" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 21 January 2021. Retrieved 28 January 2021 – via Twitter.
  32. ^ Sawyer, Samanatha "Sam" [@SamSamSawyer] (22 July 2021). "Weve been a little busy over the last few weeks with a few things I can't post about just yet, and we had to take a brief hiatus from posting on socials, but we should be resuming posts and updates soon, sorry about that!" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 22 July 2021. Retrieved 12 December 2021 – via Twitter.
  33. ^ Sawyer, Samanatha "Sam" [@SamSamSawyer] (24 January 2022). "I can't say anything right now unfortunately, but as soon as I can I will 💜💜 thank you for your patience 💜" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 24 January 2022. Retrieved 24 January 2022 – via Twitter.
  34. ^ SpectroliteAAA [@WalkingMelons] (21 May 2022). "Will be able to talk about it soon. Fingers crossed. Sorry I cannot now. 💙👍" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 21 May 2022. Retrieved 10 July 2022 – via Twitter.
  35. ^ Sawyer, Samanatha "Sam" [@SamSamSawyer] (27 June 2023). "I can't talk about it yet unfortunately 😭I hope too soon though" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 10 October 2023. Retrieved 10 October 2023 – via Twitter.

External links[edit]

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