About Echo Leaf Studios

Stories That Cost Something Isn't Just a Tagline

It's a promise. Every story we tell demands something from its audience—and rewards that demand with something rare: emotional truth told through the lens of absurdity.

What We Believe

  • 01

    Emotional Truth First

    Every surreal element must serve a real feeling. The absurdity illuminates, not distracts.

  • 02

    Never Punch Down

    Satire targets systems, not people. Even antagonists are victims of the structures they enforce.

  • 03

    Absurdity Illuminates

    We use distortion to access truth. The stranger the world, the clearer the insight.

  • 04

    Hope Without Naivety

    Characters don't "win" in traditional ways, but they persist—and that persistence is the victory.

  • 05

    Persistence Is Victory

    The courage to continue when the odds are impossible—that's what we celebrate.

What We Make

Adult Animated Fiction

Stories for grown-ups who still believe animation can be profound.

Audio Storytelling

Podcasts and audiobooks that use sound to create worlds.

Dark Comedy With Depth

Laughs that land in your ribs, not your gut.

If you're reading this hoping for easy answers, I should warn you now—this budget doesn't do shortcuts. Only tradeoffs. And even those come with restocking fees.

— The Budget Narrator

The People Behind the Stories

Kelly

CEO & Founder

Vision, creative direction, story. The public face of Echo Leaf Studios and the driving force behind our narratives.

[Partner]

CTO / CRO / CSO

Technology infrastructure, revenue strategy, systems architecture. Building the engine that powers our stories.

Rachel

Consultant

Talent coordination, animation direction, studio sessions, script editing. Industry expertise brought to every project.

All three team members are equity partners with no salary requirements in Year 1. This significantly reduces burn rate and extends runway.

Founded: 2024 | Location: North Carolina | Team: 3 Partners

How We Got Here

2024

The Idea

Kelly had a story that wouldn't leave her alone. A dark animal odyssey about debt, freedom, and the cost of escape. She knew it needed to exist.

2025

The Team

Found partners who believed in the vision. Built the foundation—legal, financial, creative. All nine episodes of Brix & Gus Season 1 written.

2026

The Launch

Three stories. One studio. Ready to prove that adult animation can be profound, that audio fiction can be cinematic, and that stories can still cost something.

Join the Journey

Be part of the story from the beginning. Get early access, behind-the-scenes content, and join a community of fellow travelers.