Peppa Pig’s brother needs to meet Mavo, the first signing cartoon star

When their alarm goes off in the morning, Peppa Pig’s younger brother George doesn’t hear it. He doesn’t respond when Daddy Pig tells him to buckle up in the car. And at school, he looks lost during music time. These scenes are from a new video released by the popular animated children’s show, which just announced that George is about to learn why he is experiencing the world differently than the rest of the Pig family. In an episode set to air on Nickelodeon in March, “Hearing Loss,” George will get fitted with a hearing aid. 

Melissa Malzkuhn, ’04 & G-’08, thinks George should also start tuning into Motion Light Lab’s “Here Comes Mavo!,” which will debut this spring. It is the first children’s animated television series to feature a deaf lead character — a playful 8-year-old with a mountain of pink hair who uses sign language. Increasing representation is a passion for Malzkuhn, who has been developing Mavo’s adventures for more than a decade. So this timing makes her want to jump for joy (maybe even in muddy puddles).

What was your first reaction to the news about George?

I’m truly thrilled to see Deaf experiences being considered in hit children’s shows. Peppa Pig is a huge brand, so this will be seen by millions of children worldwide. They will now get exposed to Deaf experiences, and in this case, a hard-of-hearing character who will get a hearing aid. 

Anything in particular you like about how Peppa Pig is presenting this issue?

I find it incredibly important that the spectrum of Deaf experiences is considered, and Peppa’s storyline is one such example. Our community is very diverse, so this is really wonderful to see Peppa capture that. Not all Deaf people share the same journey, so it is nice to see this. 

What do you hope they do with George going forward?

Keep him and his experience in a positive light. He is not any less of a pig because he wears hearing aids or has hearing differences. 

Why is it important to have deaf characters in children’s entertainment?

Children’s shows introduce children to many concepts in our world, to help them make connections and meaning of different situations. Stories help children with context building. If you leave out Deaf characters, you miss opportunities to build context and raise awareness. And, now, for young Deaf children to be represented on screen is so incredibly important. 

Why is the Mavo project so significant?

The Mavo project is the first 3D animated series to center around a Deaf character, to be completely sign-centric and visually accessible, and this show is developed by a Deaf team. We have Deaf animators and artists working on this show. 

More importantly, Mavo is in 3D animation and we are using motion capture to capture the fluency in sign language. You’ll note that Peppa is done in 2D animation which is also a beautiful medium but due to their constraints, it does make sense the storyline of George is more focused on his hearing aid and accessing sound in a new way.  

What we sorely lack is signing characters in children’s media, most particularly, signing Deaf characters. Mavo is going to change that. 

How do you think children will react to Mavo?

I believe they would be excited and inspired by Mavo’s adventures. They (and their families) will be enthralled. 

What would happen if Mavo and George met?

Mavo would regale George with her tales of adventure and intrigue, being the older one. And I can imagine George would want to meet Mavo’s special friend, the Baobab tree. In fact, I think Mavo would teach George and Peppa sign language. Wouldn’t that be fun to see?  (Bring on brand crossover!)