Meet the new team of superheroes that has been specifically created to showcase the unique skills of children who have a disability.

Team Supreme is the new project by Josh Leonard, an animator who is passionate about making art that positively represents the different abilities of kids who are living with disability. His animated concept is a fresh spin on the superhero franchise, bringing together a new breed of heroes for the modern day.

A new breed of superheroes for the modern era

Leonard was inspired to create the new series after noticing that several of his friends were parenting children who were on the autism spectrum. Intrigued by splinter skills like the ability to memorise facts and the ability to make complex calculations in short spaces of time, Leonard likened these extraordinary talents to a new form of superpower.

Avoiding the use of the term “disability”, Leonard has instead chosen to focus on the unique skills and talents that his characters bring to the table. In addition to much needed representation, he hopes that his series will be educational as well as entertaining, and the uniting premise of Team Supreme is that “We’re not perfect, but we’re still stars”.

Say hello to the main characters from Team Supreme

Team Supreme features a cast of superheroes with disabilities, a group of friends who all come together to take on the bad guys. Each team member has their own unique superpower that is related to their disability, and together they create a powerful force for good. Leonard spent a lot of time with the kids who inspired the team, observing their skills and making note of their mannerisms.

Let’s meet some of the main characters:

Zeek (short for Ezekiel) is a boy with autism. Time slows down for him so he can work out the exact angles he needs to defeat his opponents.

Dr Jackson is Zeke’s dad, a scientist who has adopted the other members of Team Supreme.

Thumper was born prematurely and with impaired hearing. He is the strongest person on the team and has enhanced eyesight.

Shock was hit by a car and had his arm amputated. Dr. Jackson enhanced his arm by inventing an electric device that can be switched different ways.

Li was born blind but has supersonic hearing skills, and can hear small sounds from miles away.

Red (Angel) has albinism and wears a special suit to protect her skin from the sun.

Mech is paralysed from polio, and his wheelchair can transform into a mechanical suit that allows him to walk.

Kickstarter campaign hopes to bring Team Supreme to Netflix

It’s hard to believe that the creator of Team Supreme is fitting all of this in between working full time and attending animation classes. Team Supreme has so far been a labour of love for Leonard, but he hopes to launch a Kickstarter campaign, with the goal of raising $25 000 to create a pilot episode of Team Supreme.

If Leonard is successful with his fundraising the ultimate goal is to pitch the pilot to Netflix, one of the major streaming services. With lots of support and a little bit of luck we might be seeing a lot more of the superheroes from Team Supreme.