The Uncommon Journey of Tony Weaver Jr. Reimagining Stories, Transforming Lives

In a media landscape where representation often falls short and youth mental health concerns continue to rise, some creators are stepping up to make a difference. Enter Tony Weaver Jr., a self-proclaimed “weird kid” turned innovative storyteller who’s revolutionizing how young people see themselves in media while tackling crucial conversations about mental health.

As founder and CEO of Weird Enough Productions, Weaver has turned his childhood love of comic books, anime, and video games into a powerful platform reaching over 1.5 million young people annually. But for this young creator, it’s about much more than entertainment—it’s about lighting the way for others who might be struggling in the dark.

“As someone that’s overcome things, when I talk about myself and my past issues with mental health, what I say is that I’ve been in the dark before,” Weaver shares, his voice carrying the weight of personal experience. “What motivates me is the frightening truth that there are people that are still there, that don’t have anybody reaching a hand back out to them.”

This mission to support others wasn’t always clear—the seed of Weird Enough Productions was planted during a moment of stark realization in a college acting class. Weaver, then a bright-eyed freshman at Elon University, found himself surrounded by 15 other acting majors—selected from thousands of applicants—when his professor asked a seemingly simple question: “What’s your dream role?”

The room buzzed with excitement as his classmates shared ambitious visions. But for Weaver, the moment was paralyzing. “Because of the underrepresentation and misrepresentation of African-Americans in media,” he recalls, “I didn’t have any role that I dreamed of being. I had roles I’d accept—like playing a slave or doing a ‘yes, Massa, no Massa’ thing—but nothing I truly dreamed of.”

That pivotal moment crystallized his mission: If the stories he dreamed of didn’t exist, he would create them himself.

That realization sparked the creation of Weird Enough Productions, which has grown from a one-man vision into a global operation with 12 team members scattered across multiple countries, including Nigeria, Ghana, and the Philippines.

The Uncommons: A Narrative of Hope and Resilience

At the heart of Weird Enough Productions is “The Uncommons,” a fantasy adventure web comic that defies traditional storytelling conventions. The series follows Iris, a character Weaver describes as an “awkward optimist”—a young Black girl who receives a vision predicting a world-ending calamity and must assemble a team to prevent it.

But “The Uncommons” is far more than a typical adventure narrative. Weaver intentionally crafted Iris as a response to the challenging realities facing young Black girls. “In a world where young Black girls are suspended at twice the rate of their non-black peers,” he explains, “and where suicide ideation, depression, and anxiety are growing disproportionately faster for Black girls than any other group, we needed a happy Black girl in the media.”

The comic’s narrative arc follows Iris and her team as they not only confront an external threat but also wrestle with their personal challenges. “Along the way, they learn that they all have something in their past that they have to overcome if they have any chance of saving the future,” Weaver says.

Weaver’s approach to storytelling is deeply personal, drawing inspiration from his Atlanta upbringing. “I consider everything that I make a product of the environments that I’m surrounded by,” he explains. “As a Black man that grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, I grew up surrounded by a community of people that loved me that have never gotten to turn on the TV and see somebody like them—aunties, grandmas, older cousins, people I played basketball with at the park.”

This commitment to authentic representation has struck a chord in educational circles. Weird Enough Productions has developed an innovative platform combining storytelling with social-emotional learning, reaching approximately 400,000 students across U.S. schools annually. The company’s unique approach leverages comics’ natural advantages—including 90 percent more rare vocabulary words than traditional texts—to enhance literacy while addressing mental health and self-acceptance.

A Mission Beyond Consumption

What sets Weaver’s business model apart is its innovative intersection of EdTech and creative content. By positioning Weird Enough between these two worlds, he’s able to offer competitive “technology salaries” to artists—a move so unprecedented that potential employees initially questioned whether job postings were legitimate.

The company’s impact has caught the attention of major players in both the investment and publishing worlds. With backing from notable investors including New Media Ventures and Backstage Capital’s Arlan Hamilton, Weird Enough Productions continues to expand its reach. Most recently, Weaver’s book “Weirdo,” released in September 2024 through Macmillan Publishing, has garnered positive reviews and opened new doors for the company’s mission.

The impact of Weaver’s work manifests in unexpected ways. “I get emails, letters, pictures,” he says, a smile evident in his voice. “I’m getting kids dressing up as me for Black History Month.” He recalls being approached in malls by parents eager to share how his work has touched their children’s lives.

As one of the youngest recipients of the Echoing Green fellowship, Weaver brings both creative vision and business acumen to his role. His approach challenges the traditional consumption-focused model of media. “A story that’s really powerful, that’s really impactful can change the way that you behave as a person,” he asserts.

Looking ahead, Weaver’s ambitions continue to grow. With “Weirdo” making waves in the publishing world, he’s already eyeing possibilities for television adaptations and potential first-look deals with major studios. But at the heart of these expansion plans remains his core mission: being a light for those still finding their way through the dark.

For Tony Weaver Jr., being “weird enough” isn’t just a company name—it’s a call to action, encouraging others to embrace their differences and find strength in their unique voices. In a world where youth mental health challenges continue to rise, his work offers both hope and practical support, one story at a time.