The Donut Boyz, originally a hip-hop group, have been fusing comedy, rap, and snack foods into their musical stylings since 2006.
Now Erica Duffy, Julio Desir, and Adam Rudder are aiming to bring that energy to your TV screens in the form of a half-hour scripted comedy series centering on the joy of Black male friendships and the idea that you are never too old to chase your dreams.
And, in what is sure to be both a hilarious and grotesque event, the production team will be hosting a virtual Donut-A-Thon on Sept 7th at 7:00 pm CT on Facebook Live where viewers can make cast members and original Donut Boyz, Kiyoshi Shelton, and Jon Desir, eat donuts smothered in a condiment of their choice–with a donation to the campaign, of course.
Jon and Kiyoshi will catch up with co-writer and co-director Adam Rudder, and you may even get a sneak peek into some Donut Boyz freestyling.
Donut-A-Thon on Sept 7th at 7:00 pm CT on Facebook Live
Why this show and why now? Julio Desir weighs in, “First, this is a passion project for my extremely talented little brother, Jon, as well as his equally talented friends. The way we were raised, family calls, and you answer. No questions asked. Secondly, As a creative director in the marketing industry, I love filmmaking. I don’t always get to be behind the camera, so I relish opportunities like this. This is a hilarious script with a lot of potential. I was excited to lend my support to this project.”
The show will feature new music from The Donut Boyz and will serve as a jumping-off point for artists both locally and across the country. It also bridges the gap from old school to new school hip hop using music and comic-book style action and motifs to give the show an extra comical punch. Most importantly, the production will feature an over 50% minority cast and crew, and seeks to examine the struggles of Black men today, but through a playful, comedic lens.
“I am so excited to be part of bringing this relevant and soulful story to life.” says Producer, Erica Duffy, “Not only is this a bucket list script for me, but it’s also a bucket list team! The Donut Boyz team assembled effortlessly with some of Chicago’s most talented creators including Julio Desir of Doner, Adam Rudder of ThePlaybookTV, Brian Schilling and Ben Rodig of Schilling Films, Aaron Portzel of The Pub, Jonathan Desir of Optimus, Amy E. Powell of Sundog Studios, Damien Peraino from Prophet and Saro Melero Bonin who has worked on countless indie films and music videos. With this roster, you can bet you’ll be seeing this on a TV of yours soon!”
The Donut Boyz production currently has a crowdfunding campaign running till Sept 8th. “The community coming out and showing their support of this project has been incredible as well.” says Duffy. “Our Indiegogo donor’s names are filled with my clients, friends, and collaborators. It’s just been really inspiring to see it all come together, so thank you to everyone who’s been part of this journey so far!”
You can donate to The Donut Boyz crowdfunding campaign, at DonutBoyzTV.com
Click to connect to The Donut-A-Thon
Sept 7th at 7:00 pm CT on Facebook Live.
