jacknjellies

Jacknjellies is the online moniker of two American animators who run the YouTube channel jacknjellies and created the animated web series Battle for Dream Island (BFDI). The channel name is a portmanteau of the creators’ nicknames, Jack and Jelly, and it became associated with one of the earliest and most influential object-show creators on YouTube.

Battle for Dream Island is a competition-style series in which a cast of anthropomorphic inanimate objects compete in a series of challenges for a prize, with eliminations and ongoing storylines that unfold across episodes. The show premiered on YouTube around 2010 and is widely regarded as a pioneer of the “object show” subgenre, inspiring a large community of fan-made content, discussions, and derivative series.

The Jacknjellies team uses a simple, vector-based animation style, voice acting, and musical segments to tell its stories. Over the years, the creators expanded the BFDI universe with additional seasons and related content, while maintaining active engagement with fans through updates, community interactions, and collaborative projects.

Impact and reception: BFDI’s longevity and its role as a forerunner in the object-show format have been noted in discussions of online animation. The show's influence contributed to a thriving fan culture, including wikis, fan art, and cross-project collaborations, establishing Jacknjellies as a notable name in early web animation communities.