Ducky Dread Media Group, LLC (DDMG) is an Atlanta-based entertainment company specializing in the creation, development, and commercialization of original, urban-inspired intellectual property. Founded by Philip Thorne and Rick Manning, DDMG operates at the intersection of animation, music, and emerging media, building scalable entertainment brands designed for global audiences.
DDMG develops and produces multi-platform content across television, streaming, digital, music, and live entertainment. The company’s model is centered on original IP ownership and franchise development—integrating storytelling, original sound, character universes, and immersive experiences into unified entertainment ecosystems.
Positioned as both a creative studio and an IP holding company, DDMG builds properties engineered for long-term growth across film, series, music catalogs, publishing, licensing, consumer products, and interactive media. The company leverages modern production workflows, digital distribution, and brand partnerships to efficiently bring original concepts to market while maintaining creative control.
Founded by entrepreneur and creative director Philip Thorne and entertainment developer Rick Manning, DDMG combines creative vision with disciplined business strategy. The company’s leadership brings together experience in entertainment development, branding, and operations, with a focus on building culturally relevant properties that resonate across borders.
DDMG’s mission is to establish itself as a leading producer of urban-oriented young adult entertainment while continuously innovating in how animated and music-driven properties are created, launched, and scaled. The company is actively expanding its production capabilities, strategic partnerships, and brand portfolio as it builds a next-generation media enterprise.
Rick Manning is Co-Founder of Ducky Dread Media Group, LLC and the creator of the JamDown© characters and story universe. He is a results-driven creative and strategic professional with over two decades of experience leading performance initiatives across technology-driven and consumer-facing industries.
Mr. Manning’s background blends creative development with systems thinking. His work in technology development and strategic consulting has positioned him as a problem-solver capable of navigating complex business environments while building solutions that align creativity, efficiency, and long-term scalability.
He has spent a significant portion of his career within the automotive and advanced manufacturing sectors, where he implemented lifecycle and performance tools designed to improve alignment between consumers, products, and service providers. This experience sharpened his ability to build structured frameworks that translate ideas into operational realities.
As the creative architect behind JamDown©, Mr. Manning brings narrative vision, character design, and world-building expertise to DDMG. His approach emphasizes not only originality and cultural resonance, but also the development of intellectual property engineered for multi-platform expansion .
Philip Thorne is President and Co-Founder of Ducky Dread Media Group, LLC, where he leads creative direction, brand development, and strategic growth. He is a multi-disciplinary entertainment professional whose career spans broadcasting, engineering, production, and artist development.
Over the course of his career, Mr. Thorne has played a key role in launching and developing artists who went on to become recognized names within the urban music landscape. His background as an on-air radio personality and behind-the-scenes producer gives him rare end-to-end insight into how audiences engage with content—from creation to consumption.
In addition to entertainment, Mr. Thorne has held leadership roles in market research and production management, contributing to national and international campaigns across sectors including healthcare, consumer goods, and automotive. His work supported data-driven advertising and consumer-behavior analysis for major global brands, including Coca-Cola and Mercedes-Benz, providing him with a sophisticated understanding of how culture, media, and commerce intersect
Mr. Thorne brings to DDMG a blend of creative instinct and operational discipline. He is deeply focused on aligning content with real market demand while building scalable entertainment assets. He is also a strong advocate for environmental responsibility and is committed to integrating sustainable and “green” practices into the day-to-day operations and long-term strategy of DDMG.
On an island where music is power, control is currency.
JamDown® is a high-energy, music-driven animated universe set inside a booming entertainment capital where talent is everywhere—but opportunity is owned. The streets pulse with sound, stages glow through the night, and dreams are sold daily. Yet behind the lights, one figure quietly decides who rises… and who disappears.
They call him The Captain.
A ruthless, corrupt power broker who has cornered JamDown’s music industry through manipulation, money, and fear. Contracts are traps. Platforms are rigged. Success is never free. Every artist who breaks through does so on his terms.
Until now.
Ducky Dread and a fractured circle of gifted outsiders—Pablo, Nikko Bam Bam, Fiyah Kat, Rikki Jive Rabbit, and Reuben Rydah—have spent years grinding in the shadows. Different sounds. Different styles. Different reasons for chasing the spotlight. None of them famous. All of them dangerous.
When Ducky unites them into a single force—the One Love Crew—the industry feels the shift. But power always answers back. As their influence grows, so does the pressure. Deals get dirtier. Threats get closer. Loyalty gets tested. The Captain doesn’t just fight careers—he fractures friendships, exploits ambition, and turns dreams into weapons.
Every stage becomes a battleground.
Every song becomes a statement.
Every victory comes with a cost.
JamDown delivers PG-13 animated storytelling fueled by original music, cinematic tension, and culturally grounded style—where ambition collides with corruption, unity is tested by ego, and the price of success is never what it seems.
This isn’t just about making it.
This is about who controls the sound… and who survives the climb.
JamDown is envisioned as a future feature-length animated film that would elevate the world beyond short-form stories into a full cinematic saga. In this imagined epic, Ducky Dread and the One Love Crew would rise from the underground sound-stages of JamDown Island into a sweeping battle for culture, truth, and creative freedom, where music is power and corruption moves in the shadows. The feature-film vision opens the door to grand world-building, emotionally driven character arcs, and a soundtrack that fuses Caribbean rhythm with global energy—transforming JamDown into a mythic stage where unity, identity, and resistance are played out on a larger-than-life scale.
JamDown is conceived as a multi-division entertainment brand built to live far beyond the screen. The animated series anchors a larger JamDown universe that extends into a dedicated music division and record label, where original soundtracks, character-driven singles, and Caribbean-inspired compilations function as both narrative fuel and standalone releases. The brand vision includes a full merchandising line—poseable action figures, collectible vinyl toys, apparel, and lifestyle products that translate JamDown’s characters, symbols, and slogans into physical culture. JamDown is also imagined as a gaming property, from mobile rhythm and world-building experiences to console-level narrative adventures that allow fans to step inside JamDown Island itself. Together, these verticals form an interconnected ecosystem: animation drives music, music drives fashion, fashion drives identity, and gaming turns the audience into participants—positioning JamDown not simply as a show, but as a living cultural franchise..
