Netflix's Mighty Monsterwheelies creative team discusses the monster-sized series premiere

There's nothing scary about this group of monster (trucks)! Check out Netflix's Mighty Monsterwheelies which is out now on Netflix!

The series follows a team of half monster and half truck heroes that use their powers to serve and protect—not scare in the Motorvania motor city. Six monster-vehicles are called into assist with trouble. The characters are meant to be seen as good leaders and find solutions to problems that arise with each truck having using their specific skillset to help out. The show is executive produced by DreamWorks Animation.

The voice cast includes Tru Valentino (The Loud House) as Bolts Frankenstein, Sandra Saad (Spidey and His Amazing Friends) as Gill E. Creature, Chester Rushing (Big Nate) as Wraps Stretcher, Grace Lu (Inside Out 2) as Axyl Bride, Cal Brady (The Fairly Oddparents: Fairly Odder) as Sonnie Dracula, Matt Lowe (Madagascar: A Little Wild) as Sweeps Wolfman, Weird Al Yankovic (Transformers: Earthspark) as Mayor Van Helsing, Sean Astin (Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight) as Invisible Van, and Ashley Park (Star Wars: Visions) as Phantom Freeze.

The Parent Watch got to speak with Kyel White, the series' developer and story editor and Stephanie Simpson, the executive producer of Mighty Monsterwheelies. They talk about the show's inception, their favorite characters, and more. Feel free to do the monster mash with your little ones as you watch the show too! Read on to find out more...if you dare!

The Parent Watch: Kyel, I know you developed this series and served as the story editor as well. I'd love for you to take me back to the beginning since you've been involved from the very start. What was the first step in bringing it to DreamWorks and getting it green-lit?

Kyel White: The initial concept was to take these universal monster characters, who are iconic and beloved by people all over the world, and introduce them to kids in a way that wasn't overly scary and was accessible to them. The idea was: What if we presented them not as monsters but as heroes? We wanted them to be relatable figures, like firefighters or tow truck drivers, and combine the monsters with rescue vehicles. That was the origin of the project. People really seemed to gravitate toward that concept, along with the action-adventure and comedy aspects. It’s just...fun.

These characters are based on very familiar monster figures from pop culture. I’m also curious about the design of the characters. I noticed in the press kit and while watching that they are so detailed. You both have obviously worked in animation for a while, but what’s the process like when working with the animation team to develop those designs? It seems foreign to me when it comes to big animation projects, so what’s that process really like to get those designs right?

Stephanie Simpson: It’s a hugely collaborative process, and it’s also super fun! You have to experience it someday, Tiara. You start with design sketches, trying to find a style. We aimed to honor the original iconic qualities of those monsters while marrying them to trucks and making them appealing to kids. That was a challenging balance to maintain. We did a lot of modeling and various attempts to find the right look. For example, once we nailed the square shape of Frankenstein's head, his hairpiece, and the little scar, he really came to life. The colors were also important.

However, deciding how to make their faces expressive was tricky because we weren't using the windshield as eyes; we used the lights and the bumper as the mouth. This approach allowed us to give them eyebrows and create a wide range of fun expressions. Each character had a unique journey in terms of design. For instance, finding the right design for the mummy was fun. He obviously needed to be wrapped in bandages. Gill E., the creature from the Black Lagoon, posed a different challenge—how do you translate that into a girl? We also did a little gender switch with her. She had to have an ATV lifeguard quality while still retaining her creature-like characteristics. It took a lot of time to find that right balance, like incorporating her little gills and flippers.

Then there was Dracula, which was really fun. We were inspired by the old movies where Dracula transforms from a person into a bat, which influenced our design of the motorcycle and helicopter. Designing the street sweeper was also enjoyable; we wanted it to have that bristly, slightly furry quality. These details make sense when you’re trying to find the right designs. The street sweeper also had a tail that could sweep things up, and since dogs love to fetch, it made sense for it to be a trash collector. Axel was really fun because the Bride of Frankenstein does one thing at the end of her movie: she screams like a banshee. We were trying to capture that quality in our character.

I have to say that Sweeps is my favorite. I love the eyebrows; they are just so expressive! You can tell there was a tremendous amount of effort put into this, so I really applaud the animators, illustrators, and everyone involved. What were your thoughts during the development of the series regarding audience reception? Did you receive any feedback that influenced your approach? I’d love to hear more about that.

KW: The main idea was that the monsters would never be the cause of the problem—they were always the solution. So, when a problem arose, the mayor would call, and the monster wheelies would be on the case to help. Of course, things don’t always go as planned the first time, so sometimes they might cause a little trouble, but they always manage to solve it in the end. It was important for us to incorporate them into the city in a way that made them feel like part of the community, rather than outcasts. We wanted them to engage in everyday activities, like going to the movies or watching baseball games, so they weren’t just the monsters on the outskirts of town. They are a part of the city.

SS: I also love that Kyel created this team of monsters. Typically, you see one monster at a time, living in isolation. Here, not only are they part of the town, but they also have this little monster family that supports each other from their castle headquarters. I really appreciate the image of them forming a circle when they all get on the lift in their castle and go up together to answer the call. I think that’s really special for the show.

Since all these characters are so unique, they each have their moments to shine in the upcoming episodes. Are there any episodes that resonate with you or any characters you particularly connect with?

KW: For me, to Stephanie's point, my favorite episodes are the ones where they all work together as a team. They are so unique, and each has a different skill set. Watching them use their powers in tandem is always fun for me, both to write and to watch. I know that’s a bit of a cop-out answer, but…

SS: My favorite character is the one I just watched, but I definitely have a soft spot for Gilly, the creature character. I just love that she’s a little smaller than the others, and her abilities take you into a world you’re not used to seeing underwater. I really appreciate her indomitable optimism and bubbliness—all puns intended. She truly embodies the spirit of a preschooler. While she does have moments of discouragement, they last only about two seconds before she’s ready to say, “Let’s go!” I think she will appeal to everyone’s inner three-year-old.

KW: I was going to say that this really embodies the mindset that we hope kids will have—being willing to try new things and be part of a team while still being themselves. I think that encompasses the entire show. Hopefully, that’s right; that’s what I got. It’s really cool to see all of these different characters acting as one, each with their own skill sets and able to put themselves out there.

SS: That’s what I love about what Kyel did, too. It’s not just that anyone can be a hero; it’s also that there are different kinds of heroes. Not only can a monster be a hero, but there are all kinds of different personalities within that category, and each one brings something special and can be a hero in their own way. We really want kids to feel that when they watch it.

"Weird Al" Yankovic is the mayor, and Sean Astin is the Invisible Van, which I love! Let’s talk about that, actually. I know that’s a reference. But just in general, getting to work with these incredible voice actors—what was that like?

SS: Oh, it was so much fun! It was great to write for them once we cast them because we could hear their voices while writing a quip or a line or a moment, thinking, "Oh, this is going to sound so good!" Or, "Sean is going to deliver this with so much aplomb," or "Al will make this insane thing that the mayor says sound perfectly reasonable." It was fun! Each monster’s voice added so much, and they really took it seriously. It was beautiful to watch. I think they’re probably still walking around speaking in those voices—they were very committed!

I’m really blown away, too, by the idea that, in the description, no challenge is too big or too small. I definitely resonate with that feeling of being part of a team—thinking, "Maybe I can’t do this as well, but someone else on the team can," and helping to pick up the slack. It feels so real, which is great, especially in the animation world. These characters feel like potentially real people, or like people we know, and I love that so much.

SS: I think that's such a key aspect of what makes some animation special is that you have this incredible, fantastical world, but it’s anchored in real emotion. When you combine the fantastical with the real, it creates a unique experience. We were just talking about how great it is to have this fantastical world in animation, where the characters possess very real, grounded emotions. That balance is so much fun, and it's what we love about animated content, too. You can go anywhere and do anything—have crazy things happening—but it's all done by characters with emotions that you can relate to. That’s just so appealing and enjoyable.

KW: A shoutout to the cast because they played everything so authentically. That’s why it’s so difficult to pick a favorite; they all feel so real, and we love all of those characters.

SS: It’s so fun after you’ve worked on it for so long. Animation takes a while, so it’s exciting when it’s finally going out into the world. It almost doesn’t seem real, does it, Kyel? We’re like, “Oh, other people are going to watch this!” We hope that parents who love those monsters will want to watch this with their little ones. This could be a really fun way for them to share the love of those characters for the first time. We hope that happens.

Here is a trailer from Season 1 of Mighty Monsterwheelies on DreamWorks TV's official YouTube channel:

You can watch episodes of Mighty Monsterwheelies on Netflix right now!