Nerds and Monsters

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Nerds and Monsters
GenreComedy
Science fiction
Action-Adventure
Created by
  • Josh Mepham
  • Kathy Antonsen Rocchio
  • Greg Sullivan
  • Vito Viscomi
Directed byJosh Mepham
Greg Sullivan
Voices ofMichael Adamthwaite
Ian James Corlett
Michael Daingerfield
Brian Dobson
Brian Drummond
Ty Olsson
Tabitha St. Germain
Lee Tockar
Vincent Tong
Theme music composer
  • Steve D'Angelo
  • Terry Tompkins
Opening themeNerds and Monsters
Ending themeNerds and Monsters (instrumental)
ComposerHal Beckett
Country of originCanada
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes40 (80 segments)
Production
Executive producersKathy Antonsen Rocchio
Josh Mepham
Greg Sullivan
Vito Viscomi
Vince Commisso
ProducerKathy Antonsen Rocchio
Running time30 minutes
Production companiesSlap Happy Cartoons Inc.
9 Story Media Group
Original release
NetworkYTV
ReleaseJanuary 8, 2014 (2014-01-08) –
August 27, 2016 (2016-08-27)

Nerds and Monsters is a Canadian animated television series that aired on YTV in Canada. The series was created by Josh Mepham, Kathy Antonsen Rocchio, Greg Sullivan and Vito Viscomi and produced by Slap Happy Cartoons Inc. and 9 Story Media Group. It was announced at the 2014 Banff World Media Festival that the series was renewed for a second season.[1] On July 14, 2015, the series was picked up by Hulu to stream it as part of Hulu Kids. The series ended on August 27, 2016.[2] 40 episodes were produced.

Premise

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The series follows three nerdy kids and a simple football linebacker on a fantastic uncharted island with monsters.

Characters

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Humans

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  • Dudley Squat (voiced by Tabitha St. Germain) – the self-proclaimed leader of the nerds, despite his short stature. He apparently has a Napoleon complex, as he is often demanding things be done a certain way – HIS way, but just not to be too bossy though. Dudley is also willing to undo his wrongdoings whenever his frequent selfish desires put Irwin, Becky, and Stan in trouble. He is Jewish Canadian.
  • Irwin Chang-Stein (voiced by Vincent Tong) – a nerd who is often cowardly and accident-prone, as he has a phobia of everything, except some things, including Becky, who he has a crush on. He is of mixed Chinese Canadian and Jewish Canadian descent.
  • Rebecca "Becky" Hooger (voiced by Tabitha St. Germain) – a tall, excitable Scottish Canadian nerd, who is the only female in the group. She has a particular fondness for zoology and entomology, as she enjoys keeping journals about various creatures inhabiting the island. She is the love interest of both Irwin and Stan.
  • Stanley "Stan" Grissle (voiced by Ty Olsson) – a fun-loving and goofy Canadian-American jock, who serves the top lineman on the Beaverton Middle School Bulldogs football team. He is nowhere near as smart as his nerdy friends are, yet he is very friendly and sweet towards everyone he meets. Stan also has an obvious crush on Becky, and she appears to reciprocate his feelings. The only reason he's with Dudley, Irwin and Becky is because according to the theme song, he apparently got on the wrong bus.

Monsters

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  • Zarg (voiced by Brian Dobson) – king of the monsters, and Lyle's uncle. His position as Supreme Leader is threatened by the nerds' arrival.
  • Skur (voiced by Ian James Corlett) – Zarg's servant, a winged lizard-like monster who is fed up being second banana, so is bent on dethroning Zarg and becoming king of Monster Island.
  • Lyle (voiced by Brian Drummond) – a nerdy monster, King Zarg's nephew, who is forced to live life like the other monsters. This is proved in one episode where he doesn't want to 'monster up'.
  • Urp and Durn (voiced by Lee Tockar and Michael Adamthwaite) – Lyle's parents that share the same body. Durn is the sister of King Zarg.
  • Vink (voiced by Michael Daingerfield) – a giant, childlike monster with a short attention span.
  • Maiden Cheena – Queen of Monster Island, a children's inflatable pool toy that was washed up onto the island some time ago. Her name comes from the Made in China label imprinted on her rubber back.

Episodes

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Season 1 (2014)

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  1. Dear Diary / Monster And Commander (January 8, 2014)
  2. Sub Sandwich / Dorkathalon (January 15, 2014)
  3. Honk If You're In Love / Fright Of Passage (January 22, 2014)
  4. The Marriage Ref / Ka-Boom With A View (January 29, 2014)
  5. Are You Gonna Eat That? / Monster BFF (February 6, 2014)
  6. For The Love Of Dung / The Voice Of Treason (February 13, 2014)
  7. What's Mine Is Mine / The Wind Beneath My Wings (February 20, 2014)
  8. Maiden Cheena Lays An Eggie / Hero Zeros (February 27, 2014)
  9. Guys And Dolls / Heat Wave (March 5, 2014)
  10. Oh Brother / The Comic Or The Girl (March 12, 2014)
  11. Eye! Eye! Eye! / Stan By Me (March 19, 2014)
  12. Dudley The Manservant / Cure For The Common Nerd (March 26, 2014)
  13. Fab Rick / Inside The Box (April 2, 2014)
  14. Monstervision / The Squider Whisperer (April 9, 2014)
  15. The Host With The Moats / Monsterball (June 25, 2014)
  16. Flower Power / Maiden Cheena Is Missing (July 9, 2014)
  17. Franken-Nerd / Monstergeist (July 16, 2014)
  18. Monster Movie / Springing Lyle (July 23, 2014)
  19. Pet Peeved / No Pranks To You (July 30, 2014)
  20. Molting Day / Zanti-Clops (August 27, 2014)

Season 2 (2016)

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  1. Miss Monster Island / Lucky Day (January 8, 2016)
  2. Where's The Beep? / Evolution (January 15, 2016)
  3. It's Not Good To Be King / Monster Island: The Game (January 22, 2016)
  4. Nerd Fu / Dudley's Kitchen Nightmare (January 29, 2016)
  5. Nerd High / Me Stan, You Linty (February 6, 2016)
  6. The Sky's The Limit / Clown Of Darkness (February 13, 2016)
  7. Tickle Stick / Monstarrrghs! (February 20, 2016)
  8. Run Nerd Run / Adventures In Monstersitting (February 27, 2016)
  9. The Falconerd / The Head Of Destiny (March 5, 2016)
  10. Nerds And Monster Bus / Zarg's Ducky Day (March 12, 2016)
  11. Nerdzilla / Monster Fever (March 19, 2016)
  12. The Big Stanuna / Power To The Pimple (March 26, 2016)
  13. Zarg World / The Nerdscapes (April 2, 2016)
  14. Bee-Hive Yourself / Bucktooth Rogers (April 9, 2016)
  15. Cannibal Run / Little Bundle Of Terror (June 25, 2016)
  16. Survival Of The Twittest / Nerdes And The Moonsters (July 9, 2016)
  17. Irwiener / Brother Brother (July 16, 2016)
  18. Chatty Cheena / That's Snot Art (July 23, 2016)
  19. Einstan / The Nerdhood Of The Traveling Pants (July 30, 2016)
  20. Behind the Scrotch / Night Of The Living Nerds (August 27, 2016)

Early prototype

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The first prototype of the series had four nerds; Becky Hoogerstein, Dudley Squat, Winston Chang and Fareed Singh. They were completely different in appearance; Becky was a curly haired brunette, Dudley had bigger glasses and blond hair and Winston had shorter hair and was described as Spock-like. Fareed was written out of the final version and replaced with Stan. Becky's name was shortened and Winston became Irwin with the 'stein' from Becky's original name being inserted into his. Dudley's name was kept, but he too was altered.[3]

Zarg was originally called Zar and designed with orange fur, and Skur had no fur at all. Urp and Durn's only change was the addition of fingers instead of tentacle-like hands.

Broadcast

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The series also airs on CITV and ITV in the United Kingdom, UTV in Northern Ireland, Canal+ Family and Télétoon+ in France, Disney XD in Poland, Gloob in Brazil, and ABC3 in Australia.

Awards and nominations

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Year Association Award Category Notes Result
2014 Leo Awards Best Screenwriting in an Animation Program or Series Greg Sullivan Won
2014 Leo Awards Best Screenwriting in an Animation Program or Series Kendra Hibbert Nominated
2014 Leo Awards Best Direction in an Animation Program or Series Greg Sullivan and Denis Crawford Nominated
2014 Leo Awards Best Performance in an Animation Program or Series Tabitha St. Germain Nominated
2014 Leo Awards Best Performance in an Animation Program or Series Vincent Tong Nominated
2015 Canadian Screen Awards Best Writing in an Animated Program or Series Vito Viscomi Nominated
2015 WGC Screenwriting Awards Best Writing in an Animated Program or Series Greg Sullivan Nominated
2015 Leo Awards Best Direction in an Animation Program or Series Greg Sullivan and Russell Crispin Nominated
2015 Leo Awards Best Performance in an Animation Program or Series Ian James Corlett Nominated
2015 Leo Awards Best Screenwriting in an Animation Program or Series Dennis Heaton Won
2015 Pixie Awards Animation Slap Happy Cartoons Won
2016 Leo Awards Best Direction in an Animation Program or Series Greg Sullivan and Denis Crawford Nominated
2016 Leo Awards Best Direction in an Animation Program or Series Josh Mepham and Jason Horychun Won
2016 Leo Awards Best Animation Program or Series Josh Mepham, Greg Sullivan, Kathy Antonsen Rocchio and Vito Viscomi Won
2016 Leo Awards Best Screenwriting in an Animation Program or Series Greg Sullivan Won
2017 Canadian Screen Awards Best Writing in an Animated Program or Series Craig Martin Won

References

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  1. ^ "Corus Kids unveils YTV and Teletoon 2014-15 slate". Archived from the original on 2014-08-10. Retrieved 2014-08-09.
  2. ^ "Hulu picks up more 9 Story toons". Archived from the original on 2015-07-18. Retrieved 2015-07-14.
  3. ^ http://www.slaphappycartoons.com/PDF/NerdsAndMonsters/SH_Nerds_web.pdf Archived 2014-05-05 at the Wayback Machine [bare URL PDF]