Nerds and Monsters


Nerds and Monsters is a Canadian animated comedy 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. Its punk-sounding theme song was composed by Steve D'Angelo and Terry Tompkins. It was announced at the 2014 Banff World Media Festival that the series was renewed for a second season. 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. 40 episodes were produced.
WWW nerdsandmonsters.com

Premise

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

Characters

Humans

  • Dudley Squat is 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 is 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 is 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 is 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 thinks he got on the wrong bus.

Monsters

  • Zarg is king of the monsters, and Lyle's uncle. His position as Supreme Leader is threatened by the nerds' arrival.
  • Skur is a winged lizard-like monster, King Zarg's servant, who is fed up being second banana, so is bent on dethroning Zarg and becoming king of Monster Island.
  • Lyle is 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 are Lyle's parents that share the same body. Durn is the sister of King Zarg.
  • Vink is a giant, childlike monster with a short attention span.
  • Maiden Cheena is 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

Season 1 (2014)

  1. Dear Diary / Monster and Commander
  2. Sub Sandwich / Dorkathalon
  3. Honk if You're in Love / Fright of Passage
  4. The Marriage Ref / Ka-Boom with a View
  5. Are You Gonna Eat That? / Monster BFF
  6. For the Love of Dung / The Voice of Treason
  7. What's Mine is Mine / The Wind Beneath My Wings
  8. Maiden Cheena Lays an Eggie / Hero Zeros
  9. Guys and Dolls / Heat Wave
  10. Oh Brother / The Comic or the Girl
  11. Eye! Eye! Eye! / Stan by Me
  12. Dudley the Manservant / Cure for the Common Nerd
  13. Fab Rick / Inside the Box
  14. Monstervision / The Squider Whisperer
  15. The Host with the Moats / Monsterball
  16. Flower Power / Maiden Cheena is Missing
  17. Franken-Nerd / Monstergeist
  18. Monster Movie / Springing Lyle
  19. Pet Peeved / No Pranks to You
  20. Molting Day / Zanti-Clops

Season 2 (2016)

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

Early prototype

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.
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

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

YearAssociationAward CategoryNotesResult
2014Leo AwardsBest Screenwriting in an Animation Program or SeriesGreg SullivanWon
2014Leo AwardsBest Screenwriting in an Animation Program or SeriesKendra Hibbert
2014Leo AwardsBest Direction in an Animation Program or SeriesGreg Sullivan and Denis Crawford
2014Leo AwardsBest Performance in an Animation Program or SeriesTabitha St. Germain
2014Leo AwardsBest Performance in an Animation Program or SeriesVincent Tong
2015Canadian Screen AwardsBest Writing in an Animated Program or SeriesVito Viscomi
2015WGC Screenwriting AwardsBest Writing in an Animated Program or SeriesGreg Sullivan
2015Leo AwardsBest Direction in an Animation Program or SeriesGreg Sullivan and Russell Crispin
2015Leo AwardsBest Performance in an Animation Program or SeriesIan James Corlett
2015Leo AwardsBest Screenwriting in an Animation Program or SeriesDennis HeatonWon
2015Pixie AwardsAnimationSlap Happy CartoonsWon
2016Leo AwardsBest Direction in an Animation Program or SeriesGreg Sullivan and Denis Crawford
2016Leo AwardsBest Direction in an Animation Program or SeriesJosh Mepham and Jason HorychunWon
2016Leo AwardsBest Animation Program or SeriesJosh Mepham, Greg Sullivan, Kathy Antonsen Rocchio and Vito ViscomiWon
2016Leo AwardsBest Screenwriting in an Animation Program or SeriesGreg SullivanWon
2017Canadian Screen AwardsBest Writing in an Animated Program or SeriesCraig MartinWon