A new beastie bestie is joining the Lil Thrashers pack with the launch of Lizzie Wilding: Heavy Metal Werewolf, a hard-rocking animated series about the latest teenage cryptid to hit the streets of Grimstone. The show is anchored by music, and a three-song EP featuring tracks from the pilot episode is due to drop on streaming platforms this fall.
The 2D series follows Lizzie Wilding, a headbanging were-pup, as she navigates the challenges of a new town, a new school, and some serious rage issues. Being the new kid is tough, but for Lizzie, it’s a supernatural struggle! As she tries to fit in, Lizzie battles an inner beast that won’t stay quiet, all while wondering, “Is anyone even listening?”
The project’s voice cast boasts backgrounds in film, television and music: Featuring Broadway performers Ashley Ware Jenkins and Derrick Davis as Ma and Pa Wilding, alongside Anastasia Baranova (Z Nation, Open Season 3) as Principal Shelley. Real-life heavy metal icons Morgan Lander of Kittie and Eva Korman of Rolo Tomassi play Bela and Piper, with Arson Alfaro (Vertigo 2 VR, Cookie Cutter VG, Spaceships podcast) as Lizzie.
“After a year of working on Lizzie, I have become very attached to all these characters,” said series creator James Poirier. “It’s hard to not put yourself into every one of them. I love aggressive music. Metal, punk, and hardcore were a huge part of my youth and adulthood. It was a world that helped me find my own identity and become my own person to an extent. I think it became such a big part of my identity. So when I became a dad, and that became my identity, I wanted to share that stuff with my child and keep that part of my identity. But people look at you funny when you show up to the preschool blasting Necrophagist or something like that.
“Despite its brutal exterior, I see metal as a catharsis —a healthy way to release toxic energy — which we all have bubbling up at some point or another. And despite its reputation, I think the metal and punk scene has only got better and more inclusive over the years. It’s a good place for anyone to come together, have some fun, and support each other.”
Lizzie Wilding: Heavy Metal Werewolf is the first release from the Lil Thrashers Universe since the award-winning short film No Weenies Allowed. This debut short earned six Best Animation awards at festivals including the NYC and Seattle Independent Film Festivals.
Lizzie is just one character in the world of Lil Thrashers — a group of young monsters, misfits and mutants who “live to thrash and thrash to live.” Their regular haunt is the Catacombs, an underground rock club deep under the center of their hometown, Grimstone. They find strength in the thriving community of like-minded headbangers as they do their best to better themselves and make Grimstone a superior place to thrash.
The franchise is created by Poirier of Lazers Lab, inspired by his twin passions for cartoons and heavy metal with the goal of capturing the kinship of the music scene, embracing fun and silliness alongside the folks who truly get you. Poirier serves as producer on the project alongside musician, photographer and filmmaker Jesse Korman (Separation, The Kill Room, The Number 12 Looks Like You), Broadway’s Derrick Davis (Phantom of the Opera, The Lion King) and Rich Nardo of Flux88 Studios.
