‘Wylde Pak’ Creators Take Us Behind the Scenes of Their Buzzy New Nickelodeon Show

It’s always exciting to see a fun, new original 2D-animated show launch on Nickelodeon. This month’s hot new series Wylde Pak, which is created by Paul Watling and Kyle Marshall, follows the adventures of two half-siblings as they adjust to their newly formed Korean-American family. The show, which features the voices of Nikki Castillo, Benjamin Plessala, Jee Young Han, Ben Pronsky and Jean Yoon, is the second production following Rock Paper Scissors that was launched via Nickelodeon’s Intergalactic Shorts Program.

The show’s executive producers, Watling (The Tiger’s Apprentice), Marshall (The Loud House) and Seonna Hong (The Wild Robot) were kind enough to answer a few of our questions about their new toon:

Animation Magazine: Can you tell us a bit about the origins of the show? How did it all begin?

Paul Watling: To be honest, it began with spaghetti and meatballs at Little Dom’s restaurant in Los Feliz (in Los Angeles) , Kyle and I would meet regularly to catch up and talk shop. We’d hatched an earlier iteration of the show that revolved around Jack and Lily, however there was a whole sci-fi element. It was actually in development at another studio for a while … until it wasn’t of course.

Fast forward to us pitching a slew of ideas to Nickelodeon, one of which was the fragmented relics of this thing we’d been developing, and that was the one Nick really responded to: specifically, the two main characters, Jack and Lily. We ditched the whole sci-fi element and started thinking about the stories we wanted to tell, and for us, the most authentic storytelling comes from experience. That’s where we looked to start shaping the family and the world these kids would inhabit.

I had recently met my wife, Seonna, and lucked out by getting a two-for-one, in that I also got a Tigerlily, my stepdaughter. Having stepparents of my own, I had a full circle moment and thought there were some juicy stories to mine here. Kyle was a new dad as well, to two awesome little dudes, Jack and Charlie. We both realized we had no idea what we were doing when it came to adulting and joked about waiting for the real grown-ups to show up and help out. We liked this idea of exploring the messiness of family life, relationships, and the notion that there is no one size fits all when it comes to family. We threw all our own experiences, good, bad, and everything in between, into the DNA of this show and let it evolve from there.

How long did it take to get the show off the ground?

Kyle Marshall: We originally pitched the concept to Nickelodeon in 2019, and it became part of their Intergalactic Shorts Program. We made a seven-minute short along with a series bible and a few sample scripts. It was a rollercoaster, as all development is, and that original short looks and feels completely different from what you see now. However, the family and their relationships remain the same (it even had a different title). It was cool to make that short and see what was working and what wasn’t. Small tweaks were made to the look, sound, and tone, which totally elevated the series once we started production. We wanted to push the show and were lucky to have the studios’ support in overhauling these elements, resulting in what is now Wylde Pak.

Can you describe the visual style of Wylde Pak? 

Kyle: We wanted Wylde Pak to have its own unique look but still feel familiar. The series tries to capture the messiness and beauty of family dynamics, and it was important to us to have that reflected in the design. Our art director, JiSoo Kim, and her team nailed this idea. The backgrounds are all a bit wonky with a messier line, no perfect angles, or straight lines. The characters are animated in Harmony, and our animation studio, Jam Filled, created a line that looks more organic, giving it subtle movement with each frame. The directing and board teams also played a huge part in influencing the style. The compositions and backgrounds are dynamic and wonky, but what really makes it unique is the way our teams handle expressions and posing. Those boards influenced everyone down the line, from design and color to animation.

What sets the show apart in this busy animation market for children?

Kyle: The idea was to make a show that we enjoyed watching. We wanted the characters to be genuine and the stories to come from an honest place. They often start small and simple, then spiral out of control. Although the series has an arc, we viewed the season like a mixtape. You will tune in to watch the characters you love, but the episodes can be wildly different in tone, so you have no idea what you’re getting yourself into each week.

What were your biggest challenges?

Paul: We’ve been doing this for a few years now, and we wanted to step outside our comfort zone. We put together a team that would push us, just a crazy, talented group of people with different styles and experiences. We gave them freedom to run, and in the beginning, it was a little messy, but once we started putting it all together, we found exactly what we were looking for, and it was pretty amazing.

Who are your big animation heroes/inspirations? 

Paul: Probably the three biggest influences were The Amazing World of Gumball, My Neighbors the Yamada’s and Freaks and Geeks.

What do you hope audiences will take away from the show?

Kyle: A few laughs, a couple tears, and to know that there’s not just one blueprint for a family.

Seonna Hong: We hope kids see themselves, their families and their friends in this show, whether it’s through multicultural, multigenerational, or blended family dynamics.  All the characters are multi-dimensional too, which I think is important because that’s what makes it feel authentic too.

Do you have a favorite storyline this season?

Kyle: It’s hard to pick just one, and we can’t be giving any spoilers, but the journey of their entire summer is a storyline we are proud of.

Seonna: And any episode with Halmoni!

Can you perhaps offer some advice for those who dream of launching their own animated show one day?

Kyle: The industry has dramatically changed since we started. There are so many alternative routes outside of the traditional studio model to get your work out there. Use them, don’t wait for a studio to come knocking. If you build it, they will come.

Wylde Pak premieres on Nickelodeon on Friday, June 6 at 7:30 p.m. (ET/PT) in the U.S. and later this year internationally.