Monsters, Metal, and Life Lessons: The Journey of Lizzie Wilding’s Debut!
Bringing metal, mayhem, and meaningful stories to life with Lizzie Wilding and the Lil Thrashers crew.
Nearly two years ago, my friend Jesse Korman introduced me to “episode zero” of Lizzie Wilding: Heavy Metal Werewolf—a test episode that was being pitched to major streamers. The concept, created by Jesse’s immensely talented friend, Jimmy Poirier, was still in its early stages, but I was instantly hooked. A cartoon that blends monsters, heavy metal, and valuable life lessons? I was all in. Lucky for me, Jesse and Jimmy invited me to join the world of Grimstone, Lizzie’s hometown, as a partner on the project. Since then, it has become one of the most fulfilling experiences of my professional life as we expanded it into an entire universe—the Lil Thrashers.
While Lizzie may be the "Mickey Mouse" of Grimstone, the world has grown to include dozens of vibrant characters, each offering a unique perspective, story, and life lesson. From the mischievous fairy-metal antics of the Teenie Meanies to the quirky crew of Death Jr Jr—Zeke, Morg, Rachelle, and Lonnie—I’ve come to love them all. And it seems others are starting to feel the same way. We’ve received incredible support from outlets like Animation Magazine, Animation World Network, Loudwire, New Noise Magazine, Broadway World, and The Animation Blog. Our first short film, No Weenies Allowed, made a splash on the festival circuit, being accepted into over 20 festivals and taking home six awards for Best Animation. But perhaps the most rewarding feedback has come from the YouTube comments—an outpouring of positivity in a space often dominated by internet trolls.
Just two weeks ago, we launched our biggest story yet—Lizzie’s true debut. The show follows our headbanging were-pup as she navigates the challenges of a new town, a new school, and some serious rage issues. We’re incredibly lucky to have an amazing ensemble cast with impressive backgrounds in film, television, and music. Broadway stars Ashley Ware Jenkins and Derrick Davis voice Ma and Pa Wilding, while Anastasia Baranova (Z Nation, Open Season 3) brings Principal Shelley to life. Even real-life heavy metal icons like Morgan Lander (Kittie) and Eva Korman (Rolo Tomassi) add their signature grit as Bela and Piper. And, of course, Arson Alfaro does a phenomenal job portraying Lizzie. Jimmy has poured countless hours into making this show a reality, and I couldn’t be prouder to be part of this project as a producer, helping bring it to life.
We’re only scratching the surface of the Lil Thrashers universe, and this episode marks a major turning point for us. There’s still plenty of work ahead to take the project to the next level, but I couldn’t be more excited to dive in. In the meantime, I truly hope you enjoy the episode as much as we loved creating it. We can’t wait to keep sharing more stories from all our amazing friends in Grimstone!
And if you want to follow along, here’s where you can find Lil Thrashers:
YouTube: youtube.com/@lilthrashers
TikTok: tiktok.com/@lilthrashers
Instagram: instagram.com/lilthrashers
And you can listen to music from Grimstone here: