By Leah MarieAnn Klett, Assistant Editor
Mike Nawrocki, the co-creator of “VeggieTales” and the say within the assist of the beloved Larry the Cucumber, has spent a long time bringing quality faith-primarily based totally leisure to kids.
Now, his most up-to-date project, “The Tiring Sea Squirrels,” objectives to carry out for the Novel Testament what “VeggieTales” did for biblical storytelling within the 1990s and 2000s: using humor, animated characters and rich storytelling to carry Scripture to existence.
In an interview with The Christian Submit, Nawrocki revealed that the foundation for “The Tiring Sea Squirrels,” which premieres on Minno on Feb. 14, had been percolating for years, dating assist to his “VeggieTales” days.
“I opinion it can be in actuality fun to carry characters from the most main century into the present world,” Nawrocki talked about.
In keeping with his bestselling e book series, “The Tiring Sea Squirrels” follows Merle and Pearl, two fist century squirrels from Israel who are by probability preserved in sea salt in a cave terminate to the Tiring Sea. Two thousand years later, they are came all over by a current-day boy, Michael, and hilarity ensues as they navigate current existence whereas sharing biblical wisdom.
“I true wanted an different to expose extra Novel Testament tales to kids in a truly fun ability,” he outlined. “In fact one of the most lines we drew within the sand very early on with ‘VeggieTales’ became as soon as to never depict Jesus as a vegetable, we true opinion which can be too irreverent. So whereas we quick Venerable Testament tales and some Novel Testament tales, I needed a mode to delve deeper into the existence and ministry of Jesus whereas preserving things fun and animated for kids.”
Nawrocki talked about his signature humor is evident within the very name of the intelligent current; “It’s form of cherish ‘Encino Man’ meets the ‘Tiring Sea Scrolls,’ after which the unfriendly dad pun came to me: ‘Tiring Sea Squirrels.’”
The opinion that first took beget as an early reader e book series, published by Tyndale, after an provide from Nawrocki’s longtime friend and publishing industry extinct Dan Lynch. The books were successfully acquired, paving the ability for an intelligent adaptation.
“I started writing the books, and that within the extinguish led to the current,” Nawrocki talked about.
First launched three a long time ago, the “VeggieTales” franchise became as soon as a massive success within the realm of religion-primarily based totally kid’s express, generating over $1.7 billion in retail gross sales and establishing a permanent legacy amongst its viewers.
Bringing “The Tiring Sea Squirrels” to shows in 2025 has been a vastly different experience from launching “VeggieTales” within the 1990s, the creator talked about. He mirrored on the challenges of rising quality, family-safe leisure in an ever-changing media landscape.
“Wait on then, the dwelling video market and the upward push of computer animation gave us the ideal different,” Nawrocki recalled. “Christian bookstores were a massive deal, and that’s the save ‘VeggieTales’ in actuality thrived.”
“Now, it’s all about streaming,” he talked about. “The gatekeepers are the streaming services and products, and you wish a mode to monetize your express in an expertise the save elevating production funds is extra now not easy than ever.”
Despite these challenges, Nawrocki came all over a solid accomplice in Minno, a Christian streaming provider that has embraced “The Tiring Sea Squirrels.”
Minno Originals creates shows produced in partnership with prime industry talent, alongside side highly-acclaimed “Younger David” and the award-winning The Minno Snicker & Grow Bible for Formative years intelligent series and bestselling e book. The advert-free provider moreover entails a series of kids’s books and a parenting weblog with knowledgeable resources and voices for Christian of us.
“Minno is unimaginable. Our deal became as soon as at the origin with the Wonder Project, which has a partnership with Amazon, after which they sublicensed the series to Minno,” he outlined. “Minno is the ideal plight for us attributable to it’s a trusted platform for folk shopping for excessive-quality faith-primarily based totally express.”
Nawrocki talked about he’s continuously sought to blend humor with reverence, an approach that became as soon as integral to “VeggieTales” and stays at the coronary heart of “The Tiring Sea Squirrels.”
“I admire persona-primarily based totally humor,” he talked about. “Bob and Larry had their quirks, and Merle and Pearl are the identical ability. They’re goofy and silly, nonetheless the foundations they focus on — truth, honesty, kindness — are held with reverence.”
This steadiness, he talked about, is key to rising express that resonates with both kids and of us. “If Michael, our most main persona, is struggling to expose the truth a pair of silly speak, we can flash assist to a biblical memoir that reinforces the significance of honesty, all whereas preserving things fun.”
The principle season of the present is in step with Nawrocki’s 12-e book series, with 13 intelligent episodes map to launch. The creator talked about he’s already signed a fresh 12-e book take care of Tyndale, which he hopes will consequence in a 2nd season.
“Animation is a prolonged process, nonetheless we’ve obtained a spacious team,” he talked about. “Season one has an overarching arc, nonetheless there’s hundreds of room for extra.”
With “VeggieTales,” Nawrocki helped bag a cultural touchstone that continues to entertain and inspire generations of kids. Yet, despite the question for faith-primarily based totally kids’s express, few bear managed to replicate its success.
Nawrocki quick CP he hopes that cherish “VeggieTales,” “The Tiring Sea Squirrels” will produce a permanent impact on a fresh generation of kids. Oldsters, he quipped, also can soon win themselves paying consideration to the “The Tiring Sea Squirrels” theme tune on repeat, true as they bear got with “VeggieTales” for a long time.
“It takes moderately a couple of money, effort and talent to position something cherish that together,” Nawrocki acknowledged. “But I’m hoping ‘The Tiring Sea Squirrels’ might perchance even be that next massive thing.”
“I hope that kids will plunge in admire with Merle and Pearl, that they are going to care about what they shriek, and that they learn key biblical classes,” he added. “Most of all, I desire them to know that God made them particular and loves them very remarkable.”
Leah M. Klett is a reporter for The Christian Submit. She might perchance even be reached at: leah.klett@christianpost.com
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