Mike Nawrocki, VeggieTales co-creator and voice of beloved Larry the Cucumber is making a long time dream, a reality.
With the help of renowned Disney animator Tom Bancroft (known for his work on Disney movies like “Mulan,” “The Lion King,” and “Beauty and the Beast“) and the art production mastery of Steve Taylor, Nawrocki is working on a new animated series called, “The Dead Sea Squirrels.”
“I’m thrilled to see the ‘Dead Sea Squirrels’ coming to life,” Nawrocki told the Christian Post. “The beginnings of the idea came to me over a dozen years ago. So, to get the opportunity to write a book series and now to move into animation — it is a longtime dream come true.”
The first six episodes are based on Nawrocki’s book series of the same name.
“The Dead Sea Squirrels” tells the story of Merle and Pearl Squirrel, two first-century squirrels from Israel “who’ve been preserved in sea salt in a cave alongside the Dead Sea,” according to the website.
“When 10-year-old Michael discovers them 2000 years later and sneaks them home in his backpack, hijinks ensue after this salty couple reanimates and takes their new friend on adventures full of action, humor, music and character-building lessons.”
Nawrocki says his prayer is that the new series would help kids “make a connection to the Bible and life of Jesus.”
After launching a Kickstarter campaign to raise the $1.2 million needed to get the series made, the team raised over $35,000 in just a few days. Then some big fish jumped in, and the team was approached by potential investors who would fund the entire project.
“It’s been a longtime dream of mine to bring this series to life,” Nawrocki shared in a statement. “What started as a title based on a ‘cheesy’ pun has developed into a fun-filled world kids will love while giving parents an entertaining resource to pass on biblical values and life lessons. Plus, with ‘VeggieTales,’ ‘3-2-1 Penguins,’ and now ‘The Dead Sea Squirrels,’ I hope to cement my legacy as the ‘cheesy’ pun title guy!”
For more information on “The Dead Sea Squirrels,” visit deadseasquirrels.com
