Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur Executive Producer Steve Loter – Exclusive Interview

“Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur” premieres February 10 on Disney Channel and February 15 on Disney+ and we had the wonderful opportunity to talk to Executive Producer Steve Loter all about the show.

Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur follows the adventures of super-genius Lunella Lafayette and her 10-ton T-Rex, Devil Dinosaur, who work together to protect NYC’s Lower East Side from danger. Lunella is one of the smartest people in the Marvel universe, she is Marvel’s first African American teen Super Heroine and lives by the code that “one girl can make a difference.”

BSCKids: Tell us a little bit about how Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur got created as a television project and how did you get involved?

Steve Loter: Laurence Fishburne (executive producer with Helen Sugland at Cinema Gypsy Productions) and I are massive comic book fans. We both fell in love with the Moon Girl And Devil Dinosaur comic. When we connected, we found that we shared the same musical and energetic vision for the show, and we got started.

How is it working with Laurence Fishburne and what does a normal day look like when you are working on the show?

Laurence is incredible. Not only is he one of the greatest actors ever, he is also a writer and director – he can do it all! Laurence’s deep knowledge of storytelling has been invaluable. I particularly enjoyed working with him as he crafted the character he voices, The Beyonder. He was instrumental in guiding us to the out-of-this-world design for the show.

What has been the best part of working with your team on this show?

I love the collaboration. Everyone on the crew contributes ideas, thoughts and inspiration at every level and it just makes the show so much better.

How involved were you selecting the voice actors, tell us how they were selected.

When casting a voice for animation, we are looking for a voice with a lot of personality. Diamond White, Fred Tatasciore, Libe Barer, Jermaine Fowler, Sasheer Zamata, Gary Anthony Williams, Alfre Woodard and all our actors contribute an appealing, fun, emotional and sometimes wacky performance. Drawing and animating to their voices is always great because of the inspiration their performances provide.

How closely do you follow what happens in the comic vs. the stories that will happen in the animated series?

We love the comics, and we use them as springboards of inspiration for the show. Everything that gets translated into a different medium (books to TV, for example) usually transforms and changes to serve the storytelling.

Do you have a favorite villain from the series so far?

I love The Beyonder. He is mercurial, funny and can transform into anything. He is the most fun to sketch.

Will we see any other Marvel characters make an appearance in the show?

You will definitely see some familiar faces. We are all fans of Marvel comics, TV shows and movies and are thrilled to be able to bring not only well known characters into the show, but also obscure characters that you will love.

What has been the hardest thing about working on the show and bringing it to television so far?

Animation tends to take a long time because so much care is put into it. We take the time to make sure all the stories, art and performances are the best they can be. The hardest thing has been waiting so long for everyone to be able to see it.

The animation style is so unique, bright and colorful. How did that all come together for the show?

We have an amazing art department that is inspired by all kinds of art including pen and ink illustrations, famous New York artists like Andy Warhol and Basquiat and graffiti art. You put all that together and you have “Marvel’s Moon Girl And Devil Dinosaur.”

What makes Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur different from other kids shows airing and why should families be tuning in.

I feel that “Marvel’s Moon Girl And Devil Dinosaur” is special because it shows how one girl can make a difference. Lunella is one of the smartest characters in the Marvel universe and is a huge inspiration to everyone. The show is also funny and has an amazing music soundtrack that both kids and their parents will love. It’s Moon Girl Magic!

Thanks to Steve Loter!