INDIANAPOLIS — Based on a New York Times Best Seller...which is also based on a viral webcomic...which, in turn, is based on our unique world — welcome to "Strange Planet."
"My wife and I lived in a small apartment, and we were hiding all of our possessions before our friends came over for a party, and decided to make that comic," creator and cartoonist Nathan W. Pyle said. "I did one comic a day for 365 days straight, and that was a really fun and busy beginning to 'Strange Planet.'"
In "Strange Planet," blue beings — not aliens — inhabit a distant planet similar to Earth and explore everyday human traditions.
"The reason I don't say 'aliens' is that often brings with it a lot of connotations," Pyle said. "These beings are on their own planet. We, the viewers, are visiting them, and they happen to have a world that, in some ways, mirrors and looks a lot like ours."
The webcomic already has 6.6 million followers on Instagram, and the animated TV series is an opportunity to introduce the blue beings to a new audience.
"We worked really hard to make sure there were these storylines that will capture the viewers," Pyle said. "There's one episode that is a lot about sports, a lot about their game called 'footorb,' which is a lot like soccer on our planet, or fútbol in most of the world. It's a really fun example of how we get a little glimpse into how the beings interact with one another."
The voice cast includes Tunde Adebimpe (lead singer of TV on the Radio), Demi Adejuyigbe (co-host of "Gilmore Guys" podcast), Lori Tan Chinn ("Orange is the New Black"), Danny Pudi ("Community") and Hannah Einbinder ("Hacks").
"Hearing the voice and seeing the voices placed together, there's something magical when you hear the right voices together," Pyle said.
New episodes of "Strange Planet" are released Wednesdays on Apple TV+.