Madison Goetsch

STRUCTURE

Katie’s Monsters takes inspiration from graphic novels that explore the idea of growing up, such as Smile by Raina Telgemeier– but with an added fantasy element. As far as animation goes, it is most similar to Aladdin, in that a mystical creature is bound by a set of rules/a time limit. Whereas the genie can only be free if a selfless person were to use one of their three wishes on him, Ty can only be free if the right person with a true love for art comes across him-- before he runs out, since he is a pencil. 

This show would be loosely episodic, meaning that while each episode focuses on a different story, select plot-based elements would continue from episode to episode. These elements would include Katie’s growing relationships with others, Ty’s desire to become human again, Tina's attempts to steal Ty, and Katie’s journey of growing up. 

 The subplot of Ty turning back into a human would be the most plot-heavy aspect of the show, prevalent near the end of the series. Katie’s own growth throughout the series is necessary for her to discover how art can help her, and therefore plays right into Ty’s transformation. 

This show intends to explore themes of friendship, escapism, and change. Katie resists change, in both her move across the country and in growing up. The show will communicate that growing up doesn’t equate to a loss of creativity, and that stagnating doesn’t solve anything. Creativity is used as escapism, not only for Katie, but in several other characters. Though it takes different forms within each character, they all benefit from creative practice. For Katie, growing up as a creative helps solidify her sense of identity. It also helps her foster the friendships she spends the beginning of the series longing for. Through accepting change and developing her friendships and sense of creativity, Katie is able to thrive in her new life. 

CHARACTERS

Katie

Katie is an eleven-year-old girl with an obsessive fascination for monsters and science fiction. Back home in California, she was surrounded by the land of film, animation, and entertainment. Her interests and ramblings didn’t seem so crazy there, unlike boring old Michigan. It doesn’t help that in middle school, everyone seems to want to grow up already. Katie, though warm and friendly, constantly feels like she has to “tone it down”, and even then she struggles to connect with anyone around her. 

Katie hates growing up, and she hates Michigan. She just wants to cling onto the past– her life in California, her childhood, her real home. In order to escape these frustrations, she flings herself into drawings inspired by her sci-fi books. When she meets Ty, who can bring her imagination to life, art becomes her one true escape from her life that has been completely turned upside down. The issue is that her classmates and grandparents both disapprove of these monsters intruding upon their lives. Katie doesn’t mean to cause anyone harm. She simply wants to connect with people and her surroundings. 

What Katie didn’t foresee was her art guiding her in growing up. She didn’t realize that it was possible to move through life while retaining her wild, creative self– when she first moved, this town made it seem like she’d have to become a boring adult. Art has helped her in so many ways, from giving her a solid identity to serving as an escape to helping her meet Nadia. If anything, Katie should be trying to spread the message of how art has helped her, rather than looking down upon everyone for being so uncreative! 

Ty

Ty is a living, breathing, magic pencil in a world full of humans. That sounds mystical, but it’s honestly not an ideal situation– the only things he can really do for himself are talking and rolling. This situation really makes him long for his previous form as a human, where he could actually exercise free will. 

As a human, Ty was a burnt-out painter. Once upon a time, he was a child that loved art too. Rent and the bills made him forget this, and that’s why he wished upon a star to relinquish his responsibilities until he regained his motivation to continue. When he woke up as a pencil, he was horrified. Being able to do nothing for himself and only being seen as a utensil is some twisted type of psychological horror that Ty didn’t expect out of his wish. If anything, he’s glad he fell into the clutches of a wild child, rather than some mindless brat who definitely wouldn’t help him regain his passion for art. 

Ty initially finds himself acting as a mentor for Katie, but soon realizes that he can’t micromanage people (especially an adolescent). In fact, it was his constant need for control and perfection that ruined his passion for art. Letting go and trusting the process, both in art and in people, is what Ty truly needs. As he learns to trust Katie in her own social and emotional development, he sees how her own innate creativity has bettered her life. It reminds him of his own youth, when he could just draw for hours and hours and never get bored.

Grandpa

Grandpa Kingston runs the best corner sandwich shop in Nickel Hills. Though it’s usually only frequented by locals, Grandpa couldn’t care less. He’s just happy to be back in his childhood hometown, engaging in his culinary passions. Something about the simple joys in life, like cooking, give Grandpa a sense of purpose and light up his days. Because he has such a strong love for his work, Grandpa is a town treasure. 

Grandpa is a lovable dork who always works to uplift the people around him. He doesn’t always understand his grandkids, but the least he can do is listen, and pack them the best sandwiches for lunch. He’s always on a quest to enrich his life with new hobbies, many of which don’t stick. His shelves are full of abandoned foreign language workbooks, song lyrics, and toy designs. He’s always thankful that his wife’s organized nature balances his scatter-brainedness out. 

Though he can be a bit flighty and all over the place, Grandpa’s “joie de vivre” keeps things lively in the Kingston household. His attitude certainly sets a good example for Katie in the midst of her difficulty adjusting. 

Grandma

Grandma Kingston is a book critic with a keen eye for detail and precision. Her job has its perks, and she’s the one who introduced Katie to some of her current favorite novels. However, Grandma has a hard time shaking off her scrutinizing eye, and can be a bit of a helicopter grandparent at times. She’s constantly asking about homework and grades, even at inopportune moments. 

As a put-together lady, Grandma always dons a sleek updo, a precisely painted red lip, and a tailored in-season dress. She’s a fierce lady, but fierceness is what allowed her voice to be heard back in the day when women had a harder time breaking into the industry. Even though she may be a little intimidating, Grandma loves hard, and has the pictures in her wallet to prove it. She simply wants the best for her family. 

Grandma works many late nights, but she tries to be around as much as she can. She’s actively involved in the ongoings of Nickel Hills, and knows everything about everybody. They’re lucky she’s not much of a gossip, but Grandma will go wild if she hears anyone speak badly of Katie’s eccentric nature. 

Arlo

Arlo is Katie’s 15-year-old brother with a fierce love for the guitar and a dream to go on a world tour. In fact, he’s so determined to make this happen that he stopped going by his real name, Alex, in favor of the more artsy “Arlo”. Katie makes fun of him for this, but she just wouldn’t understand showbiz. 

Arlo has a bit of an easier time transitioning to life in Michigan. Band class has given him a group to fall in with, as well as an outlet for his interests. He quickly develops a crush on Nick, the dreamy trombonist. Katie makes fun of him for his little crush, too. She’s so annoying, and needs to stop offering to draw him a “romance monster”. 

Arlo’s secretly a tad sensitive, and thinks he does a good job of hiding this. Being a teenager, he finds himself dodging peer pressure from time to time, which makes him question his own place amongst his friends. He confides in Grandpa about his insecurities, because that guy's jolly attitude always helps. High school can be tough, but Arlo’s taking it one day at a time. 

Ginger

Meet the spunkiest orange cat in town! Ginger gets whatever she wants, whenever she wants. The Kingstons adopted her for Katie’s 6th birthday. And thank goodness, too– that shelter stunk, and the slobbery dogs were in too close of a proximity! The “King” in Kingston suits this fierce feline quite well. 

Ginger is supposed to be an indoor cat, but sometimes she’ll sneak out on an outdoor expedition if Grandma doesn’t close the door quickly enough. Because of this, the shopkeepers in town always keep an eye out for her (and give her a sample of food if she comes by). She’s known as the “town princess” for having everyone wrapped around her finger. Oh, but she really doesn’t appreciate when Katie’s monsters try to pet her. They’re creepy. 

Nadia 

Nadia became best friends with Katie over their shared love for cartoons and fantastical books. She’s a bit of a meek girl, which is why it took her a little while to approach Katie in the first place. Nadia carries around a novel wherever she goes, in the case of an awkward or uncomfortable situation. She’s known as the school nerd, which only pushes her further in her shell. Sometimes, she makes clumsy attempts to practice her makeup or hairstyles to appear more “grown up” to appeal to her peers. While she has fun with this, she needs to learn how to do it for herself and not the approval of others. 

Due to her insecurities, Nadia is a perfectionist in every sense. Writing is her outlet, and one day she wants to be an author. Everything she writes stays in her notebook, but she hopes to gain the courage to submit a piece to her school library’s writing contest at the end of the year.

Nick

Nick is Nadia’s older brother, and the first chair trombonist at Nickel Hills High School. He’s popular, not because he tramples on people, but because he’s genuinely well-liked. Though not the most booksmart, his social skills and pleasant personality have earned him the respect of many. Nick was raised to be helpful and kind to all. He gets along well with Nadia and tries to help her through her anxieties. All around, Nick is a swell guy. 

The new kid, Arlo, is really dedicated to band. Nick respects this, being obsessed with music himself. The two become friends over having similar music tastes. Sometimes he catches Arlo’s eye during class and sees something there, but he doesn’t want to make any assumptions…

Nick hopes to join the Detroit Symphony Orchestra after graduation. He spends many long nights at school practicing his scales and etudes, hoping to ace his audition in two years. It never hurts to be prepared! A nap could be useful, though. 

Tina

At first glance, Tina appears to be your stereotypical rude, overachieving teenage girl. She can be a bit short-tempered and has a hard time controlling her filter, but teachers look past it because she’s a perfect student otherwise. Maybe they’re a bit scared of her, too. If Tina didn’t get the grades she did, her parents would lecture her for hours. “School comes before anything” has been their mantra for as long as she can remember. They’re already going through a messy divorce, so the last thing Tina wants is more yelling. 

Tina is only allowed to express herself through athletics, because her parents know that school activities are considered valuable. Something about whipping a basketball across the court is strangely therapeutic, though. But the truth is, Tina envies how openly Katie can express her artistic side. When Tina’s alone in her room, she finds herself drawing to cope with her living situation, too. She keeps her secret sketchbook hidden under the mattress, and anyone who discovers it will be subject to her wrath. 

Being able to express creativity openly isn’t the only thing Tina envies about Katie, though– she’s also jealous that Katie has Ty. Tina wants nothing more than to draw herself a world full of flowers, peace, and puppies. She doesn’t care if that’s not what the stupid pencil wants to draw. He’s only a pencil, for crying out loud! Tina is determined to snatch Ty up, no matter what it takes. 

KEY LOCATIONS

The Kingston House

A typical cream-colored two-story suburban house on a cul-de-sac may not connote anything special, but luckily Grandpa’s love for arbitrary decor spices things up a bit. Halloween decorations sprinkle the lawn in April, and Christmas begins in September, solely to confuse the neighbors.  

Inside, Grandma has a bit more control over the decor. She’s a fan of sage green, light pink, and white. This color scheme makes up much of the house in a modern, classy fashion. The baseboards and banisters are without a singular dent. The only chaotic places in the house are Katie and Arlo’s rooms, which are overflowing with sci-fi novels and music albums, respectively. 

Katie’s room dons lavender walls, white bookshelves, a large circular mint green rug, and a canopy bed decorated with fairy lights. Arlo’s room is lined with band posters on its muted blue walls, complete with a special corner for his guitar.  

Nickel Hills Middle School

Picture a standard lineup of dull red lockers framed by fluorescent lighting and white concrete walls, and you’re good to go. Uplifting posters line the walls in an attempt to add some pizzazz, but who even likes those, anyway? Around 1,000 students attend this school, and most have found some sort of clique to fall into. All in all, it’s a snoozefest wrapped in a brick exterior. 

The curriculum follows an unsaid “do what you’re told” approach, and the tired faces of the students reflect this. Each classroom has the same setup: four rows of six desks, one window, one whiteboard, one teacher’s desk, four cabinets. Everything is monotonous. 

Nickel Hills

A middle-class, mid-sized town where everything is simply average. The downtown boasts a selection of restaurants and shops, but is counteracted by repetitive mattress stores and boring old offices. Neighborhoods are evenly spaced out and arranged into neat cul-de-sacs. The neighbors mainly keep to themselves, except for the occasional “hello”. It could be worse, but the closest thing to excitement around here is in Detroit, which is a two hour drive away. 

TYPICAL EPISODE BREAKDOWN

Each episode features a challenge in Katie’s new life that she has to overcome. Early in the show, Katie relies heavily on Ty’s powers, despite his objections. Katie’s animated monster drawings seem to have an agenda of their own, and things often don’t go according to plan, leaving Katie to clean up after their mess while learning a valuable lesson along the way. 

Later in the series, Katie realizes that some issues are better solved with her vivid imagination, and others with a more grounded approach. Upon these realizations, she is better able to control Ty’s powers, and her creativity helps her and others with greater success.

SAMPLE EPISODES

1. Pilot: Welcome to Nickel Hills

After her disastrous first day at Nickel Hills Middle School, Katie Kingston stumbles across a magic pencil that brings her drawings to life. With her brand new powers, Katie draws a group of monster friends to keep her company for every part of her day– which has unintended adverse effects on her peers. 

2.  Least Valuable Player

Katie decides to try out for her school’s basketball team with the help of her “monster shoes” that grant her superhuman speed and jump height. After finding herself unable to control these powers, Katie has to clean up the havoc she has wreaked on both the gym and her newfound enemy, Tina.

3. Save the Pencil

 Katie needs a math monster to finish her homework, but accidentally leaves Ty in the clutches of Ginger, who’s gone on an outdoor adventure again. Without Ty’s magic powers, Katie is left to her own devices to track Ginger down before her assignment is due. 

4. Things Change

Grandma has the opportunity to fly out to California for a book review and invites Katie and Arlo along to revisit their hometown. When Katie discovers that her old friends have made a new friend, she finds herself drawing a malicious monster out of jealousy. 

5. Nadia, the Hidden Ally

 Still recouping from her visit to California, Katie returns to Nickel Hills and draws a snugglebunny monster to comfort her at school. The monster ends up comforting other students, including a timid girl named Nadia, who finds common ground with Katie. 

CREATOR CREDIT

Like Katie, I grew up obsessively doodling and writing stories. Though I never made a big move across the country (or any move, aside from college), I heavily relate to Katie’s resistance to change and struggle to outwardly connect with people. I didn’t want to grow up, so turning to art and writing to materialize my imagination became a method to reattach myself to my childhood. For both of us, art is a solace and an escape. And, like Katie, creativity was an essential part of my own growing up. 

Even though creativity is vital to people, society tends to devalue its worth, especially when it manifests in the form of visual arts. Unsupportive parents may even call art “a waste of time”, or push other activities onto children. For those going through a massive life change like Katie, or having any other sort of personal struggle (which are all too common in middle school), creativity can be a huge asset for emotional expression. To downplay its benefits is a disservice to those who need it the most. The format of animation would bring Katie’s own art to life, highlighting the message about art's value in adolescence.

I wanted to depict a character like Katie who struggles with both change and growing up, because children are often completely out of control when it comes to such situations. Katie’s own journey with maturing whilst remaining her creative, imaginative self should serve as an inspiration and reminder for people that art can be a valuable coping mechanism in times of struggle.