The EP and series creator shares the backstory and production challenges of his all-new, high-octane, elbow-dropping animated series, which follows a young girl who dreams of becoming the greatest professional wrestler of all time, now airing on Adult Swim’s Toonami block and Max.
Wrestling is not just a sport, or a way of life. It’s also a state of mind. And animated series writer Juston Gordon-Montgomery – known for his work on My Dad the Bounty Hunter and DC Superhero Girls – was determined to create a high-powered fight show that not only reflected the violently entertaining nature of wrestling, but also spoke to the mental and physical strain that comes from fighting for one’s dreams.
Adult Swim’s all-new 2D animated action-comedy series, Invincible Fight Girl, which premiered Saturday, November 2 during the network’s Toonami action/anime block, comes from executive producer Gordon-Montgomery and Cartoon Network Studios. The half-hour series is set in Wrestling World, a place where wrestling is as important to its citizens as the air they breathe. The series follows Andy (voiced by Sydney Mikayla), a young girl who dreams of becoming the greatest pro wrestler of all time.
Assuming the wrestler alias “Fight Girl,” Andy sets out into the bizarre and grueling realm of superkicks, elbow drops and takedowns, determined to make a name for herself.
Adult Swim recently released an early preview of “Andy’s Wrestling Roots” to give viewers a taste of what they’re in for with the series:
Sam Register (Teen Titans Go!) also serves as executive producer, with Bryan Newton acting as supervising producer. Invincible Fight Girl debuted this past Saturday on Adult Swim with two back-to-back episodes; a new episode will debut each Saturday starting this weekend. New episodes will also stream Sundays on Max.
AWN got the chance to talk with Gordon-Montgomery about the show’s origins, his long-time fascination with wrestling and the challenges he faced getting the show off the ground amidst industry ebbs and flows.
But first, check out the official trailer:
Victoria Davis: A young girl in an unforgiving Wrestling World – where did the idea for this story come from? How long had you been mulling over the idea before production got off the ground?
Juston Gordon-Montgomery: The idea dates as far back as 2016. That’s where the kernel originated. I was interested in telling a story that examined dreams, what it means for someone to embark on the process of following a dream, the ways in which that can change you and the ways it can be challenging.
VD: Why wrestling? Was this a sport that fascinated you, or that you had experience with yourself?
JGM: I’ve been a big fan of wrestling since I was a kid. So, the interest for me starts there. Beyond that, I was interested in all the ways you could examine something like wrestling and use it to talk about life and greater universal truths about our world.
VD: How did you, Sam and Bryan connect for this project?
JGM: I went to school with Bryan at Otis College of Art and Design back in 2014. We’d never had a chance to work with each other but had stayed in touch. When this project came up, I knew from many conversations we’d had that his sensibilities were perfect. Sam I’d met in passing working on a couple of Warner Bros. shows like DC Superhero Girls.
VD: How did you decide on the animation direction? What were the goals with the visuals?
JGM: We wanted to make something that felt stylistically distinct from what you might see in other western shows. The goal was to synthesize a lot of the ideas and production techniques that I and my team loved from shows that are created outside of the US – like Naruto – but with our own design sensibilities.
VD: Did you work with wrestling consultants on the series? How much research and studying went into getting these action scenes the way you wanted them?
JGM: The research was extensive. We didn’t have the luxury of being able to hire consultants, so much of our study was done between myself and our team. Luckily, a lot of us were already fans of wrestling, so it was a privilege to do a deep dive into understanding the specificities of the moves, choreography and their applications. One person on our crew was a pro wrestler who transitioned into being a designer full time.
VD: What were some of the most challenging scenes to get right?
JGM: Trying to get the most out of the action scenes while navigating production challenges and limitations was big. It took a lot of creativity, and planning, which was hard on the front end — but ultimately allowed us to execute some action scenes that looked pretty expensive, but in reality, were done on a very tight budget.
VD: What were some of those big production challenges?
JGM: The studio was going through a moment of turbulence— and it was definitely felt. Budget and schedule-wise it was pretty aggressive. It made it absolutely essential that we approached every decision with a mix of thoughtfulness and decisiveness.
VD: Do you have any favorite scenes in the series? I’m sure you love them all, but which ones stand out?
JGM: There are lots, but some of my personal favorites are in Episode 4. The whole fight for Andy is a puzzle, and there’s a moment where the answer clicks for her, and she applies it. The scenes of her doing that are pretty great.
VD: What are you most looking forward to with the release of Invincible Fight Girl?
JGM: Honestly, I’m just looking forward to the work being seen and people being able to appreciate the incredible work of the team who put it together.
VD: What do you hope fans take away from this series?
JGM: I hope it sparks some introspection for people and encourages them to examine their own dreams and passions. Most of all though, I hope people just enjoy it.