‘Talon And The Champions Of Saurithia,’ An Indie 2D Fantasy Where Dinosaurs Are The Heroes

In most animated adventures, dinosaurs are monsters, obstacles, or highly anthropomorphized characters that will create childhood trauma that lasts for decades (RIP Littlefoot’s mom). Heather Parra wanted them to be the heroes.

That’s the foundation on which Talon and the Champions of Saurithia, Parra’s independent 2D sci-fi/fantasy series about dinosaurs who wield elemental powers known as Auras, was built. Produced through Lunar Dragon Entertainment, the project combines the prehistoric perspective of The Land Before Time with the expansive fantasy mythology of Avatar: The Last Airbender and the action of anime series such as Dragon Ball Z.

Since its launch, the pilot has surpassed 1.7 million YouTube views. But Parra’s idea took several forms before reaching that audience.

Finding The Right Form

“I always knew I wanted to tell a story about dinosaurs, but I struggled to find a way to make it stand out,” Parra said. “Should I turn it into a novel? A comic book? A movie? A series? Fun fact: I tried all these formats.”

The earliest version was the opening chapter of a novel, with aliens already embedded in its mythology. Parra cites “Szcar’s Trial,” a short story about a female velociraptor selected by a mysterious floating orb for a series of tests, and Robert T. Bakker’s novel Raptor Red as early influences.

“Both inspired the minimal dialogue and the depiction of daily dinosaur life that you can see more of in Episode 2 and future episodes through Razer’s — Talon’s sister — point of view,” she explained.

Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal ultimately convinced Parra to pursue animation, although its arrival also encouraged her to take the material in a different tonal direction.

“I almost went in a more violent direction,” she said. “But since Primal is pretty fresh in everyone’s minds, I figured a family-friendly direction like The Land Before Time, set in the Cretaceous, would be the best option.”

Parra introduced fantasy elements inspired by Avatar to further distinguish the project. What began as a feature continued expanding until, she said, “the characters, story, and world kept growing, and a series became the inevitable outcome.”

Giving Dinosaurs The Lead

Parra believes the pilot connected with viewers because it combines recognizable influences in a type of family-oriented fantasy that has become less common.

“It’s the nostalgia of combining two beloved stories, The Land Before Time and Avatar: The Last Airbender, into an epic fossil fantasy the entire family can enjoy,” she said. “We don’t get these too often nowadays, with most epic fantasy animation leaning heavily into the adult comedy genre.”

Just as importantly, its dinosaurs are characters rather than creatures orbiting a human cast.

“Typically, they are cast as monsters or creatures to be tamed, taking a back seat to their human castmates,” Parra said.

The team developed the designs to satisfy animation fans and dinosaur enthusiasts alike. “I went for a semi-realistic look to get a nice balance of up-to-date structures while keeping the cartoon feel that helps bring the emotions to life in a way live action can’t,” she explained.

Learning From Industry Veterans

Former Cartoon Network Studios executives Brian A. Miller and Jennifer Pelphrey are serving as executive producers. Parra credits them with helping her turn a personal project into a functioning animated production.

“They helped expand the team into what it is today,” she said. “They’ve also helped guide me, an animation newbie with no experience in the animation industry, but a passion and determination to learn how it works and see my project come to life.”

The production team includes South Korean studio Sunmin Image Pictures, which has credits on Amphibia, Ben 10, and Infinity Train. Casting and voice director G.K. Bowes assembled a cast that includes Valeria Rodriguez as Talon, Misty Lee as Razer and Droma, and Dee Bradley Baker as Luck.

“With Brian’s help, she was able to bring a real heavy hitter, Dee Bradley Baker, on board,” Parra said.

Expanding Saurithia

The next chapter will shift toward worldbuilding, Aura techniques, and anime-influenced action. It will also introduce competition for the title of Fire Champion.

“I decided that each new member of the Champion Pack had to prove their mettle before they could join the team,” Parra said. “This is where the Trials come in, and four contenders wielding the same Aura must spar not only with the respective Aura’s Master, but also each other for the title of Champion.”

Parra’s long-term preference is to keep Talon independent and support a full first season through crowdfunding, potentially followed by a theatrical season finale that could help finance another season. She envisions four seasons in total, although she is not ruling out a more traditional distributor.

“Animation is expensive, and money is tight for a lot of people,” she acknowledged. “At this point, I might be willing, with the right contract, to go the streaming route.”