Wednesday, October 28, 2026

'HexVets & Magic Pets' to Premiere on Nick Jr. Global on December 7

Nickelodeon International will premiere HexVets & Magic Pets, Nickelodeon's brand new animated preschool series based on the eponymous BOOM! Studios graphic novels by Sam Davies, across Nick Jr. Global's international pan-regional feeds on Monday 7th December 2026.

HexVets & Magic Pets

HexVets and Magic Pets is a CG and 2D-hybrid adventure-comedy series follows two unlikely best friends as they navigate life's weird and wacky challenges, while apprenticing to be magical veterinarians for fantastical creatures.

Nickelodeon is bringing the magical world of Willows Whisper to life with HexVets and Magic Pets.

In HexVets and Magic Pets, kid witches Annette and Clarion are thrilled to become HexVet apprentices to the kind, clever, and sometimes cheeky Dr. Talon. At her clinic, they learn how to heal and care for 
magical creatures while picking up some important social-emotional lessons themselves.

Annette and Clarion are unlikely friends that couldn’t be more different - she’s all drive and he leads with his heart - but through their comical adventures, they find they’re stronger together.

Part magical procedural, part creature comedy, and all heart, HexVets and Magic Pets is a series about persisting after failure, celebrating differences, and bringing all the magic you can into the world.

Per the show's official logline:

Annette and Clarion's adventures begin as HexVet apprentices. In their first year, the two young witches will become best friends, find their familiars, and earn their own wands-all while learning to care for magical creatures!

HexVets and Magic Pets

HexVets & Magic Pets Season One Episode Guide:

Witches In Training, Part 1: Annette and Clarion believe their dreams are coming true when they're invited to become HexVet apprentices to Dr. Talon... Until they discover they're in competition for the job.  (#101)

Since the moment Annette Artifice and Clarion Wellspring saw Dr. Talon save a unicorn from Twisted Magic poisoning, they've dreamed of becoming HexVets. So they couldn't be more excited to start their first day as apprentices at the HexVet Clinic. But things get off to a rocky start when Dr. Talon tells Annette and Clarion they're in competition for the job! Both young witches want to be HexVets more than anything, so Annette showcases her creature knowledge while Clarion reveals his talent for befriending animals. But when their first solo checkup with a hiccupping flaphund causes everyone in the Clinic to magically float into the air, their dreams of becoming HexVets are cut short.

Witches In Training, Part 2: Annette and Clarion believe their dream of becoming HexVets is over until a creature in need inspires them to work together and prove they're both ready for the job. (#102)

Annette and Clarion believe their dream of becoming HexVets is over until a creature in need inspires them to work together and prove they're both ready for the job. After messing up their first solo checkup as HexVet apprentices, Annette and Clarion go home feeling defeated. But when a chance to rescue creatures from a ferocious Moon Drake arises, they know it's up to them to save the day. Determined to protect animals no matter what, Annette and Clarion rush to the drake's cave and draw on their different strengths to save all the creatures-including the Moon Drake, who turns out to be in danger too. Impressed, Dr. Talon awards them special sigils for their bravery. Then, noting what a great team they are, she invites Annette and Clarion to become her HexVet apprentices...Together!

Horning In / Ears to You: When Dr. Talon almost makes a mistake, the trainees go to any length to prevent it, except telling her. // Clarion's troubles help Annette find a solution for him and a patient. (#103)

Dr. Talon teaches Annette and Clarion how to mend a unicorn patient's broken horn: by giving her a magical prosthesis. But when Dr. Talon suggests attaching a deer antler, the trainees realize she might be about to make a huge mistake! Determined to prevent it-but too afraid to tell their hero she's wrong, Nan and Clarion attempt to distract Dr. Talon from attaching incorrect horns. Eventually, they realize they must tell Dr. Talon she's wrong before it's too late and learn the importance of speaking up. // When Cuddles the flaphund is no longer listening to anything, Annette is tasked with finding out why. Meanwhile, Clarion helps Nurse Ariel with chores, but he runs into trouble when he misreads Ariel's task list! As Annette struggles to find anything wrong with Cuddles, Clarion accidentally messes up everything. Discouraged, Clarion admits to Annette that he has dyslexia and couldn't read Ariel's list.

Mile In My Paws / A Whale of a Time: Transformed into a fox, Annette gets a new perspective on the animals in her care. // On their first Flying Surgery case, the trainees clean skywhale teeth from inside their mouths! (#104)

When Annette is too focused on studying for a test, she ignores her patients' needs. Distracted, she accidentally activates a charm, transforming herself into a fox! Now a creature, Nan speaks to the animals she neglected and apologizes, promising to listen better. But first, she needs to change back into a witch. The animals are happy to help her and, once back as a HexVet, Annette tells Dr. Talon what she's learned: to always be a voice for voiceless creatures. // On a case in the Flying Surgery, the trainees clean skywhale teeth from inside their mouths! Along the way, Nurse Ariel finds out that Clarion's parents are the singers of his favorite band and starts asking fan questions. This makes Clarion uncomfortable and distracts from their mission, causing a skywhale to swallow Dr. Talon! As the trainees give chase, Ariel won't stop questioning Clarion until he has an emotional outburst.

Senior Surprises / Elephant in the Room: When Grandfather Wellspring helps at the Rescue Fair, he teaches the trainees that creatures of all ages have something to offer. // Annette and Clarion solve a mini-mammoth mystery. (#105)

At the Clinic's Rescue Fair, Clarion hopes he'll find his familiar, and Annette is excited to help senior creatures find homes. Meanwhile, Nurse Ariel is upset that Grandfather Wellspring has volunteered to help and is receiving praise from Dr. Talon that Ariel believes he deserves. But witches are only interested in rescuing baby creatures and accidentally take home vampire bunnies that will soon be biting anything in fang's reach! Thankfully, Grandfather Wellspring rounds up the bunnies and reminds everyone that creatures - and witches - of all ages have something to offer! // When Dr. Talon is away from the Clinic, Nurse Ariel becomes overwhelmed with frustrated patients, but Nan and Clarion are too busy caring for a needy mini-mammoth to help. The curious mammoth won't stop appearing with more maladies to solve. As they give him his third checkup, they realize he only wants care and attention-just like Ariel's cranky patients!

Winging It / The Golden Wool: To help a Pegasus, Annette and Clarion must think outside the book. // When Clarion earns a grooming sigil Annette doesn't, she tries to earn it by focusing on speed instead of care. (#106)

The HexVets visit the wild Pegasi to treat them before they migrate. But when a colt refuses to land due to hoof pain, Dr. Talon tasks the kids with healing him before the Pegasi take off. Annette and Clarion refer to their HexVet hoof-book, but when following the instructions fails, the colt escapes into the sky. Panicked, the trainees forget their book and think on the fly, donning winged-backpacks and taking off after the colt! To their surprise, he loves the chase and lets Nan and Clarion treat his hooves just in time for the migration. // Annette is stunned when Clarion receives his "Care in Grooming" sigil, but she doesn't. Determined to earn hers fast, her big chance arrives: sheep shearing for Farmer Widdershins. But Annette's speedy shearing stresses out the sheep and turns their golden wool grey, destroying all the magic at the farm. With encouragement from Dr. Talon, Annette tries again. This time she takes care in grooming and it's a success.

Snug As A Bug / Friendship Faux Paw: Emilios causes trouble all day, and Annette only realizes why after he helps solve a case. // Annette is determined to solve a creature mystery to earn the town's friendship. (#107)

Emilios is more trouble than usual as Clarion and Annette visit the bakery where Chef Witch Fourneaux claims he has pests. The HexVets can't find any, but Emilios sniffs out two lizards. Then Emilios helps again by warming them up and revealing they're rare kitchen snugs! Annette realizes that if her griffin has a job to do, he becomes constructive instead of destructive. Much like the kitchen snugs who just want to help warm the bakery! // Tired of everyone thinking her family is wacky, Annette wants to change herself to be more likeable. Then reports of a mysterious creature give her an idea: if she finds it, the town will love her! But in her rush to find it, she ends up freezing everyone with one of her family's faulty charms. Now no one will like her! That's when Annette meets the mystery creature: a Catmeleon that can change into any form. Which is exactly what it's been doing in hopes of finding friends.

Frog Day Afternoon / Hare There and Everywhere: A giant bullfrog stampede teaches the ever-helpful Clarion an important lesson. // Annette and Clarion use their five senses to track down a disappearing patient. (#108)

When Clarion skips breakfast to do favors for others, his lack of focus causes him to make mistakes, including accidentally starting a giant bullfrog stampede. Clarion only grows more frustrated as he answers various witches' requests to help clean up the damage, until he's so exhausted and overwhelmed, he can't even use magic. Thankfully, Dr. Talon and Annette are there to remind Clarion that to give others his best, he must first take care of himself. // After Nurse Ariel tasks Annette and Clarion with treating a patient for its cold, the trainees are confused to find an empty crate. But then a loud SNEEZE is followed by the appearance of a jackalope! With every sneeze it disappears or reappears, allowing the bouncy creature to soon escape the clinic and take off into town. Annette and Clarion go in search of their occasionally invisible patient with only their five senses to rely on. They work together to find and follow the jackalope's trail.

Talon Show / Tipping The Scales: At the Familiar Talent Show, Annette and Clarion learn to put competition aside for friendship. // Annette uses a patient's lucky magic to help her family impress everyone in town. (#109)

At the Familiar Talent Show, competition is at an all-time high. In fact, when Annette is asked to help Witch Flambé with Cuddles, and Clarion volunteers to assist Witch Starkweather with Pole, the two trainees find themselves putting their friendship aside in favor of winning. When it's revealed that someone is cheating, Clarion blames Annette until Emilios helps her discover the real culprit. Glad to no longer be feuding, the trainees realize winning will never be more important than their friendship. // When Annette finds a Pangolin patient's discarded lucky scales, she takes a few, in the hopes that a little luck will help her family be cool for once. And it does! Soon the whole town loves the Artifice family! However, the Pangolin has become sicker and needs its lucky scales back to heal. Knowing what she needs to do, Nan asks her family to return the scales and to her surprise, they're happy to! They'd never do anything to harm a creature. Annette realizes how proud she is to be an Artifice!

Catnapped, Part 1 / Catnapped, Part 2: Caemwyn, an evil witch from Dr. Talon's past, returns to steal Diana. Only by trusting each other can Annette and Clarion defeat Caemwyn, rescue Diana, and defend the clinic. (#110)

After a possessed unicorn tries to steal Diana, Dr. Talon leads Annette and Clarion after the creature and heals it. But Dr. Talon is still concerned. She recognizes this as evil witch Caemwyn's magic! Dr. Talon goes in search of Caemwyn while the trainees take Diana back to the Clinic. There, they meet a mysterious witch who says she needs HexVet care for her lizard. Annette is suspicious while Clarion is happy to help. But then Aisla takes the trainees to Dr. Talon's office where she reveals the witch is Caemwyn! Nurse Ariel goes wand to wand in magic battle with the evil witch, but she escapes with Diana! It's up to Annette and Clarion to save the cat. But because they've lost trust in each other, they make mistakes and end up captured by the evil witch themselves. Dr. Talon comes to their rescue only for Caemwyn to turn her to stone! The pressure on, the trainees realize their mistakes and reestablish their trust. Together, they return to the clinic where they help Dr. Talon defeat Caemwyn... for now.

Handle with Bear / Creature Catchers: Annette's baby brother El teaches everyone a lesson when he visits the Clinic. // The HexVets must save Emilios from a wicked new foe: the Creature Catchers. (#111)

When Annette's baby brother El comes to the Clinic, Dr. Talon tasks the trainees and El with a patient they all can help: a giant but gentle bearibou, who has been sad since she came in. The trainees get to work but can't figure out what's wrong. To make matters worse, El causes chaos and tries to hug the fearsome bearibou at every turn! But when he and the bearibou both go missing, Nan and Clarion realize El had the right idea all along: the sad bearibou misses her cubs and just wanted some love! // When grumpy Witch Starkweather hires the nefarious Creature Catchers to remove the flying guinea pigs that have taken over his farm, the HexVets are on the case. The Catchers won't be kind to the guineas, so Dr. Talon asks the trainees to help find the creatures a new home instead. But there are so many guineas to round up, they take ill-advised shortcuts. Things worsen as the Catchers try to capture Emilios. To save him, the trainees realize they need to stop using the fast and easy route and take their time.

A Mammoth Job / Follow The Herd: The trainees help Postal Witch Carryall and his mini-mammoth familiar pass the Pointy Hat test. // Ariel learns to stand up to his parents while helping his family's unicorn herd. (#112)

Postal Witch Carryall's clumsy Familiar Alfil can't deliver packages without dancing which is NOT allowed during the very important Pointy Hat test! Annette and Clarion help Alfil practice, but each time he tries without dancing, he crashes. At the test, Alfil and Carryall lose all hope of passing, until a creature magically causes everyone to dance! Now Alfil and Carryall can't help but dance as they expertly deliver a cure to the creature, saving the town, and earning a Pointy Hat their own way! // Nurse Ariel's parents order him to deal with a "problem" in their unicorn herd: a silly, trash-eating bird named Billy. However, when Ariel and the trainees arrive, they find the unicorns love Billy, and he loves them. Annoyed, Ariel's parents call in the Creature Catchers, but Nan and Clarion distract them while Ariel stands up to his parents and convinces them that letting Billy stay is what's best for their unicorns. Seeing Billy find a family where he belongs, Ariel realizes he's found one too.

Newt Kid On The Block / Hissy Fit: The trainees help their friend Ferris overcome her fear of failure. // Clarion and Annette learn the importance of a Guardian and Familiar bond after Clarion visits a Familiar Finder. (#113)

Annette and Clarion's friend Ferris won't choose a job because she's scared she'll fail. And she believes her glow-newt familiar Boo is scared, too, because she hasn't cocooned yet. But when Boo suddenly does cocoon, Annette encourages Ferris to make a choice and simply refuse to fail. Ferris agrees and decides to become a HexVet, only to make mistakes and fail spectacularly. Then, Boo transforms, only to realize she doesn't like her new look, so she cocoons again to try a different one. Seeing this, Annette, Clarion, and Ferris realize that it's not a failure if you learn from it! // Ready to finally find his Familiar, Clarion visits the Familiar Finder who pairs Clarion with a rainbow viper. It quickly becomes apparent that they aren't the match they'd hoped to be, and this makes Annette wonder about her own bond with Emilios. So, when Clarion returns the viper, knowing they both deserve to wait for their perfect match, Annette decides Emilios has been her perfect match all along.

Roc Star / Just Squidding: Clarion must choose between going on tour with his parents and being a HexVet. // Annette and Clarion solve a giant underwater mystery and learn about preventative creature care. (#114)

When Clarion's rockstar parents come to town for a concert, they ask Clarion to join them on tour to take care of their new bandmate Rocky, a magical bird. Clarion is thrilled but Annette is saddened by the idea of her best friend leaving. As the trainees help prepare for the concert, all the bright lights give Rocky stage fright! Clarion comes up with a clever way to help her and realizes what he really wants is to stay as a HexVet, not go on tour. His parents support him, celebrating that everyone has their own path. // When Dr. Talon takes the trainees on an underwater case to collect trash, Annette and Clarion are surprised that she calls it HexVet work. Later, excited to return to helping creatures, they see a giant squid about to eat a bunnyfish! The trainees save the fish, only to realize it has a rash and the squid was just trying to help it. Then they find the cause: trash in the fish's home. They clean up, now understanding what Dr. Talon meant.

Waiting In The Wing / Catbat Witch: When Emilios hurts his wing, Annette feels responsible, and the trainees go on a journey to help. // Clarion finds a mysterious mask that turns him into the superhero Catbat Witch! (#115)

When Emilios breaks a wing, Dr. Talon determines all he needs is rest, but Annette is worried and desperate to help! So, Dr. Talon sends the trainees to find ingredients for a healing potion. But they take ages to get, and Nan's patience wears thin until she bursts into tears. Clarion comforts her and reminds Nan patience is just what Emilios needs. Returning to the Clinic with the ingredients, Dr. Talon surprises them by making a potion for a sick sloth, not Emilios. And that's because, with the trainees away, he got the rest he needed and is healed! // When Clarion finds a mysterious mask that makes him as agile as cat and more confident than ever, he becomes Catbat Witch! Clarion leaps, flips, and glides around town to save creatures from danger, and Annette is shocked to discover the masked hero is Clarion! But when a baby skywhale needs help and Clarion doesn't have his mask, he's afraid he can't save the creature. With some encouragement from Nan, Clarion learns he doesn't need superpowers.

The Ice Phoenix / A Winter's Tail: Clarion and Annette learn the joy of giving while helping Dr. Talon with a special patient. // Snowed in at the Clinic on a holiday, the trainees help Ariel celebrate new traditions. (#116)

On a snow-less Snowfall Solstice, Clarion and Annette are focused on the gifts they received until Dr. Talon introduces a patient: the elemental ice phoenix who usually brings the gift of snow. Only this year, witches have taken so many crystals from her icy cave that she's too hot to make snow. To help her, the trainees collect crystals from town and even give up their own presents, healing their patient and returning snow to Snowfall Solstice! // It's Nurse Ariel and Festy's favorite holiday: Cozy Night! So, when they're stuck snowed in at the Clinic with Clarion and Annette, the trainees try to recreate Ariel's traditions - with terrible results. Everyone is relieved to find the cause of the snow: a sleeping frost fox. Waking the fox, the snow melts for a moment, but only Annette and Clarion get free. Ariel and Festy are sure their holiday is over, until the trainees and their families return to bring Cozy Night to them. Ariel realizes being with those he cares about is what makes the holiday great.

When Pigs Fly / Familiar Territory: The HexVets help an air collie and guinea pig discover the power of friendship. // Annette and Clarion transform into creatures and go undercover to stop the Creature Catchers. (#117)

When Dr. Talon diagnosis Farmer Widdershins' air collie, Bucky, with blindness, Clarion and Annette are determined to help him return to herding sky sheep. But they struggle until they meet a butterfly-winged guinea pig who is facing a challenge of its own: it's unable to fly! When the guinea's shriek saves Bucky from crashing, the trainees realize this unlikely friendship is the solution to both of their patients' problems. With the air collie flying and guinea guiding, they're able to round up the sky sheep and save the day! // Cuddles the flaphund is missing, but Nurse Ariel insists he doesn't need help from trainees and searches on his own. Meanwhile, Annette and Clarion are determined to prove the Creature Catchers are behind Familiars disappearing, especially when Ariel and Festy go missing! Using charms, the trainees transform into creatures and purposely get caught by the Catchers so they can save Ariel, Festy, and the other Familiars.

Blink Of An Aisla / Wand Day At A Time: Chaos unfolds at the clinic when the trainees accidentally zap Aisla with a Silly Spell. // The trainees misuse their new wands and run out of magic when they need it most. (#118)

When Dr. Talon lets Annette and Clarion use her HexVet Wand, they accidentally zap Aisla with a Silly Spell! Worried they'll never get their own wands if Dr. Talon finds out they made a mistake, the trainees try to cure Aisla themselves. But with each zap, Aisla causes more silly chaos! Finally, the trainees own up to their mistake so Dr. Talon can help them solve it. To their surprise, Dr. Talon returns Aisla to normal and awards them their wands for learning to admit their mistakes. // Clarion and Annette are thrilled to have earned their own wands! But when they run into Myra, another young witch, she invites herself to their sleepover party where she convinces the trainees to use their wands for fun even though they know they shouldn't. Eventually, Nan and Clarion's wands are completely out of magic, right when Myra's Familiar needs their HexVet help. They do all they can without magic but the next day, they take Myra's familiar to the Clinic for healing, and promise to be more responsible.

Into the Woods / All Creatures Great and Small: Annette and Clarion team up with a Wildlife Warlock apprentice to solve a special case. // Thaddeus asks the Hexvets for help, but Annette thinks she's too small for the BIG problem. (#119)

The trainees are excited for a case in the Wyrd Woods until Dr. Talon introduces them to Wildlife Warlock apprentice Thaddeus Glenn. Thaddeus is thrilled to work with the HexVets, but Annette and Clarion aren't so sure: they do things very differently. However, when Emilios is in trouble, it's only by teaming up with Thaddeus that they're able to save him, and Annette and Clarion realize they're all stronger when they work together. // After a failed creature rescue due to her size, Annette wonders if she's too small to be a HexVet. That's when Thaddeus asks for help with some crystal-tooth tigers who are scared of the bunnies living in their clearing. Annette is determined to find a big solution to this big problem but when none of her ideas work, she's convinced she's too small to help the tigers too. Then Nan watches Grandfather Wellspring help a bird with a simple, small solution and realizes she can do the same to help the tigers. Her idea works and Dr. Talon congratulates her.

The Return of Caemwyn / Out Of The Shadows: When Caemwyn returns to take over the HexVet Clinic and steal its magic, Clarion and Annette must rely on their inner strength and all they've learned from Dr. Talon to stop her. (#120)

As Annette and Clarion celebrate how much magic they've learned, Dr. Talon kindly reminds them it's not magic that makes them special, but who they are. The moment is interrupted when Thaddeus arrives with news: a baby bugbear has escaped the magically opened Shadowsphere realm. Dr. Talon and Ariel go inside to investigate when evil Witch Caemwyn appears and traps them! She takes over the clinic, draining its power, sending creatures to the Shadowsphere, and stealing all of Annette and Clarion's magic. Clarion and the baby bugbear go seek Dr. Talon in the Shadowsphere while Nan works on a plan to stop Caemwyn. With her family and the town's help, she steals Caemwyn's magic staff and releases Dr. Talon, Ariel, Clarion, and the creatures from the Shadowsphere. But Annette and Clarion still must face off with Caemwyn, ultimately defeating her without any magic, but by just being themselves. Clarion takes Buggy as his Familiar and our heroes return to the Clinic, where the townswitches restore its magic.

The cast of HexVets and Magic Pets includes Anya McChristie as Annette, Seyan Patel as Clarion, David Cumming as Nurse Ariel, Jaimi Barbakoff as Bonnie / Saoirse, Lucy Montgomery as Aisla, Olivia Chappell as Diana (Speaking), Richard Overall as Laird / Emilios, Ayesha Antoine as Nessie, Steffan Cennydd as Cedric, Stephen Grief as Witch Starkweather, Annie Wight as Myra, James Bradwell as Oswell, Paul Chahidi as Postal Witch Carryall, Jacob Humphreys as Teddy, Stanly Brass as El, Raj Ghatak as Grandfather Wellspring, Maggie Ollerenshaw as Eulalia, and Fenella Fudge, Jim Johnson and Jimmy Almeida O'Brien as the voices of various Creatures.


The series is animated by Blue Zoo Animation, with the show's opening titles produced by Blue Zoo Animation and Skipper Creative Services, Inc.

The series premiere episode, "Witches in Training Part 1," is dedicated to the memory of actor and voice actor Stephen Greif.

HexVets & Magic Pets is locally titled BosziDokik és Varázskedvencek in Hungary, Vrăjivet și Făpturet in Romania, CzarWeci i magiczne zwierzęta in Poland, Les véto-sorciers et les animaux magiques in France, and HexVets & die magischen Tiere in Germany, Switzerland and Austria.

First announced during Nickelodeon Upfront in March 2022 under the working title HexVet, Nickelodeon has picked up HexVets and Magic Pets for an initial 20 30-minute episodes.

'HexVets and Magic Pets' logo

The series made its global debut on ABC Kids in Australia on Saturday, June 27.At the time of posting, it's currently unknown when the series will debut on Nickelodeon channels in the USA and other Nickelodeon-branded channels internationally, however, Paramount plans launch the series in 2026.

Paramount Consumer Products will lead consumer products cross-category licensing worldwide for the HexVet property. The series is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.

“The high-stakes adventures, wild antics and heartfelt camaraderie Nan and Clarion have in the HexVet graphic novels are all great qualities we look for in an animated series,” said Ramsey Naito, who was serving as President, Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon Animation when the show was first announced. “It’s incredibly exciting to expand the HexVet world with an original series that will deepen the connection young readers have with the novels and capture the imagination of new fans of all ages.”

“The vibrant world of HexVet gives our creative team an incredible opportunity to translate the enchantment of the series into products across multiple categories,” said Pam Kaufman, President, Paramount Consumer Products. “We strategically approach each new IP in a unique way and look forward to developing items that highlight the show’s core themes of magic, teamwork and compassion for animals, allowing kids to continue their adventures with Nan and Clarion.”

As HexVets in training, Nan and Clarion are ready to tackle medical maladies in beasts magical or mundane, find their familiars, and earn their wands and pointy hats--all while dodging covens of animal smugglers and dragons with heartburn. Under the tutelage of the talented Dr. Talon, these young HexVets in training will learn how to cure any animal, from a pygmy phoenix with bird flu to a unicorn with a broken horn.

HexVet is an all-ages original graphic novels series written by beloved cartoonist Sam Davies and published by BOOM! Studios through their award-winning KaBOOM! imprint, home to R.L. Stine’s Just Beyond and more. The graphic novel series debuted in 2018 with HexVet: Witches-in-Training to much critical acclaim, then released the second book, HexVet: The Flying Surgery, in 2019. HexVet was a Scholastic Book Fair selection in 2019, and has since sold over 60,000 copies and is distributed internationally in over 132 countries. BOOM! Studios is slated to release additional volumes in the series.

HexVets and Magic Pets is developed for television by Nicole Dubuc (My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, The Rocketeer), who also serves as showrunner and executive producer. Frank Molieri (Transformers: Rescue Bots, The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie) serves as co-executive producer and Kendall Michele Haney as story editor. The series is also executive produced by Stephen Christy (Just Beyond) and Ross Richie (2 Guns), with Mette Norkjaer serving as co-producer, for BOOM! Studios. Production of HexVet for Nickelodeon Animation is overseen by Eryk Casemiro, Executive Vice President, Nickelodeon Animation, Global Series Content. Kate Crownover serves as Nickelodeon’s Executive in Charge of Production for the series.

'HexVets and Magic Pets' art

'HexVets & Magic Pets' Key Art/Poster

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Originally published: October 28, 2026.

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IDW Previews 'TMNT' #24, 'Shredder' #17

Gene Luen Yang’s run on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ends with issue #24, arriving Wednesday, November 11. In advance of its release, IDW Publishing has unveiled a first look at the first five pages, presented in color without lettering, showcasing Fero Pe’s artwork and Luis Antonio Delgado’s colors, which you can check out below, courtesy of AIPT. It’s a chance to appreciate the visual storytelling as Yang’s chapter of the Turtles’ adventures approaches its conclusion.

'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' #24 Preview
IDW Publishing

Additionally, IDW has unveiled two covers for TMNT: Shredder #17, offering another glimpse at what’s ahead for Oroku Saki.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #24 Preview

Witness the epic finale of “The City That Never Dies” as the city… dies?! Leo, Donnie, and Master Splinter journey through all the lands of all the dead to revive the Tree of Fates and send the undead back to where they belong. Will they be able to complete their quest before General Eight Thunders and his undead army take over New York?!

'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' #24 Preview
IDW Publishing

'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' #24 Preview
IDW Publishing

'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' #24 Preview
IDW Publishing

'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' #24 Preview

'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' #24 Preview
IDW Publishing

First look: TMNT: Shredder #17 covers

We’ve also got two covers for TMNT: Shredder #17 to share!

'SHREDDER' #17 Cover A Sid Kotian
SHREDDER #17 Cover A Sid Kotian | IDW Publishing

'SHREDDER' #17 Cover B Raymar Brunson
SHREDDER #17 Cover B Raymar Brunson

Be sure to pick up TMNT: Shredder #13 this week, and look for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #24 on November 11 as Gene Luen Yang’s run reaches its conclusion.

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Nielsen Animation Day 2026 Reports Highlights Key Cartoon TV & Streaming Trends

Animation fans can measure their viewing habits against the most popular titles with the help of the new Nielsen animation TV & streaming report, “Drawn to Watch: Animation’s Hit Makers,” released timed to International Animation Day (October 28). From Bikini Bottom to Quahog, the survey reveals what folks watched in the 2025-26 season across broadcast and streaming (which accounted for 58% of the minutes viewed for the 15 most-watched series), and the creative voices and characters that draw them back again and again.

Nielsen's special Animation Day 2026 report shows the most-watched toons include 'SpongeBob SquarePants,' 'Family Guy,' 'South Park,' 'Bob's Burgers' and 'Bluey'
Nielsen's special Animation Day 2026 report shows the most-watched toons include 'SpongeBob SquarePants,' 'Family Guy,' 'South Park,' 'Bob's Burgers' and 'Bluey' | Composite by Animation Magazine.

Per the report, the 15 most-watched animated series are:

  1. SpongeBob SquarePants — 70.6 billion minutes viewed
  2. Bluey — 68B min.
  3. Family Guy — 65.4B min.
  4. South Park — 44.5B min.
  5. Bob’s Burgers — 43B min.
  6. PAW Patrol — 42.7B min.
  7. The Simpsons — 28B min.
  8. American Dad! — 24.8B min.
  9. Big City Greens — 22.5B min.
  10. Spidey and His Amazing Friends — 20.7B min.
  11. Rick and Morty — 20.6B min.
  12. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse / Clubhouse+ — 20.3B min.
  13. Peppa Pig — 18.9B min.
  14. The Loud House — 15.4B min.
  15. Futurama — 14.5B min.

Nielsen Animation big three

Seth MacFarlane emerged as the most-watched animation creator, with 92.7 billion minutes combined across Family Guy, American Dad! and The Cleveland Show. These adult comedy titles are chased up by kids’ (and kids at hearts’) favorites from Stephen Hillenburg, whose SpongeBob SquarePants and its spinoffs remain a swimming success with 73B minutes. Nipping at SpongeBob’s heels is Australian hit Bluey, securing the No. 3 creator’s spot for Joe Brumm with 71.5B minutes.

The output of these three creatives collectively logged 237.2B minutes watched over the 2025-26 TV season, more than the next five creators on the list combined (202.1 billion). Among the 15 most-watched animated series, 44% of all minutes came from the “big three’s” shows. Nielsen’s list also includes Keith Chapman (PAW Patrol), Trey Parker & Matt Stone (South Park), Matt Groening (The Simpsons, Futurama), Loren Bouchard (Bob’s Burgers) and Chris & Shane Houghton (Big City Greens).

Classic franchises touched by many creative hands also remained strong, with Mickey Mouse titles racking up 30.7B minutes viewed. Hanna-Barbera classics like The Flintstones (18.5B min.), Looney Tunes (16.3B min.) and Scooby-Doo (16B min.) also performed exceptionally well across their catalogs.

Nielsen Animation age groups

When it comes to generational preferences, Kids 2-17 account for 29% of the minutes watched for the Top 15 shows, viewers 18-34 for 28%, viewers 35-49 for 23% and viewers 50+ for 20%.  On linear TV (broadcast and cable), viewers 50+ drive 36% of the Top 15’s minutes. On streaming, kids (34%) and viewers 18-34 (35%) drove the numbers, with the 50+ accounting for just 9% of minutes watched across these toons.

Per the study, Peppa Pig leans youngest, with kids making up 59% of its minutes — adults account for the other 41%. Bluey splits almost exactly in half, at 51% kids and 49% adults, including 14% from viewers 50+, signally strong co-viewing appeal for these shows. South Park is the oldest-skewing show in the Top 15, drawing 42.3% of its minutes from viewers 50+ and kids viewing just 5% of its minutes (time to check those parental controls…). And The Simpsons is the most evenly balanced, with every age group between 17% and 34%. SpongeBob, launched as a kids’ show in 1999, gets 47.9% of its minutes from adults 18-49 today.

Read the full report at nielsen.com.

Nielsen Animation 2026 top 15

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Original source: Animation Magazine.

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‘Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender’ Art Director Aaron Loftis Shares Details on 'Art-of' Panel at LightBox Expo 2026 | First Look

Among the many exciting panels planned for this year’s LightBox Expo in Pasadena, California next month is a special look a the beautiful art created for Paramount’s critically-acclaimed new feature Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender, which premiered on Paramount+ in late July. “The Art of Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender” panel will take place 4-5 p.m. on Sunday, October 25 in the Civic Auditorium, and Animation Magazine has revealed that the discussion will be followed by a special screening of the movie as a thrilling conclusion to LBX.

Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender - Animation Magazine exclusive production art
Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender - Animation Magazine exclusive production art [c/o Paramount]

Featuring art director Aaron Loftis, production designer Jake Panian and VFX supervisor Jerry Huynh, this inspiring hour will delve into the process for crafting the unique 2D/3D style for the movie, breaking down the visual pillars for the films art style, early explorations and paintings all the way through the production art and the cinematic compositing style of the movie.

Animation Magazine was fortunate enough to get a special exclusive sneak peek at the panel from the very talented Aaron Loftis, whose credits include My Dad the Bounty Hunter and Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans:

Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender - Animation Magazine exclusive production art [c/o Paramount]

Animation Magazine: Congrats on delivering the beautiful Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender movie. We are very excited about your special LightBox panel. Can you tell us a bit more about what you’ll be unveiling at the event?

Aaron Loftis: We are very excited about our talk at LightBox, where our production designer Jake Panian and visual effects supervisor Jerry Huynh are going to be discussing the art of the movie. We will have whole section dedicated to early development of the art and the look of the movie. We’ll talk about how Jake worked with creators of the show Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino and director Lauren Montgomery to come up with what ended up with the final look of the film.

That is going to be transition into my section, which will be mainly geared toward how we implemented all of those findings and direction into actual production, focusing on how we put in place things that I did and how we worked with our team to get the actual visuals that we hoped to be on the screen.

Then, our VFX supervisor will talk about the massive compositing undertaking that they had to do where they had to take all of those rules and goals that we had for everything and put it all together at the very end like the bow on top.

So, the presentation will feature a nice range for people to see how things go when it’s just you and the director trying to swim around and find the answers to these questions, and how to get everyone to do it and how it all came together. A nice full circle from start to finish of how the team worked together to realize the visual goals for the movie.

Can you tell us about the visuals that you plan to share at your panel?

We have all these incredible early paintings that show the range of the visuals created for the movie. Our production designer Jake sat with the creators of the show and showed them something like 200 images early on. So, he has a really nice chronology of those images and how he got to the final versions for the movie. I think it’ll be cool for people to see the ones that didn’t make it as well as seeing just how granular we had to get as we went on to build this world. I think it will be interesting to learn about all the problems and challenges regarding the art and also about the story and how we had to be faithful to both the original shows.

Hopefully we will offer more insights as to the amount of work that went into this work, which audiences get to see only 85 minutes on the screen — but there are thousands of images that did or didn’t get used eventually.

Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender - Animation Magazine exclusive production art [c/o Paramount]

Just looking back at the whole experience of working on this movie, what made it special for you?

In terms of the big animation landscape, seeing a 2D animated film being made at that scale and quality was very exciting to me, especially as someone who grew up during the Disney Renaissance of the ’90s and also is huge love or anime as well. After witnessing 30 years of CG animation, to see that this skill is still respected, loved and celebrated was really exciting.

This opportunity gave me everything and more than I could have ever hoped for because I got to work on something that people love and cherish. I didn’t even understand the full extent of how much people really love this show and franchise before. I’ll never be able to thank the people that gave me the opportunity enough; and how wonderful they were to give me space to grow and to make this amazing movie together.

I recall meeting Jake when I just 23 years old, and asked him to look at my work and hoped that one day I’ll be able to work in animation too. So, it was one of those opportunities that won’t come around again.

Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender - Animation Magazine exclusive production art [c/o Paramount]

So, you mentioned meeting Jake who was one of your heroes. I’m sure many of your fans will be excited to meet you at LightBox. Can you talk about the importance of events like this for the community?

I think all of us work so hard, and we’re so used to creating on our own and feeling maybe … not necessarily isolated, but just very heads down, doing the thing that we love most. But when we’re all able to lift our heads up from our computers and go spend some time with all these amazing people that we looked up to — just enjoy being around, maybe commiserating and talking about the things that we all love together.

Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender - Animation Magazine exclusive production art [c/o Paramount]

LightBox is one of those events that are so special not only for the people that already work in animation, but also for people that are aspiring to do it to make those connections. I remember meeting our production designer Jake Panian more than a decade ago and then getting to work with him was very special.

I also recently got to do a talk at Disney about our movie, and it was a full circle moment for me. When I first came to L.A. 14 years ago for a convention, I had a picture taken of me in front of Disney Animation. So, I got to recreate that same photo as I had arrived at the other side of the kid’s dream. I wanted to be part of this community, and with all the hard work, it was nice that I was able to do that.

I am sure like everyone else working in animation, you have your own thoughts and perspectives about the future of the medium and new technologies.

As for the broader animation landscape, I am genuinely excited about where we are heading. Major studios are competing to elevate visuals and storytelling across the board in an “iron sharpens iron” kind of way. At the same time, an independent wave of animation projects is gaining real steam and support online. Seeing success thrive outside the traditional studio system is just as thrilling to me.

When it comes to AI and its impact on our work in animation, there are many unknowns. One positive takeaway is how aligned the artist community is against generative AI and its implementation in our work. I can only control what is directly in front of me, so on the projects I lead and contribute to, I am doing my part to make sure my stance against using it is known.

Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender - Animation Magazine exclusive production art [c/o Paramount]

Why do you think fans have embraced the new Avatar Aang movie? As an art director, what made it special for you?

I think one of the things that was interesting to me is that I was working with our production designer [Jake Panian] — he is a true powerhouse of an artist. He had this quality bar that was set so high. What was exciting to me is that I wanted to match that and I wanted to inspire myself to reach those levels of quality and have it reflect across the board in the entire movie, through all the hundreds of shots.

We were trying to help inspire people all across the world who worked on this movie with us. We all wanted to push our craft forward to make something we’re all going to be really proud of. I think the art was really inspiring to me, and we all wanted to put something really cool on the big screen.

In terms of mixing 2D and CG, we had to come up with an interesting process. A lot of the time those two processes don’t necessarily gel well together. In a CG animated film, you can light the CG set and move the camera, and move the characters or tweak them a bit. But in 2D animation, you have decide what the shot is going to be early on and commit to that because the character layout has to be correct, the camera layout has to be correct; and you can’t move the camera, because then you’d have a whole different shot and the perspectives won’t line up of.

So, the processes that we learned for getting it right took time, and we had to kind of unearth some of those old tricks from back in the day that we had maybe forgotten about, and we had to make this all those pieces come together. But that challenge was exciting for all of us because we all love 2D so much.

I’m immensely thankful for Paramount for the opportunity and the whole creative team. Flying Bark in Australia absolutely put their flag in as one of the elite animation studios in the world after this film. I think not only did all the teams I got to interact with did an incredible job in terms of CG layouts, background paint and background layout, the 2D animators were also absolutely world class and they deserve that credit. Korea’s Studio Mir and Studio Ppuri also came on board and gave everything they had to make sure the film got across the finish line. We were lucky to meet them and work with them, and they did an incredible job as well, and we’re immensely grateful for everything that they gave to us.

LightBox Expo will take place October 23-25 at the Pasadena Convention Center. “The Art of Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender” panel and film screening are scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 25. Visit lightboxexpo.com for more information.

Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender is now streaming on Paramount+. The movie will be released on DVD/Blu-ray on Nov. 3 and on 4K UHD SteelBook on Feb. 9.


Update (10/28): The "Confronting Tagah" scene in Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender by Aaron Loftis won the Color Keys award in the "Animation Feature Film" category at the 2026 Concept Art Awards, presented by the Concept Art Association!

Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender Aaron Loftis
Confronting Tagah – Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender (Paramount Animation) by Aaron Loftis – Paramount Animation

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Originally published: September 13, 2026.

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