A Doggone Lovable Show

Pupstruction creator Travis Braun tells us everything we need to know about his pawsome new Disney series.

- By Ramin Zahed -

The popular pooches of PAW Patrol are getting some tail-wagging competition this month thanks to Disney TV’s new animated series Pupstruction. Created and execproduced by Travis Braun (T.O.T.S.), the new music-filled show follows the adventures of a “doggone hard-working construction crew, ranging from some of the brawniest breeds to cute and playful puppies!”

Aimed at kids ages two to seven, each episode includes two 11-minute stories with an original song. The show centers on the adventures of crew leader, a smart young corgi named Phinny (voiced by Yonas Kibreab), who dreams up some wild ideas to help his town of Petsburg. He is aided by Luna (Mica Zeltzer), a spontaneous sheepdog; Roxy (Scarlett Kate Ferguson), a can-do rottweiler; and Tank (Carson Minniear), a lovable, snack-obsessed mastiff. The supporting animals are voiced by Olga Merediz, Todrick Hall, Gabriel Iglesias, Nate Torrence, Yvette Nicole Brown, Bobby Moynihan, Grey DeLisle, Kari Wahlgren, Eric Bauza and Alessandra Perez.

Braun tells Animation Magazine that he used his own idyllic childhood as the inspiration for the show. “I grew up in an auto racing family in a town about 45 minutes outside of Abilene, Texas,” he says. “I always had tools in my face and we were always building stuff, so it all felt like the show was baked into the DNA of my childhood. It was an activity that brought all the members of my family together.”

Creative Corgi

According to the creator, the show’s main character Phinny is a very sweet corgi who is also the smallest member of the crew. “But, he has the biggest ideas and the biggest imagination!” he says. “I guess he’s the closest to me because I also grew up building things. I nearly made my family go bankrupt asking for LEGO toys every birthday and Christmas. I’d get the LEGOs and would never follow the instructions, like I’d build a red spaceship out of a fire station set! So Phinny’s special skill is thinking outside the box.”

“Kids are going to love how Phinny comes up with these outlandish solutions to the challenges the crew faces in each episode,” he adds. “I wanted to put in this show for kids who want to go outside the box. We try to come up with realistic ideas, but we want to have this space to really capture wish fulfillment scenarios.

The show’s CG animation is produced by Titmouse and Italy’s Rainbow S.p.A. (Winx Club,

46 Cats). “We did a lot of visual development for the town of Petsburg since we wanted to make it feel inclusive of everyone, so it’s not like a Zootopia world where there are different areas for different types of pets,” Braun points out. “We wanted all our pets to live shoulder to shoulder. We have buses that carry not only cats and dogs, but also fish and birds and hamsters. It was a challenge, but it gave us a lot of story possibilities since you have a where were a fish needs to live next to a bunny condo. Our team has to face different challenges since they need to make sure everything they build works for everyone!”

The show’s writers’ room is based in the Titmouse offices in Burbank, overseen by story editor Robyn Brown (Muppet Babies), while the show’s supervising director Abigail Nesbitt and her team are based in New York City. “It’s this crazy triad of writing in L.A., directing in New York and production in Rome, but fortunately many on the team also worked on our show T.O.T.S., so we already had developed a great work shorthand,” says Braun. “Rob Cantor is doing the music for the series, and we really wanted the show’s music to be the centerpiece of it. Rob is a superstar, and he was able to make it really heartfelt.”

A Real Disney Fan

When asked about the animated shows or movies that played a big part on his childhood, Braun quickly mentions Pixar’s Monsters, Inc “I think that was the first movie I figured how to rip the DVD and put it on my Palm Trio, so I could watch it at secretly at night since my parents had this rule about how much screen time we could have each day!” he confesses.

“Toy Story was another big one. More recently, it’s been really cool to see what Disney has been doing with Frozen, Moana, Tangled and Zootopia They’ve been able to create these great stories that appeal to everyone. They provide great stories about relatable characters.

As Braun awaits audiences’ reaction to his new show, he hopes they will enjoy the characters and the storylines, while their parents can also laugh and find something they can relate to. “Connecting families has always been one of the big goals,” he adds. “The show is about family, and how construction brings Phinny and his family together. I’d love it if Pupstruction brings families together as they watch Phinny and his crew tackle these crazy builds.” ◆

Pupstruction premieres on Disney Channel, Disney Junior and Disney+ on June 14. A second season is already in production.