At Nerdist, we know that genre storytelling can be one of the best vehicles for capturing the human experience. Sci-fi tales, fantasy adventures, horror stories, and speculative fiction push our imaginations to their most fantastical limits while, at the same time, turning the spotlight on the core of what connects us all. And that’s exactly what SummerWind Studios’ new sci-fi project St. Rob is gearing up to do. St. Rob is a grounded sci-fi animated series that combines intimate character drama, powerful emotional beats, nuanced world-building, extraordinary fun with speculative technology, gorgeous artwork, transcendent music, and a powerful stance on human-created stories. If that piques your interest, join us as we dive deep into the heart of St. Rob ahead of its launch on Kickstarter.
What Is SummerWind Studios’ St. Rob?
Ultimately, we know the most important question about St. Rob is: “What is St. Rob?” Well, in its broadest strokes, St. Rob is a sci-fi animated series with a planned 10 parts. The upcoming Kickstarter will be in service of creating a finished version of the series’ pilot. St. Rob features a unique animation style that combines art and music to truly dramatic effect. You can get a taste for what St. Rob will look and sound like by checking out its full trailer here.
The Story
According to creator D.R. Martin here is the official description of St. Rob’s story: “At the center of the story is a powerful, emotionally distant father who, as he faces death, is connected to a quantum machine that allows him to witness countless possible futures — including the ones where he finally understands how he failed the people who loved him most.”
The aforementioned father, Roberto Maldonado, is “a brilliant, deeply flawed engineer whose death destabilizes a colonized Mars” and whose final invention may just show him the vast mistakes he’s made in his life… And bring to light questions we all struggle with every day: what is our legacy, and why does it matter?
Equally important to this tale is Roberto’s daughter, Magdalena, a brilliant woman who struggles to escape the shadow of her father as she works to understand what her relationship with him means to her.
The Artwork
There’s no denying that St. Rob has an eye-catching style. The new series has a distinctive look to its world and characters that is remarkably unique to this project. It’s our pleasure at Nerdist to share some of the character and setting artwork that St. Rob‘s animators have cooked up. Even in their static forms, the emotion, symbolism, and subtle detail that we can expect from the series are rife in every image.
St. Rob Speaks to a Myriad of Different Audiences
With so much content out there to watch and support, and time such a precious, finite resource, it can become overwhelming to decide what deserves your attention. With that said, here are a few aspects of St. Rob‘s story that may resonate the most with its future viewers.
A Rich Lore, A Character-Driven Story, A Thoughtful, Human Narrative
One thing that stands out about St. Rob‘s story is how grounded it feels, despite its science fiction roots. St. Rob is interested in telling a slow-burn tale, one that prioritizes the actual unfolding of the plot and character development over pure spectacle for its own sake. In today’s age of the constant content barrage, stories can feel more shallow, devoid of connection and meaty narrative. But St. Rob returns us to a place of considered storytelling, bringing something thoughtful, restrained, and mature to our screens. It offers a human story that we can all relate to—spotlighting the ever-complicated relationship between fathers and their daughters in the context of a fascinating world. Ultimately, St. Rob is a sci-fi story with a rich lore and complex world, but it also remains deeply personal and deeply human.
St. Rob Grapples with Real and Fantastical Visions of Technology
St. Rob creator and SummerWind Studios founder D.R. Martin, spent years leading AI and product innovation projects in the corporate world. But St. Rob represents a turn away from that existence, back to one that prioritizes the beauty that only humans can create. However, Martin’s background in emerging technology makes his futuristic story feel very realistic. And in an age when we’re all wondering what technology will bring us, for great good or massive ill, St. Rob helps us to grapple with the world around us.
St. Rob Is an Animation Nerd’s Dream
Finally, for all you animation nerds out there, St. Rob is the perfect choice. Its creators share that, “St. Rob is intentionally designed to feel like a story that could only be told through animation—subtle performances, controlled pacing, and visual symbolism are central to its impact.” While we have many animated stories today, the way St. Rob sets out to specifically make use of animation, leaning into what the medium can do that no other can, makes it a special entry into our world of stories.
What’s Important About Projects Like St. Rob?
Beyond its excellent narrative, drawing world, and intricate animation, there’s something very important underpinning St. Rob: its commitment to hand-made art created by real artists. With AI threatening to take away the soul of our artwork and outsource what should be the most emotional and intense moments of human creation to machines, it is more important than ever to support projects that prioritize the human hand. St. Rob pledges that it will be created solely by human hands, human talents, and human minds, and that’s a beautiful promise.
Additionally, St. Rob is a fully original idea brought to life and will be a truly independent series, created outside the traditional studio system. All this gives St. Rob a tremendous opportunity to bring fresh perspectives to our narrative conversations and to engage more directly with its audience. In fact, SummerWind Studios is working on a next-generation distribution platform that will allow viewers to stream episodes directly from the studio.
We Invite You to Support St. Rob‘s Creation
If all that sounds fascinating to you, you can help support St. Rob‘s creation and assist in shaping its story. The pilot episode of St. Rob will be funded through a Kickstarter campaign launching soon. You can sign up now to be notified on launch.
Supporting St. Rob via its Kickstarter will offer you behind-the-scenes access to the series and many unique rewards, such as:
- Early access to the pilot
- Name-in-credits options
- Signed screenplay & score
- Physical art prints
- Animated cameo extras
- “Name in the Cathedral on Mars” lore-tier rewards (Yes, you can become part of the lore!)
Follow St. Rob on the Kickstarter for more news and updates on its journey. And ready yourself for St. Rob to arrive, bringing with it a story that’s already pulling us deep into its mysterious heart.
Editor’s note: This post is sponsored by SummerWind Studios.