FIVE FRIENDS. ENDLESS ADVENTURES.

This enchanting children’s series follows the nightly adventures of Sebastian the Slug and his pond pals! The MOONGLOW GANG is a diverse group of tiny friends who love to protect and support each other all night long so they can dream safely in the moonlight. No matter what challenges may come their way, these adorable buddies always figure it out together! With its themes of friendship, teamwork and acceptance, MOONGLOW GANG promises magical, woodsy fun for little ones ages 2 to 7  –  perfect to inspire happy dreams at naptime or bedtime!

"A way to the sky"

"Woes to the wicked web"

"Tale of the nite kite"

Indiegogo Launch

Tale of the nite kite children's book

The epic tale of nite kite

Meet the gang

MEET THE TEAM

SHOP

When Bugs Fly:
Tale of the Nite-Kite

SHOP

When Bugs Fly:
Tale of the Nite-Kite

The hardcover book that inspired MOONGLOW GANG

The perfect bedtime story for little ones! A magical tale about a little slug named Sebastian who achieves his dream of flying across the moonlit sky with the help of his very best friends.

Founded in 2020 by CEO/President Joni Nowak, Waterside Production Group is committed to creating quality entertainment for little ones ages 2 – 7 that instills the core values of teamwork, friendship and acceptance. WPG believes that the best way to reinforce the values being taught by parents at home and in school is to introduce children to relatable stories and lovable characters that show these values in action. Its flagship series — MOONGLOW GANG — is a fitting reflection of Waterside’s enduring mission.

Get in Touch







    JOIN US ON OUR ADVENTURE!

    Any friend of Sebastian’s is a friend of ours! We’d love to connect with you — just fill out the form and we’ll get back to you faster than Dart the Dragonfly.

    Joni Nowak

    Executive Producer / Director

    Joni’s father was an architect who taught her to sketch at a very young age. Having enjoyed a rewarding career as a Registered Nurse for over 40 years, her passion for sketching resurfaced upon retirement. Inspired by the magic of nature that surrounds her lakefront home in Cleveland, Ohio, Joni wrote, produced and directed the short film “Sebastian Calls 911”, for which she also created the original character sketches. This would become the foundation for her first children’s book, “When Bugs Fly: Tale of the Nite-Kite,” which was then adapted into 2D and 3D animated shorts. Moonglow Gang is Joni’s first animated series, and an exciting new frontier for her ever-expanding world of tiny friends and big adventures.

    Brad Alexander

    Music/Orchestrations/Music Direction

    Brad (Music/Orchestrations/Music Direction) is an award-winning BMI composer and
    songwriter for TV and theater. Screen credits include Lead Composer for Clifford The Big Red Dog (Scholastic/Amazon/PBS Kids), PBS’s Emmy-winning Peg + Cat, and Wonder Pets: In The City (Apple TV). He wrote the music for multiple TheaterWorksUSA shows, including Dog Man: The Musical and Cat Kid Comic Club: The Musical—New York Times Critic’s Picks now touring North America. Dog Man makes its London premiere in summer 2026, with tours in the UK and Australia. Additional musicals include Martha Speaks, We The People: America Rocks! (Lortel nomination), Click, Clack, Moo (Drama Desk, Lortel nominations, currently touring the U.S.), and See Rock City & Other Destinations, recipient of the Richard Rodgers Award, BMI Foundation Jerry Bock Award, Drama Desk for Outstanding Book of a Musical, and six Drama Desk nominations, including Outstanding Music. bradalexander.com

    Jill Abramovitz

    Actor/Singer/Lyricist

    Jill is the lyricist of The Moonglow Gang songs, including the theme “Friends ’Til The
    End”. She was a contributing lyricist on Broadway’s It Shoulda Been You, directed by David Hyde Pierce and starring Tyne Daly, and the lyricist of TheatreWorksUSA’s Martha Speaks, which toured nationally. Her other projects include the award-winning The Pack and Misty Makes It Better (in development). A past Dramatist Guild Fellow and Harrington Award winner as well as Jerry Bock Award winner in the BMI Advanced Workshop, she is also a theatre and television actress. Her credits include Broadway’s Beetlejuice, All In, Fiddler on the Roof, Cinderella, 9 to 5 and Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me and recurring roles on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Chicago Med, as
    well as The Blacklist, Blue Bloods, SVU, FBI: Most Wanted and others. Jill is a passionate teacher, and coaches song performance and acting both privately and in master classes. More at jillaonline.com

    Khurram Khan

    Animation Director

    Born into an art-loving family in Pakistan, Khurram Khan developed a deep appreciation for creativity from an early age. Today, he is a skilled 2D and 3D animator, known for bringing stories and ideas to life through compelling visual content.

    Khurram is the founder of two thriving studios based in Dallas, Texas: Split Arts Technologies, which specializes in a wide range of animation services, and Algor Labs Technologies, a web development firm focused on building modern, user-centric websites and digital platforms. Together with his talented team, he provides end-to-end creative and technical support for animation, video production, and digital development projects.

    A passionate entrepreneur, Khurram is always exploring new ways to blend art and technology. Outside of work, he’s a proud father of three beautiful children and enjoys spending quality time with his family, drawing inspiration from them every day. His journey is driven by a love for storytelling, innovation, and building meaningful partnerships through creative collaboration.

    Jean Czarnecki

    Assistant Illustrator

    Jean is the twin sister of our Executive Producer, Joni. She is also a healthcare professional, a Registered Nurse for 40+ years. Retired from active nursing she became interested in the project, purchased an iPad Pro/Apple pencil and became proficient at blocking in color and designing canvases to fit the upcoming illustrations. It takes many hours to design and color block the full-page illustrations present in our children’s books… an Assistant Illustrator is a big plus!

    Becky Shrimpton

    Voice of Charli/Dart

    From being a voice kids would recognize in games and animations they love, like Five Nights at Freddy’s, Doki Adventures, Fireman Sam, League of Legends, Disney/Byju’s Early Learn, Presto School for Magic, the just-announced Luna, Chip & Inkie: Adventure Rangers Go!, and more to hundreds of commercials and narration projects, Becky Shrimpton has enjoyed being a Voice Actor for the last decade. She’s an avid movie watcher and expert in Canadian film, which led her to become an award-winning Podcast Host/Producer for brands like Microsoft, The Globe, Mail and Hollywood Suite. You can also catch her takes on classic films on the Hollywood Suite’s original series A Year in Film. Becky’s unique, high-pitched, ad-libbed voice brings to life the charming Charli, the caterpillar in the ‘When Bugs Fly’ Production and follows with just as unique a voice for Dart, the speedy little dragonfly.

    Marty Allen

    Voice of Prof. Milty

    Marty Allen is one of Cleveland Radio’s most respected ‘King of all Trades’: Producer, Production Manager, Show Host, and Voice Presentation Specialist. Over the years he has worked with and produced for the most respected names in Cleveland radio. A man always ahead of the curve, Marty moved into online radio with his creation of Rogue Radio more than a decade ago. Narrating “When Bugs Fly: Tale of the Nite-Kite” is Marty’s second vocal project for Joni Nowak and his smooth vocals set exactly the right tone for this spectacular animated adventure.

    Jeremy Ernst

    Voice of Edison

    Jeremy is just a big kid still growing into his voice(s.) Whether it’s Narration, Character Voices, or E-learning style Videos, he has an original voice just waiting to be heard. He has a passion for developing his own character voices and dreams of seeing his future children playing with a toy that he voiced! He has years of experience working in the medical field as a Paramedic/Firefighter. He has used this experience to build confidence in public speaking, teaching, and most importantly, creating voices from behind the mic! As rewarding as his job as a Paramedic is, he has developed a passion for professional Voice Over Acting and knows he wants to develop it further. Jeremy expertly voices Edison, the firefly in our ‘When Bugs Fly’ production

    Larry Mauro

    Voice of Fletcher

    As a child, Larry wanted to be a Muppet. Collecting puppets from local toy stores, Larry became obsessed with creating voices and performing them for his family and friends, using his collection of puppets. In college, Larry got the acting bug and completed a degree in Theater. Comedy came into play by studying with the world-famous Groundlings Improv Group. Larry soon joined the Hauska Groupe, made up of various Groundlings, and had the privilege of performing at legendary Hollywood comedy clubs such as The Comedy Store and Ice House. After working as an on-camera actor, performing improv comedy, and as a professional musician, Larry has now come full circle back to his childhood dream of creating voices. Larry voices one of the main characters in the ‘When Bugs Fly’ production… Fletcher the grumpy old, southern-accented frog we’ve come to know and luv.

    Johan Sugarev

    Sound Design

    Johan has worked on countless Films, Shorts, Commercials, and Sound Projects. He is one of the most talented Sound Designers of his time. Because Johan works with sound, ‘words’ about his work pale when compared to how his sounds simply pull you into the images making you a part of the action! Take a listen at https://sugarev.com/reel Johan has done the Sound Design for ‘When Bugs Fly; Tale of the Nite-Kite’ and our Theme Song; “Friends Till the End”

    Jordan Wilder

    Voice of Sebastian

    With his elastic voice and uncanny ear, Jordan Wilder has been entertaining audiences from behind the mic for thirty years. His voice has been featured in dozens of national TV and radio ads: ATT, Exxon Mobile, Geico, Google, Verizon, Pepsi, Pizza Hut, PNC Bank, Sonic, Sega, Oreo, Mattel and You Tube. While commercials pay the bills, Jordan’s true passion has always been storytelling and bringing life to original and complex characters. His work has been featured in movies, cartoons, video games and audiobooks. Jordan just finished narrating the first of a six-book anthology entitled “Branded,” a teen fantasy thriller written by Joseph T. Humphrey. Jordan is also a celebrity and political impersonator. He’s thrilled to have been given the opportunity to originate Sebastian the Slug in Joni Nowak’s upcoming animated series, “Moonglow gang.”