Zodiak Kids’ Marathon Media has begun production on new animated comedy series Blake and the Aliens (working title), which is being co-developed with Nickelodeon and French diginet Gulli.

The 52 x 13-minute series, expected to air on Nickelodeon worldwide and Gulli in winter 2013, is Marathon’s first series featuring storyboarded, gag-driven squash-and-stretch animation.

Blake and the Aliens follows the adventures of 13-year-old Blake who is forced to battle evil alien squirrels from the future who are trying to prevent him from becoming a future defender of the universe.

Antoine Guilbaud (Phineas & Ferb) and Kaz Prapuolenis (SpongeBob SquarePants, Underworld, Phineas & Ferb) are on board as executive producers along with writer Reid Harrison (Rekkit Rabbit, The Simpsons).

The project also marks Nickelodeon’s first development partnership with a French producer around an acquired series.