Seriously, if you want to watch weird Eastern European animation, you can’t beat Latvia’s. I have told the story of when, just after the collapse of the Soviet Union in December 1991, some man came into Streamline Pictures in Los Angeles where I was working and offered to sell us the American rights to all of Studio Dauka’s (the main animation studio in Riga) productions. He had videotapes of it, and it was truly unique. I liked it, and so did Carl Macek, Streamline’s president. But Carl investigated and found out that (1) this man may have gotten videos of all of Studio Dauka’s cartoons, but he did not represent the studio or have any rights to sell, and (2) he was associated with the Russian Mafia, which we did not want to get involved with.
Recently all of those Latvian cartoons have turned up on YouTube, so anyone can see them anyway. Weird but, unlike Estonian animation, strangely appealing. Especially the “Fantadroms” series with the sneezing alien cat, the even aiiener cat-octopus, the jealous rat, the green alien pig, the floating bubble, and others. Here are eight Fantadroms for your pleasure, and two other Latvian cartoons.
Seriously, if you want to watch weird Eastern European animation, you can’t beat Latvia’s. I have told the story of when, just after the collapse of the Soviet Union in December 1991, some man came into Streamline Pictures in Los Angeles where I was working and offered to sell us the American rights to all of Studio Dauka’s (the main animation studio in Riga) productions. He had videotapes of it, and it was truly unique. I liked it, and so did Carl Macek, Streamline’s president. But Carl investigated and found out that (1) this man may have gotten videos of all of Studio Dauka’s cartoons, but he did not represent the studio or have any rights to sell, and (2) he was associated with the Russian Mafia, which we did not want to get involved with.
Recently all of those Latvian cartoons have turned up on YouTube, so anyone can see them anyway. Weird but, unlike Estonian animation, strangely appealing. Especially the “Fantadroms” series with the sneezing alien cat, the even aiiener cat-octopus, the jealous rat, the green alien pig, the floating bubble, and others. Here are eight Fantadroms for your pleasure, and two other Latvian cartoons.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1ywJaOMK5w
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tQe9fsCLNw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kixuBTw0aA4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-iapbSqA94&list=PLGZERR4SHXKAXY3KNU9_SURM2E5XR88YA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQk8T5RNGjs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4gu23T29Cs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCQozPtgq-I
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VI7zC3K4sW4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2ID4qafbyk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuHMK9fSuVw&feature=endscreen
Fred Patten