Cardiff-based Calon, will be launching its new new animated series for preschoolers, IG! at Cartoon Forum this week in France.
The 26x10 stop-motion animated comedy stars cave girl Ig. This junior terror has a curiosity and adventurous spirit that should appeal to every energetic pre-schooler. Her sidekicks are Doggy (Igs dinosaur pet), Monkey Boy, Triple Tog (her saber-tooth tiger duvet) and Birdie (the friendly pterodactyl), while Big Daddy, the titanic T.Rex, is the authoritative character whose roar is the final say.
Storylines reflect a young childs typical world of learning through bitter experience. In, Its Driving Me Potty, Ig is scared of sitting on the big toilet because shes frightened that: a) she will fall in and b) its a volcano. Monkey Boy learns never to wee into the wind. Ig is convinced she can win an escalating game of one-upmanship, until Monkey Boy peels a banana with his feet in I Can Do That!
The sparse dialogue is geared to an average pre-schoolers core vocabulary, while introducing new words and simple phrases in each episode. Stories will rely on visual storytelling and humor.
Calon, whose creative team, lead by Robin Lyons, left Siriol last year to form the new studio, is building on many years of experience in childrens animation to create this new project.
Preschool work is far from just producing something creative and cute, said Lyons. Its about developing characters and scenarios that youngsters can relate to and empathize with based upon their own limited lifelong experiences and understanding. The parameters of a young childs world are limited and Igs prehistoric playground is a reflection of this.
The Calon team is best known for such animation work as SUPERTED, HILLTOP HOSPITAL, BOBINOGS and UNDER MILK WOOD and is working on the production of HANAS HELPLINE.
