That's why we especially love cartoonists, it's their boundless imagination! Who else could come up with so many strange, but such cool characters? :)
Thanks to Eduard Uspensky, from whose pen the wonderful children's book “Crocodile Gena and His Friends” was published in 1966. Most of all, of course, we are interested in only one friend of Gena’s – Cheburashka. It is known that the image of the “unknown little animal” was copied from the writer’s old toy, which looked like either a bear or a hare. We don’t know how little readers of the book imagined this creature before the release of the cartoon. But thanks to the artist Leonid Shvartsman, Cheburashka turned out the way it is: incredibly cute!
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In Cartoon Network's animated series Adventure Time, all the characters can be safely added to the list of strange ones, but it is Lumpy that is especially loved by fans. Although there are many who are terribly annoyed by her :) The princess looks like a lilac cloud, she has a star on her forehead and a very bad character. If this beauty "If it bites you, you will also turn into a lilac cloud - that’s how it is with werewolves started.
It is known that the inspiration for the creation of the cartoon was the board game Dungeons & Dragons, which is so loved by the characters in the series “The Big Bang Theory”. And we have producer Pendleton Ward and the animator working under the pseudonym Ghost Shrimp to thank for this fantastic miracle called “Adventure Time.” Both are people with limitless imagination and a great sense of humor!
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"Who lives at the bottom of the ocean? SpongeBob SquarePants!” SpongeBob may be a sea creature, but he looks like an ordinary kitchen sponge. The creator of the character, Stephen Hillenburg, wanted this sponge to irritate the other cartoon characters as much as possible. And he succeeded. A yellow dish sponge with huge kind eyes and endless energy really infuriates all sorts of bores (like Squidward), but not kids.
The animated series became a real cultural phenomenon of the 90s, and its main character SpongeBob is still – a favorite of audiences of all ages. Give me more T-shirts and keychains with the image of SpongeBob!
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Pikachu and other Pokemon
Pokemon are incredibly strange, but cute creatures (this often happens to the Japanese). At first, by the way, they were heroes in a computer game, and only then a cartoon appeared. Game designer Satoshi Tajiri, who had a hand in creating the game, based the monsters on insects. Ouch! Don't you also like cockroaches and other crawling creatures? But Satoshi collected insects as a child and even exchanged them with friends. Yes, these were the hobbies of Japanese schoolchildren.
But let's get back to our Pokemon. First, a game was released for the Game Boy, followed by an animated series, and then several full-length films. Anime fans probably have many favorites among Pokemon, but according to the decision of the team working on the cartoon, yellow Pikachu became one of the key characters. And the public doesn't mind. We bet you, too, are looking forward to finally going to the movies to see Detective Pikachu? :)
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The Smurfs were invented by the Belgian artist Pierre Cullifort back in the 50s of the last century. At first, in 1958, it was one character in a comic book, who eventually acquired a whole family – now there’s a whole village of them. Each of the hundred gnomes - a telling name that reflects his most striking character trait or appearance. The blue men have their own Smurforeligion and a special language in which they constantly use the root "smurf".
Fun fact: Smurfette, the girl Smurf, only appeared in the animated series The Smurfs in the 80s. And feminists almost immediately accused the creators of sexism: in their opinion, Smurfette was made the typical embodiment of all the stupid stereotypes about women, reinforcing the folk wisdom “all troubles come from women.”
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Yellow creatures that look like a Kinder Surprise egg first appeared in Universal's Despicable Me. And they made the whole cartoon - like that squirrel from Ice Age :) According to the plot, the minions are the creation of the evil genius Gru, whom they serve. How exactly he brought them into the world is not shown in the cartoon, but it was clearly not without genetic experiments. These weirdos have their own special language, they are very hardworking and crazy funny.
And the minions were created by two wonderful (we quote producer Janet Healy) directors Pierre Soffin and Chris Renaud. Chris came up with these funny servants of Gru, and Pierre finalized the idea: he added an animation style and funny voices. The creators of the film also decided that all the minions should be similar, but have characteristic differences in some small details. It turned out exactly what we needed. Minions have won our hearts.
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Totoro is a character from the anime by Hayao Miyazaki. The author of the cartoon came up with the image of this huge fluffy creature, which resembles a mixture of a cat, a tanuki and an owl. Totoro is a kind character, a guardian spirit of the forest who helps other cartoon characters. Especially the girls Satsuko and Mei, who once met him in the forest. But if you make this huge, good-natured guy very angry, expect trouble. He is still a deity.
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Catdog
A story about two completely opposite characters who, by the will of fate, are forced to coexist, will not surprise anyone. But this couple is special because they share one body. On the one hand, there is a highly intelligent and cynical cat, on the other, a cheerful and naive dog. And no tail! It's incredibly funny to watch how these guys get along together.
Interestingly, the idea of creating a strange hybrid of two animals came to the mind of director Peter Hannen thanks to his favorite childhood book A Few Superheroes You've Probably Never Heard Of. In the book there was a character Super CatDog Man with two heads: a cat and a dog. And the plot of the cartoon was written by Kotops borrowed from the movie The Defiant Ones, about two prisoners who escape from prison and are held together by handcuffs.
Submarine
Still from the cartoon "Yellow Submarine"
The legendary Fab Four The Beatles have many recognizable on-screen incarnations; the silhouettes of the musicians, their hairstyles, and the stylized covers of the group’s albums cannot be confused with anything. Not least in the collection of Beatles history artifacts is the painted yellow submarine. Along with its famous passengers and their leader, young Fred, the submarine went against the Blue Meanies, who had taken over the musical land of Pepperland. Armed with the hits of Lennon and McCartney, the boat breaks through the resistance of the villains and restores peace and harmony in the magical land.
Billy Low
Still from the film "Game of Death"
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The film “Game of Death,” which was not completed during Bruce Lee’s lifetime, was subjected to merciless reworking, completely destroying the actor’s original concept. Many scenes were rearranged, some scenes were “completed” by Lee’s doubles, and from a martial arts master, the main character turned into an actor pursued by a crime syndicate. One thing has remained unchanged for sure - the famous yellow and black tracksuit of Bruce Lee's character, an image that still roams the screens to this day. In terms of popularity and recognition, this outfit can easily compete with the costumes of Darth Vader, Joker or Indiana Jones.
Margelatou
Still from the film "Yellow Rose"
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Soviet film distribution was in no particular hurry to introduce its audience to the new releases and hits of foreign companies, especially those belonging to the so-called capitalist countries. Our compatriots had to be content with the work of Eastern European studios instead of Hollywood and the BBC, so the Romanian “Yellow Rose” with Florin Persik in the role of a fearless fighter for justice was firmly established in our box office. Otherwise, everything here is very close to Dumas and other authors of adventures: the oppression of the rich, the uprising of the common people, a mysterious hero who is known only by his trademark - a bud left at the site of his next feat.
Stanley Ipkiss
Still from the film "The Mask"
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The main character of Chuck Russell's fantastic comedy "The Mask" can hardly be accused of having a sparse wardrobe; during the course of the film, Jim Carrey's hero, captured by an ancient mask, changes two dozen outfits. However, a bright yellow suit, topped with a magnificent wide-brimmed hat of the same ripe banana color, is number one in the hero’s wardrobe. The film that introduced Cameron Diaz to the world and elevated Carrey to Olympus, introduced viewers to the mysterious Loki for the first time and revived the comedy genre, “The Mask” is firmly associated with the hero’s green complexion and his lemon jacket.
Pikachu
Still from the cartoon "Pokemon: Mewtwo vs. Mew"
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The Pokemon universe is so vast and intricate that even such a simple question as the title of the first full-length film about these funny creatures is controversial. As a starting point, we took the collection “Mewtwo vs. Mew,” which included three pictures about hand-drawn heroes of Japanese children. There was also a place in this almanac for Pikachu, one of the most beloved characters in the universe. The yellow hero has become a kind of symbol of the franchise, attracting new fans to this day. In addition, the yellow mouse (yes, Pikachu is a mouse) has become a real Japanese pop culture icon.
Bride
Still from the movie "Kill Bill"
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If images from other people's films are borrowed by others, then this is theft and plagiarism; if the concepts were stolen by Quentin Tarantino, then this is homage and tribute to the classics. Let corporate lawyers sort out the rights, but there is no escape from comparing the image of Beatrix Kiddo, dressed in a yellow tracksuit, with Bruce Lee’s character in “Game of Death.” Yes, Tarantino does not hide the fact that his bride is as fierce, invincible and beautiful as her favorite hero of films about martial arts. In addition to this, Uma Thurman is also beautiful, and yellow suits her very well.
Taxi
Still from the movie "New York Taxi"
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In the story of the color yellow in cinema, it is unusually difficult to get past the taxi, and therefore the Luc Besson franchise. But here’s the problem: in France, taxis are not painted yellow, so we were forced to choose New York cars from the Hollywood remake of “New York Taxi” as our heroes. The movie, I must say, turned out to be terrifying - neither Queen Latifah nor Jimmy Fallon are suitable for roles in a big movie, to put it mildly, and although the film recouped the money invested in it at the box office, there was no sequel. In the absence of acting, the audience can still enjoy the racing of yellow cars - and that's the bread.
Ivy
Still from the film "The Mysterious Forest"
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Before he finally went crazy, M. Night Shyamalan was considered the most promising director in Hollywood at the turn of the century. Mesmerizing stories, a phenomenal ability to build up a frightening atmosphere, incredible heroes and fantastic somersaults - all this ended in The Secret Forest, the last film where Shyamalan is still “cake”. The main characters of the film live in a small settlement, which is surrounded by a forest with monsters. It is believed that only the color yellow scares off monsters, and therefore residents wear lemon-colored raincoats. But even this attire does not save when blind Ivy goes to a neighboring village to get medicine for her lover.
Yellow bastard
Still from the film "Sin City"
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The gloomy “Sin City” by Robert Rodriguez allows rare characters to stand out from the black and white palette with some kind of spot of color, but not the maniac nicknamed the Yellow Bastard. In the third big chapter of this movie comic, policeman Hartigan meets with his Nemisis - a criminal whom he once disfigured, but did not finish off. Now vested with the power to kill with impunity, the Yellow Bastard threatens to kill the only person Hartigan cares about. This means that someone must stop evil, even at the cost of their own life.
Bumblebee
Promotional shot for the film "Transformers"
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Giant robots choosing the Earth as the site of their destructive confrontation is, of course, great, but even the most cynical viewer of Michael Bay's Transformers first of all dreamed of having a friend like Bumblebee (okay, some first dreamed of Megan Fox, but then be sure to talk about Bumblebee). Judge for yourself - a robot that turns into a powerful fashionable car, unable to speak and communicating only through songs through the radio, fearless and ready for self-sacrifice. Ideal friend! Should I mention that he is also cute yellow?
The Simpsons
Still from the cartoon "The Simpsons Movie"
We simply could not help but remember the most famous animated family. Viewers have been asking why the Simpsons are yellow for decades, but no one can give you a definite answer. But there are several versions, and you can stick to any of them. At the very beginning, the author of the animated series, Matt Groening, said that he categorically did not like the pink color that was used in his first sketches with Homer and Bart, so the color was “temporarily” replaced with yellow. Then the creators began to say that the lemon coloring of the characters had become their “trick” and it would be a crime to refuse it. There is also an assumption that yellow was chosen as the brightest color in the palette that existed at that time on old televisions. It had to attract viewers clicking on remote controls in search of entertainment. And it worked!
Silk Ghost
Still from the movie "Watchmen"
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Are there any superheroes in yellow suits? Of course, as much as you like! In the Marvel universe, the mutant X-Men wore matching outfits with a splash of yellow for a time, and their DC rivals had an entire order of Yellow Lanterns. But all this still remains on the pages of paper comics, only small details seep into the movies, and the “yellowest” superhero has to be recognized as the Silk Specter from Zack Snyder’s “Watchmen.” And even though there is no less black in the outfit of Malin Akerman’s heroine than yellow, the flashy banana color distinguishes her favorably from her gloomy colleagues who have taken upon themselves the mission to save the world.
Spongebob
Still from the movie "SpongeBob 3D"
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The underwater world of director Paul Tibbitt is by no means as gloomy, gray and monotonous as we are shown in the documentary chronicle of the dives. The animated universe, where the sea sponge, crab, starfish, squirrel and plankton rule the show, is much more attractive, which is why the animated series “SpongeBob SquarePants” has such an army of fans. This year, the square yellow hero and his friends escaped from television confinement onto the big cinema screen and made a splash. The stupid yellow hero is not only loved, he is praised and revered! Glory to Bob! Yes captain!
Arriving in Moscow on the morning train, Levin stopped with his older maternal brother Koznyshev and, having changed clothes, entered his office, intending to immediately tell him why he had come and ask for his advice: but his brother was not alone. A famous professor of philosophy sat with him, who had come from Kharkov, in fact, to clarify the misunderstanding that had arisen between them on a very important philosophical issue. The professor led a heated debate against materialists, and Sergei Koznyshev followed this debate with interest and, having read the professor’s last article, wrote him his objections in a letter; he reproached the professor for making too many concessions to the materialists. And the professor immediately arrived to make arrangements. The discussion was about a fashionable question: is there a boundary between mental and physiological phenomena in human activity and where is it? Sergei Ivanovich greeted his brother with the usual tender-cold smile for everyone and, introducing him to the professor, continued the conversation. A small yellow man with glasses, with a narrow forehead, turned away from the conversation for a moment to say hello, and continued his speech, not paying attention to Levin. Levin sat down waiting for the professor to leave, but soon became interested in the subject of the conversation. Levin came across the articles in magazines that were discussed and read them, being interested in them as the development of the fundamentals of natural science familiar to him as a natural scientist at the university, but he never brought together these scientific conclusions about the origin of man as an animal, about reflexes, about biology and sociology with those questions about the meaning of life and death for oneself, which recently came to his mind more and more often. Listening to the conversation between his brother and the professor, he noticed that they connected scientific questions with spiritual ones, several times almost approached these questions, but every time, as soon as they came close to the most important thing, as it seemed to him, they immediately hastily moved away and went deeper again into the realm of subtle divisions, reservations, quotations, allusions, references to authorities, and he had difficulty understanding what he was talking about. “I cannot admit,” said Sergei Ivanovich with his usual clarity and distinctness of expression and elegance of diction, “I cannot in any case agree with Case, that my entire idea of the external world follows from impressions.” The most basic concept being I did not receive it through sensation, for there is no special organ for conveying this concept. - Yes, but they, Wurst, and Knaust, and Pripasov, will answer you that your consciousness of being follows from the totality of all sensations, that this consciousness of being is the result of sensations. Wurst even directly says that since there is no sensation, there is no concept of being. “I’ll say the opposite,” began Sergei Ivanovich... But here again it seemed to Levin that, having approached the most important thing, they were moving away again, and he decided to ask the professor a question. - So, if my feelings are destroyed, if my body dies, there can be no existence? - he asked. The professor, with annoyance and as if mental pain from the break, looked back at the strange questioner, who looked more like a barge hauler than a philosopher, and shifted his eyes to Sergei Ivanovich, as if asking: what can I say? But Sergei Ivanovich, who did not speak with the same effort and one-sidedness as a professor, and who had room in his head to both answer the professor and at the same time understand the simple and natural point of view from which the question was asked, smiled and said: “We don’t have the right to decide this issue yet... “We have no data,” the professor confirmed and continued his arguments. “No,” he said, “I point out that if, as Pripasov directly says, sensation is based on impression, then we must strictly distinguish between these two concepts.” Levin didn’t listen anymore and waited for the professor to leave.Cartoon creators often put glasses on their characters. Thus, they complement the unique image of the cartoons. In our selection we present 10 cartoon characters who cannot be imagined without glasses.
1 Simon, "Alvin and the Chipmunks"
The cartoon tells the story of three singing chipmunks who get into trouble every now and then. Simon is the most reasonable and intelligent of the three. And round-framed glasses emphasize the seriousness of his character.
2 Professor Seleznev, “The Secret of the 3rd Planet”
Professor Seleznev, his daughter Alisa and Captain Zeleny set off across the expanses of the galaxy in search of unknown animals for the Space Zoo. The sensible and intelligent Professor Seleznev wears stylish square glasses. It is this accessory that shapes the image of a business person.
3 Carl Fredricksen, "Up"
The main character, Carl Fredriksen, survived the death of his beloved wife, but managed to preserve love and romance in his soul. Left alone, he decides to make his beloved's dream come true. Carl lifts the house with a million balloons and flies to Paradise Falls. According to the cartoon, the hero is in old age. The authors emphasize this with thick-framed glasses.
4 Mom, “Adventures in Prostokvashino”
The story about a boy, his dog Sharik and cat Matroskin won the hearts of viewers a long time ago. The most charismatic character is the boy’s mother: somewhat strict and demanding, but at the same time creative and vulnerable. Square glasses with thick frames do not spoil her facial features at all, but only add zest to her unique image.
5 Mr. Peabody and Sherman, "The Adventures of Mr. Peabody and Sherman"
Dog Mr. Peabody is a scientist, inventor, Nobel laureate and genius. With the help of a time machine, he and his adopted son Sherman travel to different eras. The calling card of father and son is the timeless trend of round-framed glasses.
6 Linda, "Rio"
Linda is a fragile girl with a huge heart. In the story, she saved a rare blue macaw from death and found a true friend. Large round glasses highlight the beauty of her green eyes. The color of the frame is in harmony with the shade of the outfit.
7 Rabbit, "Winnie the Pooh and everything, everything, everything..."
Some funny stories always happen to the heroes of Soviet cartoons. The most well-mannered of all ˗ Rabbit. He tries to teach Vinnie good manners, but his love for honey turns out to be stronger. Round glasses, a buttoned-up shirt: in a word: an intellectual.
8 Edna Mode, "The Incredibles"
A cartoon about a family with superpowers who are trying with all their might to live an ordinary human life. But every now and then you need to rein in some villain. A bright cartoon character - Edna Mode - an eccentric clothing designer for superheroes. Look at those round glasses with thick frames that highlight the sparkle in her eyes.
9 Sadness, "Puzzle"
The story is about an ordinary schoolgirl Riley, whose behavior is determined by 5 emotions: Joy, Sadness, Fear, Anger and Disgust. Emotions guide all of Riley's actions and help her cope with problems every day. Sadness wears large round glasses, behind which hides a subtle, vulnerable nature.
10 Baby Elephant, “38 Parrots”
Cartoon characters never sit still - they always come up with something to do. Only the Baby Elephant behaves calmly and judiciously. Square glasses, again, emphasize his efficiency and experience.