Move over Japan and Disney: China's entry at the Third International Cartoon Fair brought roars of enthusiasm from local audiences.
Officially confirmed as the world's longest TV cartoon series, the China-made "Three Thousand Questions by Naughty Blue Cat" has earned itself a place in the Guinness Book of World Records. It also won first place in the cartoon category at the Fifth National Golden Kid TV Festival for Children.
Other Chinese cartoons that captivated audiences were "Romance Through the Distorting Mirror," based on a Chinese legend, and " The Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea" based on a classical novel.
China Central Television (CCTV) also brought to the exhibition nearly 20 outstanding animation series, many of which featured popular cartoon images such as a big-headed son, a small-headed dad, a blue mouse and a big-faced cat, have left lasting impressions upon Chinese children.
Wang Jian, vice director of the Juvenile Center of Beijing TV, said, "China's cartoon industry always attaches great importance to its educational function. Therefore, it cannot be completely commercialized.
"Many educational cartoon series produced by us, like ‘The Scholar Cat' and 'Why?', have a high sales volume on domestic markets. However, we still need to open our mind on creating new themes and forms," he said.
Japanese cartoons continued to be popular at the fair. When comparing them with Chinese cartoons, Wang Jian said Japanese cartoons have been so successful because "they tightly seize children’s psyches and teen-agers' mentality.
The Japanese concept of creativity is so different from ours, and we have a lot to learn from them," Wang said.
"I Am Crazy for Songs" -- a Chinese imitation of a Japanese cartoon -- made by Shanghai Animated Film Studio, is the first cartoon to represent the lives of middle school students.
Sun, a professor of Beijing Film Academy said China’s cartoon industry needs to import advanced technology as well as update its creative concepts.
During exhibitions, the works produced by Sun's students have employed many world-leading multimedia technologies including three-dimensional computerized technology.
(Xinhua News Agency 08/13/2001)
