Cartoon culture

Krteček, the Czech Republic's favourite cartoon character, is a far gentler creature than his American contemporaries

WORDS BY NICOLA JOYCE

Krteček, the Czech Republic's favourite cartoon character, is a far gentler creature than his American contemporaries

Krteček (pronounced "krrte-check"), or Little Mole, first appeared on Czech screens in 1956, quietly making himself a pair of trousers with the help of his animal pals. Elsewhere in cartoon-land, a cat and mouse duo fought tooth-and-nail and a coyote aimed Acme weapons at assorted foes. But Krteček's sunny disposition and dedication to teamwork won the heart of communist-ruled Czechoslovakia, propelling him to cult status. Ask any Czech person under the age of 50 and they'll recall "how the mole got his pants".

Zdena Malá, a teacher at Prague's Caledonian School, shares her love of Krteček with her 10-year-old daughter, Marketa. "Of course, my favourite episode is still the one where mole makes his new trousers," she says.

Sweet without being saccharine, the slow-paced, poetic cartoons gave Czechs a populist fairy tale which refused to keep pace with the comedy violence of American cartoons. Interestingly, America is one of few countries where Krteček never found fame.

In 1954, cartoonist Zdeněk Miler was asked to create a cartoon teaching children how cloth was made. While pondering the project and wanting to find a character not already used by Disney, on an evening walk Miler chanced upon a molehill, and Krteček was born. Krteček dug deep into the Czech consciousness during and after the communist regime, gently railing against officialdom while protecting his native forest environment. Miler's young daughters voiced the character, expressing the mole's feelings as child-like exclamations. This helped Krteček transcend borders: he is known in over 80 countries. As a successful international export, he brought foreign currency for the communist government and, with the introduction of capitalism, began to appear on merchandise. He was the first Czech cartoon character to make it to DVD.

"The Czechs love Little Mole because he sees the good in all his fellow creatures," says Katerina Kadleíková, a Prague-born teacher. "His world isn't black and white. He's a team player willing to help everyone."

At the age of 52, Krteček still appears on Czech TV during a dedicated evening slot aimed at children (Večerníček). For 10 minutes at 6:45pm, Czech children can delight in the antics of their Little Mole.

If you've fallen for Krteček and want to return home with some mole merchandise of your own, you won't have to look far. Most tourist shops and supermarkets in Prague feature Krteček in various guises, from plush toys to mugs, card games, bedclothes and T-shirts. Facebook has a dedicated Krteček group and you can watch old episodes on YouTube, including the trousers story.

easyJet flies to Prague from eight destinations

No way!

Krteček is still burrowing into the hearts of his countrymen: 951,000 tuned in to watch his latest antics (almost 10% of the Czech population).

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