Keskustelujen arkisto

Ah! Finaly a topic in which I'm a (so-so) specialist since it's one of my most favorite shows ever :)

Heck, I own the complite DVD collection and I wrote super-long article about Him (Polish only but there's plenty of screen grabs) :
http://panmilus.blogspot.com/2011/09/recenzja-count-duckula-hrabia-kaczula.html

In my article I actually compare it to "Duck Tales" just to point out how diffrent this show was then anything else on TV at the time. While Duckula would travel around the world (and some episodes involve treasure hunting) it was far from an "advantrue show". What was interesting about it is that it felt way more like a british sit-come. Even the cast : the wacky count who looks for get-rich-quick scams, the no-nonsence buttler and the dim-wited but good nature nany.
Another interesting but odd for animated cartoon part was the fact that when you get down to it... most of each episode is just character's just standing there talking. The dialog scenes are long and usualy very complex but at the same time are so full of puns, the characters playoff each other so well and... well it's so funny you love every second of it.

Here's a great example :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHnuFmrQtMU

Who ever writen this stuff was trully a modern master of word play. Another thing that's helps is the dark atmosphere which is just terrific.

Finally one more thing - that love - that set's it aparat from other kids shows is the fact that the episodes had morals. The only episode I can think of that had some sort of moral leason at the end it the Christmas episode and even then it was handle in a very cynical way. In fact the show never felt like it talking down to kids. There are some very obscure literature and movie refrences (one episode is a spoof of "Cabinet of Dr. Calligarii", and since the show was made long beafore the internet I think most people didn't get the in-jokes) and the characters are supprisingly complex and far from "black and white".

Duckula on one hand is sympathethic and likes to point out his a vegetarian, pacyfist and noble - unlike his cruel ancestors - but at the same time his a very selfish, glory-lusting, ego-centirc character... it's just handle in a way he never feels like a jerk. His a nice guy, he just easly get's cary away by his dreams of fame and fortune and yes I agree there is quite a big similarity betwen His and Donald's personalities. They both have "everyman' quality to them and they both have characters that present's mainly flaws but their hearth is usualy in the right place.
Igore on other hand is a character who easly could been the villian on any other show with all his plots to trick Duckula in to falow the ways of his ancestry and tempting him to do dark and macabre things all the time... at the same time (in a odd contrast) his so well-brad, loyal to his master and intelgient that it's hard not to love this character. There is this wird contrast betwen mot insane and most sane character on this show I find fascinating.

Speaking of Insanity then we have VonGooswing. This - in my opinion - is how I think more kids show should write there villians. His not evil, his not mean spirited - in fact his a polite old man who's mission in life is to kill all vampires to make the world a safer place... He's just so obsses about killing all vampires that he fails to see that this Duckula isn't a evil monster but a normal guy. He's not motivated by some evil desires of greed or hate... his just making a mistake/misjudgment and it so living in his own world that he fails to ever stop and consider this. Agian - another great complex characters (with some a wonderfull voice acting BTW)

Overall it was a great show. All the puns, characters interactions and some dark humor here and there as well great atmosphare made by the music (BEST OUTRO SONG EVER!) and desings (BEST CASTLE EVER DRAWN EVER!) made it great thing to enjoy and I wish they would made more or maybe one day try to remake it...
My only complain is that many episodes have endings that felt rush... it's like most episodes where ment to be few minutes longer but they realise that they had to cut it for time so they rap-up each show as quickly it's possible. One more problems is that episode that was ment to be the pilot - which explains all the "rules" of how many things in Duckula universe work - didn't air to season 3, which is a shame... in fact most of there "rules" are often forgoten as the show went along. Duckula sometimes have the power to teleport by will but most of the time is ignore. Odd, but that's a small problem to be honest since the show is all about the comedy...

Any way - a great show that I strongly recomend.

The show was really huge in Germany back in the day, maybe even more than in the UK. We had TONS of Duckula merchandise here, I even had a Duckula school bag when I first got into elementary school. I also created a Duckula website many years ago, which hasn't been updated in quite some time (since there's just not much new to report), but which is still the biggest Duckula page around as far as I know: http://www.duckula.de

There are also interviews with voice actors and animators, but since it's all in German, it's probably not much use for anyone who doesn't speak the language. Still, you can have a look at the merchandise galleries if you like ;): http://www.duckula.de/?Produkte

Quote:One more problems is that episode that was ment to be the pilot - which explains all the "rules" of how many things in Duckula universe work - didn't air to season 3, which is a shame...
I'm pretty sure this is not true. Which episode do you suggest that would have been? There was no episode that was supposed to act as a pilot. It was a deliberate choice by Cosgrove Hall to only have that little bit of background story in the intro.

Where can I see the pilot? :D Now I reaaally want to see it!

Thanks Jano! :) I love it, I always thought it was named Pilot on YT. xD

Ah yes - true.
Thanks.

Yhe. He was even named 'McDuckula" from what I recall :D

Scrooge was on Count Duckula? Great Howling Crashwagons.