Animals run wild in slapstick ‘Mighty Mike’ cartoons

“Mighty Mike” producer Corinne Kouper

It’s humor without the words, a la “Mr. Bean,” but instead of an odd human protagonist, the new series “Mighty Mike” is about an adorable, animated pug’s adventures—sans dialogue.

Series producer Corinne Kouper, who cofounded Paris-based animation studio TeamTO, believes that “Mighty Mike” will be “very successful” globally. “Many people are completely crazy about pugs, and we hope this dog will appeal to viewers in the Philippines,” she recently told the Inquirer via a conference call. “This show transcends culture because it’s about animals.”

Also on the same call was director Franz Kirchner, who added, “The show doesn’t have any dialogue, which makes it accessible to everybody around the world. People are going to love its slapstick, visual comedy.”

Kouper, asked about the show’s origin, recounted being inspired by a previous project. “A few years ago, our studio produced a nondialogue cartoon with CGI animals called ‘Oscar’s Oasis,’” she said. “We loved working on that kind of show. But since then, the technology has evolved, and now it’s possible to create a character that looks almost completely real.”

On who created the series specifically, Kirchner said: “Guillaume Hellouin, the CEO of TeamTO, had the original idea of a photo-realistic pug who would be the star of a show that would feel a bit like ‘Tom and Jerry.’ Corrine and I came in to help flesh out the ideas, the characters and the world around them.”

Director Franz Kirchner

It is currently attracting viewers, according to the director: “Their first impression was, [they found] the animals really cute. Then, they get into the story and the adventures, which make them laugh a lot. It’s also interesting to us that people seem to empathize with the characters. While its primary audience might be children, it is intended to make the whole family laugh.”

Kouper, meanwhile, stated that young cartoon viewers share few similarities with previous generations. “Things are different these days and there is a lot more competition for attention. So, for us, we want to work on projects that are new and exciting. In this series, we’re doing 78 seven-minute episodes and all the shows will be completely ready in a few months. But in the meantime, you can start watching on [cable channel] Boomerang already. These days, kids are used to watching short video clips, and the format suits that preference well.”

The titular canine, Mike, is protective of a house kitten (Fluffy), and has a crush on the neighbor’s dog (Iris). He deals with pesky raccoons (Freddy and Mercury), and is a pal to energetic pet turtles (Athos, Portos and Aramis).

Doing this type of animation continues to be educational for Kirchner. “The characters have to express themselves and tell a story using only gestures and visual expressions,” he said. “It’s demanding and challenging [for me, as a director] because I must tell a full story in seven minutes. It seems like a short time, but it’s not! It has to have a fully fleshed-out storyline with a climax and a resolution.”

On creating the crew of artists and designers that help put the show together, Kouper said it “was an amazing challenge.” She recalled, “We assembled a different kind of crew … we hired a director of photography and architect to think about the light and the texture of the house.”

Kirchner further explained, “The whole team has to work much harder—it’s graphically different and challenging, with so many details in the lighting, staging and the animation. Luckily, everybody was dedicated. Some of them had to rethink the way they worked to adapt to the unique style of the show.”

The titular dog character of “Mighty Mike”