La Linea
Eyes: Not shownHair: None
Race: Human
Story: La Linea is a feisty little Italian guy living as a part of an endless crayon line.
Continuity: La Linea
Publisher(s): HDH Film TV
First app.: 1969
Creator(s): Osvaldo Cavandoli
Country of origin: Italy
Background notes: La Linea (the Line) was created by Osvaldo Cavandoli in 1969. Originally the cartoons were created at the agency ODG (Orsini, Damioli, Gandin) as a series of commercials entitled Carosello. The commercials were about Lagostina kitchenware products, and the accompanying narration identified Mr. Linea as "Agostino Lagostina". As a commercial, the series only lived shortly. After the first eight cartoons, the cartoons went from commercials to being short cartoons used as an interstitial program.
The idea with La Linea was pretty basic. Walking along the line he grew out of, he would encounter various obstacles, the sudden end of the line being the recurring gag, and the cartoonist would draw something to help him get past the obstacle. On his adventured La Linea spoke in very understandable Italian gibberish (voice by Carlo Bonomi), giving directions or exclaiming his sentiments and moods. The first cartoons were in black and white but later, around 1976, colors were added.
From 1972 on, La Linea was shown on numerous TV stations in Europe as well as in cinema, mostly as interstitial between commercials, but in many cases as one of the cartoons for children. Some of the cartoons had some visuals that were deemed inappropriate for children, e.g. giant breasts growing out of the ground, and were only shown in the later hours of the day. La Linea was shown in more than 40 countries over the world and ran for around 150 episodes from 1969 to 1991. The series won prizes 1972 in Annecy and 1973 in Zagreb.
La Linea has made a short recurrence in commercials. The Danish realestate company Home used La Linea in some of their commercials around 2003-2004. Later in 2005, he appeared in video for Don't Give Hate a Chance by Jamiroquai in 3D.
Names around the World:
| Albania | Barum Badum |
| Argentina | Abelardo |
| Brazil | A Linha |
| Canada | La ligne |
| Croatia | Bajum Badum |
| Denmark | Stregen |
| Finland | Linus linjalla |
| France | La Linéa |
| Germany | La Linea Lui (sometimes) |
| Greece | Μπαρούμ Μπαρούμ |
| Hungary | Menő Manó |
| Iceland | Línan |
| Iran | Aghaaye Khat آقای خط |
| Israel | Mar Kav מר קו |
| Italy | Agostino Lagostina (original name) La Linea |
| North Macedonia | Бајум Бајум |
| Norway | Streken |
| Kosovo | Barum Badum |
| Poland | Balum balum Złośniczek (sometimes) |
| Saudi Arabia | AlSeyed Khat السيد خط |
| Serbia | Барум Барум Barum Barum Абаракандиши Ди Фјури Abarakandiši Di Fjuri |
| Slovenia | Linea Badum Badum |
| Spain | La línea |
| Sweden | Linus på linjen |
| Turkey | Bay Meraklı Çizgi Adam |
| UK | La Linea |
| USA | Lineman |
Cross cultural references:
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