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Insektors | |
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![]() The front cover to an Insektors DVD | |
Genre | Family comedy |
Created by | Studio Fantome |
Written by | Eric Rondeaux Véronique Herbaut |
Directed by | Georges LaCroix Renato LaCroix |
Country of origin | France |
Original language | French |
No. of seasons | 2 |
No. of episodes | 26 (list of episodes) |
Production | |
Running time | 12 minutes |
Production companies | Fantome Animation Ellipse Programme Medialab Studio D.A. Neurones Erasmus+ Creative Europe Media |
Original release | |
Network | Canal+ France 3 RTBF 1 |
Release | January 15, 1994 – December 30, 1995 |
Insektors (stylized as InseKtorS) is a 1994 French animated television series set on a planet inhabited by two factions of anthropomorphic insects: one colorful and peace-loving, the other monochromatic and aggressive.
Made in a small studio, Fantôme in France, it was one of the earliest computer-animated series alongside VeggieTales and ReBoot . The series won 30 awards, including a 1994 "Children and Young People" Emmy Award. [1]
In 2023, Piko Interactive acquired rights to the show. [2]
Fantôme was formed by Renato, Georges Lacroix and Jean-Yves Grall in 1985. It released Les fables géométriques (Geometric Fables), the first computer-animated television series. Renato came up with the idea for Insektors in 1991, when Les fables géométriques was almost done airing. Animation director Gilbert Louet said that the team wanted to make something more ambitious, with a more serious story and larger scope. A pilot and making of documentary was released in 1992. [1]
Fantôme hired script writer Eric Rondeaux at the recommendation of animation studio Ellipse Programme, with whom Rondeaux had worked on a 1991 adaptation of The Adventures of Tintin . Marc Perrier and Veronique Herbaut were later hired as additional script writers. The studio used Silicon Graphics hardware for its animations. Crew recalled the animation process as grueling; the studio wanted two to five seconds of animation to be done per person each day. For the second season, the series used motion capture on the direction of Canal+, who had just bought a production company that specialized in the technique. [1]
A pilot episode was shot, and there were two 13-episode seasons and a few special episodes including a 1996 Christmas episode. The series was dubbed into two English language releases; one for North America, and one for the UK. [1] The North American version was recorded in Paris. It was first aired on Canadian television on YTV. For the UK version, the script was re-written; characters had different names and different dialogue was used. Jokes and references specific to British/English culture were also incorporated. [1]
The series takes place on the planet Karbon/Krud, though the UK dub does include references to locations on Earth. The episode "Planet Karbon/The Black Planet" reveals that Karbon/Krud was originally a dark, colorless rock inhabited by a single race of insects called the Yuks/Kruds, who survived the planet's hostile environment by burrowing deep into it for coal. At one point, a Prism shaped meteor hit the planet and nourished the site on which it landed with color and energy, resulting in a flower-filled paradise. A few of the Yuks/Kruds colonized the area and evolved colors of their own, renaming themselves Joyces/Verigreens. They venerated the Prism and built a high altar upon it. The Yuks/Kruds who chose to stick to their original lives continued mining for coal till they gradually exhausted their supplies. The animosity between the two insect civilizations began when a violent Yuk/Krud known as King Bakrako/Katheter I came up with the solution of using the Joyce's/Verigreen's flower stalks as substitute fuel sources. Gradually, all memory of the two civilizations once being the same people was lost, and ever since they have been enemies.
The French name is given first followed by the British name in brackets, and if there is an alternate North American name, this is indicated by a slash.
Joyces (Verigreens) are colorful, cheerful insects and offshoots of the Yuk/Krud civilization who broke away from their dark cousins upon the arrival of the Great Prism which nourished the site where it landed, resulting in the creation of Flower City. They are peaceful people who devote their lives to merrymaking and protecting the Great Prism from harm. Joyce citizens who are not main characters resemble bees.
Fulgor (Flynn)
Aelia (Alex)
Le Grand Artificier/The Great Pyro (Godfrey)
Daltonio (Bentley)
Gallopus (Peg)
Spotty (Elmo)
Beurks/Yuks (Kruds) are monochromatic insects that live in a rotting tree stump in a swamp - they continually try to conquer the Flower City in the name of their Queen, namely for the fuel source the flowers provide. Exposure to brightly colored substances (pollen, juices from mushrooms) causes them to enter states of uninhibited laughter. Yuk soldiers that are not main characters resemble crickets, whereas Yuk citizens that are not main characters are beetles.
Reine/Queen Bakrakra (Queen Katheter III)
Prince Acylius (Prince Maximillian)
Lord Krabo (Lord Draffsack)
Lord Teknocratus (Lord Synapse)
Lord Kretinus (Corporal Fugg)
General Lukanus (General Wasabi)
Captain Krabouic and Lieutenant Kaboche (Captain Roderick Drumsturdy and Corporal Stanley Greeb)
The Guards (The Methane Brothers)
Eric
Protokol (Kopius)
Eurekas (Magus)
The French name is given first followed by the British name in brackets, and if there is an alternate North American name, this is indicated by a slash.
The Great Prism (The Great Prism)
Kolour Guitar (Musical Colour Gun)
Dragonfly Squadron
Flower Konnons
Kolour Dynamites
The Hotsy Totsy (Hypertherm)
The Dark Box (Krud'o'Pod)
Hoverbikes (Bikes/Krudmobile)
Kreatur
Kat-Kat
Koa (Frogbuckets)
The Koleopter (The Hovermower)
Sky Breaker (Cloud Clearer)
"Tweet-Tweet" (Chicken)
"Kalkulator" (Sparky)
"Auto-mated lumberjacks"
Koal Juice Guns
Vokalizers
Title | Description | Region |
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Insektors: The Musical Colour Gun and Other Adventures | Featuring episodes: "The Musical Colour Gun", "Flowers for Katheter", "Frogbucket", "The Rescue", "The Escape", "The Black Planet" and "The Daffodil Collector". Inside cover features information about The Verigreens and some of their technology. Note: This tape was made in the UK. | 2 |
Insektors: The Mechanical Digger and Other Adventures | Featuring episodes: "The Mechanical Digger", "The Prince of Rock", "The Weather Forecast", "Close Encounters", "The Diplomatic Bridge" and "Godfrey's Secret". Inside cover features information about The Kruds and some of their technology. Note: This tape was made in the UK. | 2 |
Insektors: Krud Confession and Other Adventures | Featuring episodes: "Krud Confession", "Sick at Heart", "If Chickens Could Fly", "The Cage", "Athletics", "The Comet" and "Ruling Classes". Inside cover features information about The Kruds and some of their technology. Note: This tape was made in the UK. | 2 |
Insektors: Accused and Other Adventures | Featuring episodes: "Accused", "Epidemic", "The Cure", "Sparkie and Co", "A Spectre Calls" and "The Cave". Inside cover features information about The Verigreens and some of their technology. Note: This tape was made in the UK. | 2 |
Insektors: Bumper Special | Featuring episodes "The Musical Colour Gun", "The Mechanical Digger" and others. Inside cover features information about some of the characters such as Flynn, Draffsack, Alex and others. | 2 |
Insektors: Krud Kaper | Featuring episodes: "The Musical Colour Gun", "The Daffodil Collector", "The Weather Forecast", "The Diplomatic Bridge", "If Chickens Could Fly". Note: This tape was made in the UK. | 2 |
Insektors: The Kolour Guitar | Featuring episodes: "The Kolour Guitar", "Flowers for Bakrakra", "Koa the Frog" and "Daffodil Kraze". Note: This tape was made in Australia. | 2 |
Insektors: The Eskape | Featuring episodes: "The Eskape", "Planet Karbon", "Kolecopter" and "Katerpillar". Note: This tape was made in Australia. | 2 |
Insektors Vol. 1 | French only VHS, featuring episodes: "La guitare à kouleurs", "Des fleurs pour Bakrakra", "Koa la grenouille", and "Au feu les jonKilles". | 2 |
Insektors Vol. 2 | French only VHS, featuring episodes: "Eskapade", "Planète Karbone", "Koléoptère", "Katerpillar", "Troglodyte Rock", and "Les Detrakeurs du Ciel". | 2 |
Insektors Vol. 3 | French only VHS, featuring episodes: "La Nuit Elektrik", "Le Pont de la Konkorde", "Les Sekrets du Grand Artificier", "Grosse Kolere", "Koup de Kafard", and "Kui-Kui". | 2 |
Insektors DVD Vol. 3 | This is a French only DVD, featuring episodes: "Le Kadeau", "La Kourse", "Kataklysme", "Suksession", "Koupable", "Kontagion", "Rekolte", "Kalkulator", "Spektre", and "Katakombs". Also includes a behind the scenes video and a Christmas special. Special features include "Characters and Inventions". | 2 |