Interview with the cartoon character creator Hero Sam Sam

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 14:00

In the new animated film "Hero Himself" SamPlanet is in danger! The home abode of the famous SamSama was attacked by the Gloomy - alien beetles that spread throughout the Universe … sadness. To defeat the hordes of Grims, our hero will come to the aid of his old pen pal from a neighboring planet. In an interview, Serge Bloch, the creator of the characters of the cartoon "Hero SamSam", spoke about the heroes, idea and inspiration.

Did you love superhero comics as a kid?

- Frankly, I did not know anything about them then, because Marvel comics and DC Comics did not reach France by the 1960s. In my childhood there were other heroes such as Tartin, Ivanhoe, Black le Roc, Mandragora and Phantom. Batman and Superman hadn't crossed the Atlantic yet!

How did you come up with SamSama? Where did you get your inspiration from?

“I've already worked on other characters like Max and Lily, and I knew comics were the shortest route to the hearts of readers. Working often with other authors, I wanted to create something new that would reflect my personal dreams and disappointments. At that time, the whole world was swept by a wave of passion for Pokémon. I certainly couldn't help but appreciate the interesting graphic design of this world. But he was still of the opinion that this was commercial bait only for children to buy and collect cards, because there was no real story behind the Pokémon.

I was amazed at the excitement the fantasy world caused. This made me look at the world around me differently. My four-year-old son was obsessed with Batmania, even though he hadn't read a single comic book about this superhero. Probably just saw him somewhere on the poster. For the occasion, we made him a fake Batman costume out of cardboard - he was just happy.

And somehow friends came to us for dinner, and their son of about the same age was dressed in a superhero Batman costume, but much better, with plastic details. This meeting of two mini-Batmen amazed and touched me. Soon after, I started sketching in a notebook, creating a world of my own set in the superhero universe. One day this notebook was seen by the wonderful editor Marie-Agnes Godra. Without her participation, neither SamSam nor the little witch Zuk would have appeared in the world. This is how our little superhero was born together with his superhero family. Their adventures first appeared on the pages of the children's magazine Pomme d'Api in January 2000, and the Pixar film "The Incredibles" was released almost five years later. I could not keep silent about it, well, you understand! (Laughs)

How you sketched the future world. What did you draw from?

- I really liked the Czech cartoons of the 1950s and the painting style of American artists such as Robert O. Blechman. According to one of his stories, the cartoon "Our Lady's Juggler" was filmed in 1958. This is one of my favorite films! SamSama's adventures began with two-page comics. They were 2D color and outline pictures for children. In this format, I told short stories in only eleven pictures at a time. Obviously, a decent plot could not fit into such a small format. Especially considering that all characters should be in the center of the drawing to make it easy to read the comic. This is where my work on a simplified storytelling began. Then the story turned into a television series, thanks in large part to such talented people as the wonderful art director Eric Guillon and Tanguy de Kermel, who filmed all the episodes of the series and the new feature film. They have made invaluable contributions to the world of the franchise.

Eric decided to break my principle - to draw the main characters in one color to make it easier to read. He went further and developed a unique color scheme for each of the planets. SamPlanet is made in red, yellow and orange, and everything on Mars is green. This color distribution has proven to be very effective and will help children follow dynamic adventures.

Let's dwell on the themes of fears, trials and joys of childhood that you touch on in your stories …

- I have always been interested in what a child experiences in certain situations: what makes him happy, and what, perhaps, scares … difficulties in the game format. So I came up with Mokrokrovatov - annoying and clingy creatures. The idea is very simple, but it makes kids laugh. The same can be said about dirty MakYaks - they are associated with an irrepressible childish desire to get dirty and get untold pleasure from it. Many parents will understand me.

Does SamSama have features of your own child?

- Of course! Starting with his name. My son's name is Samuel, and we call him SamSam. My children were very young when I started to invent the world of SamSama, and if I ran out of ideas, it was enough to watch the children. Some kind of problem at school or a quarrel with a friend: all their ups and downs became a source of inspiration for me.

Do you think writing children's stories is a rewarding job?

- Mostly, I like it, because I myself am the first reader of my own scripts. I hope my stories evoke a lot of emotions in readers - they laugh, get hopeful, calm down and gain self-confidence. Hopefully, these stories have a positive therapeutic effect. They help us in life, help us to have fun, relax and develop imagination, which is so important for children because it will help them throughout their lives.

What's the funniest thing you've heard from your readers about SamSam?

- This question is not so easy to answer, because I meet children at book exhibitions, where they usually come with their mothers. If I ask any questions, then mothers are responsible for the children! (laughs). "How old are you?" - "He's five!" - "Do you have any brothers or sisters?" - “Yes, he has a brother and a sister” (laughs). Children are usually shy in such situations, it is difficult for them to talk to me themselves. The most touching and charming thing is that this character, this fragile little boy, continues to stand the test of time (it will soon be 20 years old) only due to the fact that he gives joy to children. This is very inspiring and impressive. My young readers express their emotions by sending drawings to the editor, and from there they are subsequently sent to me. They are wonderful, although sometimes they don't make me angry because many kids are incredibly talented and draw better than me! (laughs).

The writer Daniel Pennack once said: "A good children's book is one that parents read with as much pleasure as the children themselves." Are you counting on a parenting audience?

- Of course. I always take into account the fact that my parents will read my books, because 4-5 years old children simply cannot read yet. To follow SamSam's adventures requires what is called "collective reading." Children understand the meaning of the images, but the words are read by their mothers and fathers. In addition, it is the parents who are the first to flip through the books in the store and decide which one to buy and whether their child should subscribe to the Pomme d'Api magazine. And since parents have to follow SamSam's adventures with their children, then SamSam's parents need to take a place in these adventures. The hero's mother is very beautiful, the father is strong, and they know a lot. In fact, I often incorporate adult jokes into my stories. Children will not understand them, but adults will like it. Of course, I am impressed by the work of Gosinni2 - a true master of various genres and interpretations.

How did you work with Tanguy de Kermel and the team behind the animated series SamSam?

“Tanguy and I have known each other for over ten years. We met often while working on the series and discussed the SamSam universe. Most of the adaptation work was done during the preparatory period, but we continued to collaborate later, during the filming of the first hundred episodes. We all invested a lot in this project, but this much became just the foundation for the future film.

I sincerely admire Tanguy, his talent, pedantry, the seriousness of his approach to work, as well as the warmth with which he treats both children and the fantastic worlds he creates. Knowing that he would take the director's chair, and talented writers would write the script, I had no doubt that the film was in good hands.

I followed the development of the script with hope for the best and was not mistaken in my aspirations. The script turned out to be extremely good, the dialogues of the characters were very carefully worked out. Sometimes in conversation with Tanguy, Jean, Valerie and the Folivari team, we had some minor disagreements, but on the main thing we all agreed. I think we need to give people the opportunity to express themselves, to feel the freedom of creativity, and in this case the results may turn out to be unpredictable good. All my life I have fought for the right to work without any restrictions, so I do not like to impose them on others. Ultimately, everyone benefits from this approach.

What did you like most about the TV series and feature film about SamSama?

- The most unforgettable feeling is when you see how the characters you created move, hear their voices and the music that accompanies their adventures. The film has wonderful colors, in addition, the baby Mega appeared - a very successful new character. She seems to have always lived in this world and fit perfectly into the children's group. I also really like the First Martian, whom I consider to be a kind of Louis de Funes of this universe. I was delighted with how his world is presented in the picture. I would like to thank the entire team that worked on the film, because the result exceeds all my wildest expectations.