Lineman 

When artist draws a magic line, it takes on a life of its own, becoming a silhouette of a living hot-tempered person. This "Mr. Line" wants more things drawn so he can enjoy himself, but the artist loves having fun on Mr. Line's account.

Stars:

Carlo Bonomi, Osvaldo Cavandoli

Cast

Series cast summary:
Carlo Bonomi	...	All voices (uncredited) unknown episodes

Storyline

When artist draws a magic line, it takes on a life of its own, becoming a silhouette of a living hot-tempered person. This "Mr. Line" wants more things drawn so he can enjoy himself, but the artist loves having fun on Mr. Line's account.

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Plot Keywords:

minimalism | cult tv | surrealism | joy | anger | 

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Genres:

Animation | Short | Comedy | Family

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Details

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Release Date:

1972 (Italy)

Also Known As:

Lineman

Company Credits

Production Co:

Belokapi, Monitorpop Entertainment, Télécip

Technical Specs

Runtime:

3 min (90 episodes)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the United States, the series was featured on The Great Space Coaster (1981).

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Connections

Featured in Screenwipe: Episode #2.4 (2006)

User Reviews

Animation in its simplest and its best

Fine Art of Simplicity. It might be exaggerated comparing it to invention of wheel or wedge, but it is easily yet another example of achieving greatness through simplicity.

Each of the less than 3 minutes long shorts is initiated and terminated one-dimensionally, restricted to a single line (la linea in Italian), while the middle part gets more "complex", both visually and aurally, thanks to the noisy little fellow whose two-dimensional adventures we're in to follow.

Moody little chap is a collection of extremes. Redrawn (reborn!) at the start of each new episode, enthusiastic about his (coming to) existence, stretching and happily sighing out of contentment, not before long he's, at first curious about, then eventually puzzled with, and finally upset with the usual absence of the line ahead, finding himself either irritated or delighted with the easily recognizable line gap-filling shape, subsequently outlined, or alternatively deleted by the only other permanently accompanying character, pencil-holding hand, apparently belonging to his author, Osvaldo Cavandoli.

When annoyed, The Line (La linea) bitterly complains, angrily mumbling inarticulate words, that - not only due to their forte-to-fortissimo dynamics - easily sound like scrambled Italian, a native language of his author. However, when happy "with his new (drawn) toy" he childishly vocalizes in falsetto voice, or murmurs his simple tune. Easy to please, even easier to displease, his vocal repertoire includes sweetest humming and the loudest of laughter, pouting noise and mockery... to name a few.

Palette of background colours provide for the whole spectrum of mood changes: from happy serenity of (nature's) green, carefree tranquility painted in light blue, via suspicious hesitance reflected on the deep blue (sea), through the whole scale of intense feelings (anywhere from unpleasant surprise to utmost infuriation) backed by range of red tones, while darker gray tones, culminating in black, add up to troublesome, occasionally fearsome, eventually gruesome moments of difficulty or "serious" disaster, with expected final comic relief.

Of course, extensive continuous watching might be end-impression counterproductive. Therefore, it should be consumed as a medicine, in small portions, an episode or two at the time. Ideal as an entertaining time filler, to keep the (TV) program schedule accurate.