The Tulipoppers, a cast of animated characters created by marketing pro Helga Árnadóttir and illustrator Signý Kolbeinsdóttir, made their Icelandic-language debut last night, mbl.is reports. The Tulipop design company, which sells a range of products from vinyl figurines and plush toys to stationary and tableware, was launched in 2010, but up until now, the characters only spoke English in their animated YouTube series. It seems the Tulipoppers have been hard at work on their language-learning, however: all the episodes in series one were broadcast in Icelandic on RÚV last night.
Per the Tulipop website: “The magical world of Tulipop is inhabited by quirky and playful characters who appeal to all those who are young at heart. Its unique characters include Gloomy, the adventurous hyperactive mushroom girl and Fred, the furry smelly forest creature who wants to be scary but is too gentle to succeed. The Tulipoppers are all quite flawed but still lovable – just like us humans. In Tulipop traditional gender stereotypes are challenged, and mutual respect for nature and each other is given high priority.”
Icelandic actor Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, who voices Fred in the English version, has also recorded the character’s voice in the new Icelandic-language episodes. Icelandic actors including Salka Sól, Ólafía Hrönn, and Laddi voice the other characters in Icelandic.
Originally, the animated series was only intended to be released on YouTube in English. However, in the seven months since the first episode of season one aired, the channel has received 1.5 million views. This popularity then encouraged Helga and Signý to work with RÚV on an Icelandic-language version. There are currently nine episodes of two and a half minutes each in series one and a number of additional videos on the YouTube website; a second ten-episode series is in production and will hopefully air in the late summer.
Helga and Signý are excited about developing the series even further. They’re currently in talks with an international company about producing a Tulipop series with 52, eleven-minute episodes and are also working on German and Spanish dubbing for the current episodes.
