Calimero
A black chicken in an eggshell, famous from Italian ads.
Calimero is an animated television series centered on a hapless anthropomorphized chicken who is the only black one in a family of yellow chickens and wears half an eggshell on his head. The character first appeared on the Italian television show Carosello on July 14, 1963, and quickly became a popular icon in Italy. The series originated as animated advertisements for Miralanza AVA soap products, created by Nino Pagot, Toni Pagot, and Ignazio Colnaghi at the animation studio Organizzazione Pagot.
Quick Facts
- Creator
- Nino Pagot
- Toni Pagot
- Ignazio Colnaghi
- First
- Carosello
- Voice
- Ignazio Colnaghi
- Davide Garbolino (2013–present)
- Uti Hof (1970–1972, English)
- Species
- Chicken
- Gender
- Male
- Family
- Gallettoni (father); Cesira (mother)
Facts from the source article.
Legacy
On May 7, 2015, BulkyPix and Gaumont Animation launched Calimero's Village for iOS and Android. Players build a home and mill in Hatchington, then expand the town with various structures. Five mini-games help earn coins and experience. The app initially cost €2.99.
Impact in popular culture
The character has influenced vocabulary in several countries. In the Netherlands and Belgium, the term "Calimerocomplex" describes people convinced their underdog status is due to their small size, often citing the character's line about being small and treated unfairly. In Israel, military policemen were nicknamed Calimero in the 1970s and 1980s because of their egg-shaped white helmets; similarly, in Spain, calimero referred to a type of motorbiker helmet. In parts of Yugoslavia, the Polski Fiat 126p was nicknamed Kalimero. Italian fashion house Bottega Veneta introduced the "Kalimero" bucket bag in 2022, inspired by the bindle the character carries.
More in French Children's Animated Television Series
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