‘My Knight and Me’ gallops on to TV, armed with lessons
INSPIRED by the comic books he read, Joeri Christiaen (pictured, right) set out to create a short film called 850 meters, and soon afterwards it became the catalyst behind Boomerang’s latest animation, My Knight and Me.
Christiaen explains: “I used to read comic books in Belgium that were about a red knight. He was a serious, dramatic knight and would talk to his horse honourably. It was a serious book but I found it funny. That kind of inspired me to create a short film called 850 meters, which I finished in 2013.”
While he was making the short film, a French TV channel contacted him to tell him that they had fallen in love with the knight’s character.
“They said: ‘Hey, we would like to do a TV show with this character’. And that’s kind of where everything started.”
At the heart of this delightful animation, which is set in the Dark Ages, is a street-smart Jimmy the Squire, the daring Princess Cat (Jimmy’s best friend) and Henri of Orange (Jimmy’s father), a charming but inept chivalrous knight.
Having created and directed the animation, Christiaen explains its sway with youngsters.
“On the surface it’s about entertainment: kids having fun, laughing and watching the show. However, when you take a deeper look, under all the comedy, underneath the funny actions, we have stories about characters with a more subtle, hidden meaning around friendship, a special relationship between a father and a son, as well as an amazing relationship between two friends.”
He continues: “In every episode we try to have a main character make a mistake, or cause an issue or a problem which they themselves would try to solve on their own, which generally doesn’t work out. This then makes them realise that they cannot do it on their own and would need to work together as a team, or ‘family’ should I say, to fix the issue at hand.
“The emotions and humour add a nice comedic tone, which is relatable and makes these lessons easier to understand.”
Talking about audience, he spoke about the animation’s target market.
“The target is between 6 and 8 to 10 years of age. Personally, it has always been family. What I mean by this is, for me, when you talk about values and relationships between characters with a comedic touch and feel, it becomes relatable to all ages.”
Christiaen adds: “Of course I didn’t make this cartoon all on my own and the producers have a lot of experience working in television and animation, which means they know their audiences better than anyone. It was very much a team effort and I’m excited that Boomerang picked it up, it was one of the most wonderful surprises.”
As for the character he resonates strongest with, he says it’s Henri of Orange.
“I think it’s because I have been with this knight for more than eight years, if I include the short film. I did the first version of him in 2003, which was really, really ugly by the way. But have been with him for so long that he has become a part of me. His traits have influenced me, and mine have influenced him.
“He’s really funny and a good musician, which I’m not, but wish I was.” My Knight and Me airs on Boomerang (DStv Channel 302), 2.45pm, weekdays.