Foster's house for imaginative friends
| Television series | |
|---|---|
| German title | Foster's house for imaginative friends |
| Original title | Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends |
| Country of production | United States |
| original language | English |
| Year (s) | 2004-2009 |
| length | 22 minutes |
| Episodes | 79 in 6 seasons |
| genre | Animation , comedy |
| idea | Craig McCracken |
| music | James L. Venable |
| First broadcast | Aug 13, 2004 (USA) on Cartoon Network |
| German-language first broadcast |
January 20, 2007 on Super RTL |
Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends is an American children's animated television series from 2004. The original English title, Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends is a pun on " foster home " to German " foster family " or "foster home". The series was conceived by Craig McCracken , who also created the Powerpuff Girls , and it won several Emmy Awards . In the USA the series is broadcast on Cartoon Network , in Germany the series ran from 2007 to 2009 on Super RTL .
Foster's House for Fantasy Friends tells the adventures of 8-year-old Mac and his fantasy friend Bloo .
content
The series takes place in a world where imaginary friends become real as soon as a child makes them up. Other people and even adults can see and interact with them too . But after a certain age, children usually don't feel like playing with their imaginary friends. Or their parents demand that they give up their imaginary friends so they can finally stand on their own two feet. The question that remains is what should happen to these fantasy creatures. In the series, they find shelter in "Foster's House for Fantasy Friends" - a kind of emergency shelter with an integrated adoption site that belongs to old Madame Foster . Friends are allowed to live there until a new child comes along and wants to adopt them - for example a child who cannot invent their own imaginary friend.
The series also shows that almost all fantasy friends are the character and intellectual counterpart of their respective creators: Mac is helpful and selfless, while Bloo is selfish and ruthless. Wilt is a gifted basketball player and charming, but his creator was sporty clumsy and cheeky. And finally Eduardo is scared and weepy, his creator is now a self-confident policewoman. Physical opposites are also shown: in one episode, Mac and Bloo have to look for a multi-eyed fantasy friend whose owner is blind.
In the pilot "House of Bloo's" it is said that Mac's mother is tired of the constant wrangling between him, Bloo and his older brother Terrance and that Mac is too old for an imaginary boyfriend at the age of 8. She wants the boy to leave Bloo. Mac then takes Bloo to Foster's house for fantasy friends . There is only one problem: Bloo can stay there, but according to the rules it would automatically be available for adoption, like all other fantasy friends. But Mac can't do that. He then agrees with Mr. Herriman (the caretaker) and Madame Foster that Bloo will not be put up for adoption as long as Mac visits him at exactly 3 p.m. every day.
characters
People
Mac : Mac is a very smart and creative 8 year old boy. He has brown, chin-length hair and is wearing a red t-shirt over gray jeans. He is a good student and rarely breaks any rules. Since he usually goes to visit Bloo right after school, he almost always wears a beige satchel. Ever since Mac came up with Bloo, the two have been inseparable. He spends most of his time in Foster's house for fantasy friends and tries (mostly in vain) to stop Bloo from doing nonsense. Mac is also not allowed to eat sugar or sugary sweets as it will make him hyperactive .
Terrance : Terrance is Mac's older brother. He has gray-black hair that is shoulder-length and combed up to a brush hairstyle. He is tall, pimply , slim and wears a black T-shirt, dark gray jeans and a red checked jacket. Terrance tries again and again to get rid of his brother and "the blue thing" (Bloo). He is also the reason why Bloo is no longer allowed to live with Mac. Terrance later creates his own fantasy friend named Red .
Francis "Frankie" Foster : Frankie, always called "Miss Francis" by Mr. Herriman, is the 22-year-old granddaughter of Madame Foster. She is tall, lanky, and has fox-red, straight hair that she has partially tied up in a medium-length ponytail. She wears a moss green jacket, a white t-shirt with Powerpuff Girls print and a knee-length gray skirt. Frankie is responsible for all housework and also takes care of the residents. She often argues with Herriman because his strict rules limit general enjoyment in the house. Frankie can also get angry if she is overwhelmed with the innumerable wishes of the house residents, or if she feels exploited by them.
Madame Foster : She is the founder of the Foster House. She is a small, plump granny with white hair that she has tied in a tight bun. She wears large glasses, a gray-green cardigan, a vanilla-yellow shirt and a dark gray skirt. Madame Foster is still very perky for her age and loves to play pranks on other people or to fool them in any other way. Her own fantasy friend is Mr. Herriman, whom she made up as a child and has never left since.
Goo-Goo Ga-Ga : Goo is a girl with an exuberant creativity . It is slim, sporty and also colorful . She has freckles and her hair is curled into long, wildly protruding dreadlocks . Goo wears rainbow-colored clothes and oversized yellow cowboy boots. When she visits Madame Foster's house, she is so inspired that she makes up a myriad of new imaginary friends who then overcrowd the house. For this reason, Goo is actually not allowed to enter the house. Her parents did not want to set Goo's creativity any limits, which is why they allowed her as an infant to choose her own name (“Goo-Goo Ga-Ga!”).
Imagination friends
Blooregard Q. Kazoo ( Bloo for short ): Bloo is Mac's best friend. He is a blob of blue with eyes and mouth that only has arms visible when he gestures. Bloo's character is characterized by narcissism , overconfidence and ruthlessness, he rarely thinks about the welfare of others. He is accordingly a troublemaker and often gives himself, Mac and the rest of the house residents ridiculous, unfortunate and potentially criminal adventures. For this reason, Mac always accompanies him so that he doesn't cause too much damage. However, Bloo is to be credited with the fact that his selfish behavior is not due to malice, but rather to naivety and immaturity. He often regrets his decisions and sometimes tries to repair the damage done (although Mac has to support him regularly).
Wilt : Wilt is one of the - literally - biggest and friendliest imaginary friends who live in Foster's home. It is completely red, slightly anthropomorphic and very dry. His tousled head has two stalk eyes and his left arm is missing. It was originally invented by a boy named Jordan Michaels (a reference to Michael Jordan ) to teach him how to play basketball . Wilt can't refuse a request to anyone and would do anything for his friends (although, actually, for everyone). If he does express his doubts or disapproval, he will immediately apologize or ask if it is okay.
Eduardo : Eduardo is a massive, solidly built bull with large horns and pointed, protruding teeth. He has purple fur and tattered gray shorts with a skull belt. He speaks both in the English original and in the German dubbing with a strong Spanish accent. Eduardo might be mistaken for a terrifying monster because of his intimidating appearance, but in reality he's quite a scaredy beast. He is also quite emotional and naive. However, when his friends are in need, he can show great courage and strength. Eduardo's inventor, Nina Valerosa , is now a police officer, and both meet almost regularly within the series.
Coco : What exactly Coco is supposed to represent is not really clear to anyone, which is why she is often called “palm-bird-airplane-thing”. She only speaks in her own "Coco" language, which is amazingly understandable for everyone. She likes to run around the house and lay her colorful plastic eggs, from which various things hatch, sometimes useless and sometimes helpful. Despite her funny looks and language, she's probably one of the most grown-up fantasy friends in the house. Whoever invented it remains in the dark; in the 40-minute special "Good Wilt Hunting" you learn that she was found on a barely explored island by two biology students and computer geeks Douglas and Adam .
Mr. Herriman : Mr. Herriman is Madame Foster's own fantasy friend. He's a big bunny with a mustache who always wears a top hat, tuxedo jacket , yellow vest and monocle . In order to perfect the Butler appearance, he speaks in the original version with an English accent. Herriman, however, is by no means the house's butler: he is the manager and administrator who uses strict rules to manage and monitor the day-to-day operations of the house. Madame Foster's granddaughter Frankie, in particular, suffered under his “rule”. He seems to have his eyes and ears everywhere, as is particularly evident in episode 6 (English title " Busted "), when he is constantly trying to set Bloo the house rules.
The Duchess (English and with full name Duchess Diamond Persnickety The First, Last and Only , nobility: Her Royal Duchess of Wails ): She is one of the antagonists of the series, her appearance parodies various portraits of women by Pablo Picasso in the style of Cubism . In keeping with this, she is the only fantasy friend in the house whose body is two-dimensional . The duchess has yellow skin, a short trunk (similar to that of an elephant ), is always extravagantly made up and loves kitschy jewelry. She wears a white fur coat with black triangles on it, knee socks with green and black rings, and a feathered turban . The Duchess is unbearably bossy and loves to boss every resident around without a break. She is also scheming and ungrateful. According to her own statement, she wants nothing more than to move out of the house, or at least to be finally free of Bloo. It is inconsistent that she has so far turned down any family that was about to adopt her in a very painful way.
Cheese (engl. " Cheese " ): This yellow, imaginary friend was of Macs neighbor Louise thought, with Mac though initially assumed it was him must have accidentally invented in his sleep. He made his first appearance in the episode Everything Cheese . Most of the time he utters complete nonsense and repeats sentences several times ("I like chocolate milk", although he is lactose- intolerant, or "again" if he likes something). Or he just bursts into a deafening screeching without warning. Although he doesn't live in the Foster house, he keeps coming back and driving the residents insane.
Red : A fantasy friend invented by Terrance and practically the complete opposite of Bloo. It's a large, red cube that can only move by hopping, most of which unintentionally creates an earthquake. He's very aggressive and was just made up by Terrance so he could beat up Bloo. Terrance realized that he couldn't do anything against Mac and Bloo on his own. Red seems to be a mixture of Bloo's opposing actions and Terrance's aggressiveness and stupidity. He always speaks of himself in the 3rd person, is very gullible and, ironically, actually very nice. After realizing that Mac and Bloo are not bad people, he turns himself against his creator Terrance. He is later taken in at the house.
Structure and technology
The first three episodes or the pilot film is a 60-minute special. All other episodes are 22 minutes long, with some episodes consisting of two 11 minute stories. The series is completely animated in Adobe Flash , backgrounds are post-processed in Adobe Illustrator and then both components are combined in Adobe After Effects .
Awards
Foster's House for Fantasy Friends has already won four Emmy Awards : in 2004 the pilot " House of Bloo’s " won two Emmys for direction (Mike Moon) and character design (Craig McCracken). " World Wide Wabbit " won a trophy for best storyboard (Ed Baker). Shannon Tindle received his fourth Emmy in 2006 as character design supervisor . The title theme, described by McCracken and Venable as " psychedelic ragtime ", was nominated for Best TV Show Theme in 2005, but lost to Danny Elfman's Desperate Housewives theme . Furthermore, the episode “Go Goo Go” was nominated for Best Animated Program Under One Hour .
The series was also nominated for a total of fourteen Annie Awards , five of which were won: In 2005 for Best Original Music and Production Design , and the following year for Best Animated Television Production, Best Original Music in a TV Series and Production Design in a TV Series .
synchronization
The first three seasons were set to music by Deutsche Synchron Film , the remaining three by SDI Media Germany. Matthias Müntefering wrote the dialogue books for the first three seasons and directed the dialogue. For the rest of the squadrons these tasks were taken over by Horst Müller.
| role | English speaker | German speaker |
|---|---|---|
| Mac | Sean Marquette | Sebastian Fitzner |
| Bloo | Keith Ferguson | Dirk Petrick |
| Frankie | Gray DeLisle | Nicole Hannak |
| Mr. Herriman | Tom Kane | Lothar Blumhagen |
| Coco | Candi Milo | (no voice actor) |
| Wilt | Phil LaMarr | Frank Schaff |
| Eduardo | Tom Kenny | Marco Kroeger |
| Terrance | Tara Strong | Michael Wiesner |
| Madame Foster | Candi Milo | Eva-Maria Werth |
| The Duchess | Gray DeLisle | Nicole Hannak |
| Goo | Gray DeLisle | Nicole Hannak |
Others
From July 21-22, 2006, Fosters had a booth at "Comic Con 2006" in San Diego . Craig McCracken, Lauren Faust and the American voice actors signed autographs and t-shirts and trading cards were distributed.
Web links
- Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- The official homepage at Cartoon Network
- The official German site at Cartoon Network Germany
Individual evidence
- ↑ Foster's House for Imaginary Friends. In: synchronkartei.de. German dubbing file , accessed on March 28, 2018 .