Congratulations from the mole

Zdenek Miler
Zdenek Miler (21 February 1921, Kladno - 30 November 2011) is a Czech animator. He gained fame as the creator of the children's animated series about Krotik, which has been produced at the Prague Short Film Studio since 1957.

In total, Miler has created more than 70 cartoons, in about 50 of which the Mole appears.

The first cartoon about the Mole, entitled "How the Mole Got His Pants", appeared in 1957. It was the only episode of the cartoon that used speech. In all subsequent episodes, the Mole and the rest of the characters did not use words, but expressed their emotions with the help of sounds. This was done to make the cartoons understandable for children in different countries. It is noteworthy that for the voice acting of the first cartoons, Miller used the recordings of the voices of his daughters.

Animated films about the adventures of the Mole gained popularity not only in Czechoslovakia, but also abroad, including the USSR. Cartoons from the "Krtek" series have been shown in over 80 countries. The cartoon can be understood by children and adults of any country in the world. In the Czech Republic, the Mole from the cartoon is still a cult character. In Prague, at every step you will see him in all incarnations - from plush to wooden.

The touching Mole won the hearts of more than one generation of viewers. And this is primarily the merit of its talented creator Zdenek Miller. A man who not only loved animation and had a special artistic style, but also had an incredible sense of humor.