What was that cartoon with the duck?

Mr Flibble · Sun 19/02/2006 23:17:13

Firstly, I know I should seek out one of those specialist cartoon web boards, but I feel more comfortable asking here.

When I was little, I watched this cartoon show about a little yellow baby bird. It was some time between 1990 and 2000 (in the UK), but the exact date I do not know. It made me cry when I was little, and I'd love to track it down again.
Here's all I know about it.

Main character was a little yellow bird
Credits showed a blue background, cut in two. On the top half, I think there were stills from the show. There were also little images of the bird, half inside his shell.
I believe the "bad guys" were lizards of a sort
The birds parents may have been killed
The bird was on some kind of quest or voyage
It was incredibly downbeat
At one point, the bird was incarserated in a tower, and started crying (my only vivid memory)

Anyone else remember this?

Adamski · Sun 19/02/2006 23:19:40

Was it Alfred J. Kwak?

You can never keep a good duck down....

Haddas · Sun 19/02/2006 23:32:58

Yes. I absolutely love it. Definitely Alfred J. Kwak

Raised by a mole after his parents got run over by a car with the rest of the family. Only reason Alfred survived was cause he fell behind. Then his parents home was torn dawn and turned into an amusement park. It was hilarious.

Seriously, it was really harsh. I do have fond memories of it. Alfred wore a red scarf.

Also, the theme was legendary. http://www.modarchive.com/cgi-bin/download.cgi/J/jc12.mtm (only found this remix version. But the beginning is very true to the original)

EDIT: After intense googling Ifound the French version of theme. http://membres.lycos.fr/damagicien27/da/Alfred%20J%20Kwak.MP3

Mr Flibble · Sun 19/02/2006 23:33:46

I remember the duck being cuter, and sans scarf, but then again the rest fits in.
I'll check it out.

voh · Mon 20/02/2006 00:26:31

QuoteAlfred J. Kwak was based on a theatre show by Herman van Veen who also wrote and performed the theme music for the cartoons. The cartoons were drawn by Harald Siepermann. Alfred J. Kwak was broadcast in The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Italy, Spain, Israel (where Alfred was re-named with the unusual first name She'altiel), Finland, the United Kingdom, Serbia, Poland , Sweden and Denmark as well.

I loved Alfred J. Kwak. Though it was very, very depressing :p

Adamski · Mon 20/02/2006 00:51:47

The theme was really great... that french version triggers some strange forgotten nostalga, but I'd love to get my hands on the UK version too.

Haddas · Mon 20/02/2006 01:11:53

I have now also gotten my hands on a version from another country. It's not english, or finnish as I'm used to, but it's high-quality and complete. And no, I won't link to it. suffice to say it's not from a supported source.

Bernie · Mon 20/02/2006 06:32:11

Aww... I loved Alfred J. Kwak as a kid, and still do. That, and also the animated series of Alice in Wonderland, but I'm not sure if that one's left germany/austria. Anyone know that one? (picture: http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B0000C03FO.03.LZZZZZZZ.jpg)

http://www.serienoldies.de/ has a lot of those old themes available for download, and it seems legal, too. It's a german site, though.

Mr Flibble · Mon 20/02/2006 11:41:49

Only animation of Alice in Wonderland I ever saw was the Disney one.

I've found some episodes of Messur Afred J, but they're in Finnish and German, and not subbed.

Haddas · Mon 20/02/2006 12:53:34

I demand a PMed link to the finnish ones

m0ds · Mon 20/02/2006 13:10:42

Alfred! I remember him! But only in a channel hopping sense because he and his show were pretty depressing... Lost Cities of Gold was probably on instead

At first I thought you were talking about Birdy from Bump the Elephant - but that cartoon was just wrong

Mr Flibble · Mon 20/02/2006 13:14:36

Bump The Elephant!
I loved that.

"Birdie sings the sweetest things,
Bump the elephant isn't quite as eloquent..."

Tuomas · Mon 20/02/2006 13:45:24

heh, oh, nostalgy, I just loved that depressed little duckie. And I think I just found half of the 50 episodes on dc... didn't know there were so many :o

ManicMatt · Mon 20/02/2006 17:31:44

Hey I just got a memory in my head from reading this of some other cartoon I used to watch! But now that's bugging me...

It had i think Raccoons as the main characters? And um... one raccoon had a bent nose? dam my memory is too vague. Perhaps there was a nemesis who lived on a hill in a scary tower?

Ashen · Mon 20/02/2006 17:43:07

The Raccoons?

Tuomas · Mon 20/02/2006 17:48:44

Yay I found the Finnish words and the original song, Have a go here Haddas and everyone else: http://personal.inet.fi/private/sic/

HillBilly · Mon 20/02/2006 17:53:50

I remember that show, I still have the Hitler/Napoleon parody episode on VHS. Rad stuff.

You can imagine the spectacle when they found out he was only 50% crow.

ManicMatt · Mon 20/02/2006 18:28:03

Yeah Ashen, that was it! Thanks!

Bernie · Mon 20/02/2006 18:37:59

AJK also had a cool ending theme: http://www.origamihero.com/files/kwakend.zip

I love the voice they gave him in the german version.

Tom S. Fox · Mon 20/02/2006 18:44:05

Ah, The Racoons, I remember that one.
I think the concept and drawing style changed a bit after some episodes, right?

Quote from: Bernie on Mon 20/02/2006 18:37:59
AJK also had a cool ending theme: http://www.origamihero.com/files/kwakend.zip

I love the voice they gave him in the german version.

Ah, the song was less ridiculous in my retrospection.

What was that cartoon with the duck?

m0ds