The Adventures of Lolo the Penguin
The heartwreck of my childhood is this seemingly nice and sweet children’s story about the inhabitants of Antarctica – and particularly about two little penguins named Lolo and Pepe. What you get instead as you dive into the show is a harsh reality check, with heartless poachers, cruel laws of nature, and even some blood scenes, which are especially so if you’re in your tender age. I’ve not seen the cartoon in quite a while – but I reread its plot for the sake of objectivity and well, it still feels too much. The many edits the cartoon had to undergo before reaching the overseas screens – the American version, for one – say the same, at least partially. – Marina
Courage the Cowardly Dog
As a child, this cartoon show was nothing short of a nightmare for me. Airing late at night, its eerie animations and grotesque characters felt unnerving. The strange, isolated world of Courage and his owners seemed both absurd and terrifying. However, revisiting the show as an adult has transformed my perspective. What once seemed ghastly now feels thrilling and deeply layered. Its rich blend of mystery, dark humor, and emotional depth speaks to its brilliance, offering a timeless exploration of courage in the face of the unknown. – Subhrajit
Time Masters
Somehow, I was lucky enough to avoid visually horrifying cartoons as a child, but what did absolutely taunt me was the feature-length cartoon Time Masters (1982). In this sci-fi film, a little boy, Piel, gets stranded on a distant planet inhabited by vicious animals after his father passes away in a car crash. Piel is left with a special radio device to communicate through space. As the story moves between Piel and the ship of his father’s friend rushing to save him, it pulls you in… only to utterly destroy you in the end. For me, an avid space fan back then, this film became one of the reasons I was (and still am, a little) terrified of this vast unknown we are floating in. – Catherine
Investigation Held by Kolobki
Looking back on my childhood experience with Soviet cartoons (there're plenty of videotapes at home), what I initially mistook for fear was actually concern for the main characters: Would the mischievous ant make it home before sunset? Would the little mammoth find his mother?
What truly terrified me (and still does a bit) is the way some of them are drawn. Take Investigation Held by Kolobki – a detective story about two brothers searching for an elephant stolen from the zoo. The suspenseful atmosphere of the plot is mirrored in the animation style. The animals, protagonists, and the backdrop are depicted as ugly and sketchy. The main characters are far from role models; they are short, middle-aged, balding men who smoke and carry guns. All of this combines to create a grotesque story that is more enjoyable to watch as an adult than as a child. – Elizaveta
