(Interview and editing by Eva Elisabetta Zuccari)
The objective that Pera Toons sets itself is very ambitious: to bring together children, parents and grandparents in front of the same screen, that is, generations who, nowadays, are used to each positioning themselves in front of a different device. It is a goal that the cartoonist has already achieved on social media – Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, where seven million follow him – but he is now moving his goal to television with “Try not to laugh!”, the animated series produced by Tunué in collaboration with Rai Kids, arriving on Rai Gulp and Rai Play from 18 May.
The heart of the project lies in the challenge of speaking to different age groups, combining them with a surreal laugh and a very tight gag rhythm. But how to do it? “I’m a parent with rather broad views, which is why my contents don’t seem too ‘restrained’ or familiar – explains the 42-year-old author – My mother showed me Alien when I was six years old: if I remained sane, my daughter could too. I use this method to then convey messages that I care about: the importance of reading, the value of laughter and the pleasure of being together”. The series, made up of 46 self-contained episodes of 6 minutes each, is structured as a fast-paced sequence of sketches lasting a few seconds.
Of course, addressing an audience of minors entails a significant responsibility, but Alessandro Perugini – this is the artist’s real name – has a trick. “For me it’s simple,” he reveals, “because my daughter is the same age as my target. Before writing I always ask myself: ‘Should I have her read this joke?’. If the answer is yes, I proceed.”
“Today’s cartoons? Faster and faster, like children’s attention”
But if the adult audience remains tied to more traditional television canons, capturing the attention of the little ones is today the real test: often described as an elusive audience because they are bombarded by constant stimuli, children in fact require a new language. Which? “Once upon a time, cartoons were more complex on a technical and script level”, observes the creator, “Today, in order not to get boring, you have to be fast. The watchword is speed: you need a lot of jokes”.
With this in mind, “Try not to laugh!” It presents itself as a stylistic hybrid. Pera’s rapid writing, very fast pace and distinctive graphic design are the same as those refined over years of success on social media, only the location changes. “I didn’t have to distort my style”, he concludes, “I just did a restyling, adding new animations”. It remains to be seen whether TV will be able to replicate the records of the airwaves.
