MUSCA & MUSCO

Most people think flies are dirty. They carry nasty diseases, they buzz round your head or they get in your eye when you’re riding your bike. But take a look at it from their point of view. Suppose you’re a fly and you always have to watch out for frogs, birds and other horrid creatures that see you as a tasty bite to eat. And what about those people who are always after you trying to kill you with a rolled-up newspaper.

No, life’s no bed of roses for the fly. Take Musco and Musca, two curious, somewhat naïve houseflies who go through all sorts of things in a hostile environment. Their surprise at human behaviour takes them all over the world. In the cartoon series Musco and Musca we follow the two friends on their adventures. The stories contain countless nods to topical matters, history, culture and literature. Thus Musco and Musca bump into William Tell in Switzerland, catch Moby Dick whilst fishing and in Mexico they try to save a caterpillar trapped in a bottle of mezcal on a table in the studio of Frida Kahlo.

In this way, everywhere they go they learn lots about local peculiarities. And then it turns out that they actually want the same things as we do. For even Musco and Musca like spending an evening watching TV, they save their pennies in the bank and they go on holiday to the beach in the summer. And nothing gets them more excited than a good poo. Well, they’re still flies after all.

THE TARGET AUDIENCE
Musco and Musca is intended for children from seven to twelve years of age. The youngest children will like the series for its colourful animation and the action; the older ones will appreciate it for its humour and the knowledge about countries.

DESIGN AND TECHNIQUE

Musca and Musco will be made into a series of 26 episodes each lasting 5 minutes, a combination of puppet and cut-out animation. The scenery has been inspired by colour postcards from the 1950s. The feel is nostalgic. There is no dialogue; everything is told using sound effects, facial expressions and action... mainly lots of action. The music is jazz composed specially for the stories.

A NUMBER OF EPISODES IN BRIEF

Below is a selection of the adventures had by the two flies:

The Penny

Musca and Musco find a penny on the street and want to buy an ice cream. The ice cream parlour is on the other side of the street. Getting there is no small task for the two flies.

The Dancing Bear

Musca and Musco want to set a bear free. They do this with the aid of Dracula’s cape. Getting the cape is a tall order.

Racing

Musca and Musco have fun with a toy car until they discover a racetrack. Could they finally get to drive a real car?

The Pyramid

Musca and Musco have a flying visit to Egypt. They find it terribly hot. The only thing that can cool them down is a mummy.

The Television

Musca and Musco see a poor-quality imitation of them on TV. This bugs them, and they take action.

The Windmill

Musca and Musco are hungry and try to grind a grain of corn to make flour. They get help from Don Quixote.

The Sea

Musca and Musco go fishing on the beach. When they follow the line they end up having an underwater adventure. In the end they catch Moby Dick.

Perilous Plants

At the end of a laboratory greenhouse is the loveliest stinking plant. To reach it they must first get through a jungle. But there’s something up with this jungle.

The Spanish Fly

On holiday in Spain everything is alluring. The flies, the paintings, but also that blue light on the tapas bar ceiling.

The Fly Agaric

When autumn comes it’s time to gather food in the dark wood. When Musco and Musca try the toadstool, they start seeing strange things. The dark wood seems to be a fairy-tale wood.

The Apple

Musca and Musco find a juicy apple in an Alpine meadow. When this is placed on a little boy’s head, it’s the beginning of a legendary adventure which culminates in a melting cheese.

The Dutch Belted Cow

There’s nothing better than a nice Dutch Belted cow. Their tears, their sweat, their milk and most of all a tasty Dutch Belted ‘cow pie’. But there’s no shortage of competition.

The Racing Bike

Yellow is an attractive colour in Musca and Musco’s eyes. But it’s a problem if that yellow is going at breakneck speed. They have to strike on one of the steeper ascents.

The Cornfield

In the south of France they get involved in the production of a painting of crows in a cornfield. Are those really crows that we’re seeing?

The Vending Machine

There are all manner of tasty things in the snack bar’s vending machine. Getting the doors open requires a lot of work.

The Lake

In the lake lives a monster that people have been trying to find for centuries. Musca and Musco are the first ones to discover the creature.

Musca & Musco