Unless you're from Poland, there's a good chance that the names 'Kajko' and 'Kokosz' won't mean an awful lot to you. First published in 1972, Janusz Christa's comic books have often been compared to the Asterix series, and they explore similar themes (the franchise has even been accused of plagiarising Albert Uderzo characters and setting, but we won't go down that particular rabbit hole).
Now, these Slavic warriors are getting a new lease of life thanks to a Netflix animated series, which makes its international debut today. Renamed Kayko and Kokosh, the series will be accompanied by a Switch-exclusive video game, expected to arrive in the first quarter of 2022.
The aim of the game, according to publisher RedDeer.games, will be to introduce the characters to a global audience that may well be unfamiliar with their exploits. It will be "a unique combination of the colouring book, interactive comic, and visual novel," and its plot will be penned by former CD Projekt RED writer Magdalena Kucenty, who was responsible for the script of The Witcher's Gwent spin-off.
Here's some PR:
You’ll enter the colorful world of Slavic fantasy. The humorous strips follow the story of two warriors that do everything they can to defend their beloved castle of Mirmilovo from attacks by the evil order of Knaveknights.
MEET THE HEROES
Kayko is the clever, resourceful, and lovable kind of a hero, while Kokosh is more of a strong and confident type, who’s always hungry. They both serve castellan and his wife—Mirmil and Lubava—who take care of general order in Mirmilovo.SLAVIC FLAIR AND CUNNING
In this beautiful, yet rarely quiet place the sneaky attacks from the Knaveknights are so common that Kayko and Kokosh need to constantly invent new tactics of saving the castle. And they do it in the funniest and cunning ways possible: from absurd diplomatic disputes through changing the opening hours of the castle to the fight with an overwhelming spirit of laziness.
ABOVE ALL - GOOD FUN!
The additional ten comic strips picture everyday life in the castle and its surroundings, with cute and magical creatures that live there. Thanks to the fun drawings and stories the game should please readers of every age and improve their mood immediately!RedDeer.games production will be created in cooperation with the Janusz Christa „KRESKA” Foundation, to reflect the spirit of the adventures of the brave Slavs as faithfully as possible.
A second title is also in development and will be a story-driven action game created by the team responsible for the upcoming 7 Horizons.
Michał M. Lisiecki, CEO of RedDeerGames, had this to say about the announcement:
Cooperation with Janusz Christa’s Kreska Foundation is an honor and a great pleasure. Our mission is clear: to create games that comic book fans will love, but also to present these characters and the universe to a global audience. We believe that Kayko and Kokosh deserve it.
Here's the trailer for the Netflix series, if you're keen to see more:
Comments 16
Nice. I love Asterix and Poland, so a Polish Asterix will be right up my street.
Oh, these comics have been rather popular in Russia in the 90s. I don't know about the game but I'll definitely check out the new Netflix show)
Wow, they really are Polish Asterix and Obelix.
If they "plagiarized" Asterix the same way Spirou and Fantasio "plagiarized" Tintin, well, that's a greatly welcome case of plagiarism! I just hope the game is good
@John_Deacon I find that comparison to be really odd.
I see very little resemblance between the two.
Sure there may have been inspiration but Tintin is one of the grandfathers of European comics/graphic novels.
You have your spunky main character and cute pet with a digruntled friend and there is also a goofy professor type but outside of that the comparisons stop.
Spirou comics dive a lot more into the fantastical Tintin was usually more grounded in it's setting and story telling.
I'm from Poland and I wish "Kajko i Kokosz" was as good as "Astérix".
I’m all for more European comic representation but this looks like a blatant asterix ripoff with a blander art style to boot. I’ll have to see what genre the game is and how the Netflix series turns out to determine if it’s worth writing home about
never knew this existed, hope both the show and the game are going to be great. we need more slavs in our lives.
my enthusiasm is pretty low for this - but then it would have also been very low for the real asteriks, lol
Love the comics so I'll check it out
Ok, I will shed some light on the Asterix controversy. Originally it was a sci fi comic series about modern day sailors (and part time astronauts) called "Kajtek I Koko" and that version predates Asterix. However the medieval Slav spinoff that became more popular debuted after Asterix and the author may have been lying about not knowing the French series. At any rate the comic is still much less popular than the Gauls' adventures.
The Netflix series is pretty rough, has good ideas but shows lack of experience. As for the world itself, it really is similar to Asterix, but with more magic (no strength potions, but witches, dragons, magic weapons and shapeshifters) and a consistent cast of villains.
@khululy I agree with you. I used "plagiarized" in quotation marks because although some people use that word to relate Spirou to Tintin, all I see relating them is the fact that they investigate events. All the rest is different altogether
@HedgehogEngine I agree with what you said. I just used the quotation marks to make it clear that's what some people say
@HedgehogEngine Well, what I tried to say is something like: "Some people say Spirou is just another Tintin, but I consider it wonderful and a masterpiece in its own right - like Tintin. If the same holds true about the characters in question here in relation to Asterix and his gang, then we'll have something really good."
But now I know my comment was a total flop, the quotation marks didn't fulfill their role and people got that I said Spirou is just sheer plagiarism. But I didn't mean to say it ahahhahahahaha
I loved Asterix so much as a child I think I have no choice but to get this.
Reminds me of my own art style, ha!
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