Having won over fans in Japan, animated sensation Domo makes its way to the U.S. this month. Nicktoons Networks is airing 26 two-minute episodes of the stop-motion animated series, debuting a new short each week. Nickelodeon introduced viewers to the short-form series earlier this year via international channels in Europe, Latin America, Australia and New Zealand.
The fuzzy, brown cave-dweller debuted in 1998 as mascot of Japanese television station NHK and has since become a cultural icon. Domo was hatched from an egg that one day mysteriously fell into the home of a wise, elderly rabbit named Usajii. A TV lover, Domo named himself after the first word he ever heard on TV, which can mean either ‘hello,’ ‘thank you,’ ‘excuse me,’ ‘sorry’ or ‘goodbye.’ In addition to watching the tube, he enjoys drinking tea, listening to garage band music and sinking his sharp teeth into seasoned beef with potatoes.
The stop-motion character has appeared in roughly 400 television spots and has been a viral hit that has inspired countless fan-made images, websites and videos, as well as a licensed product line selling at major trend retailers nationwide.
New York-based Big Tent Ent. handles marketing and licensing for Domo worldwide (excluding Asia). The company first tapped Internet television service Veoh Networks (www.veoh.com) to host the animated series. Big Tent is the North American agency of record for a number of children’s properties including Discovery Kids, preschool sensation The Wiggles and Miffy & Friends, a major brand for infants, toddlers and preschoolers that recently added a tween/teen program.
