Courtesy of Phillipe Billeaudeaux.
“Boudini (Kirby Jambon) and Coco (Cedric Watson)”.
What could a magician, a skater Creole girl, and a talking alligator possibly have in common? In the case of Les Aventures de Boudini et ses Amis, the first cartoon ever produced in Louisiana French, the three are united by teaching children Cajun and Creole French, as well as “beaucoup d’adventures” in the swamp. Created by Philippe Billeaudeaux and Marshall Woodworth and launched at the end of January by Louisiana’s French language media company founded by Will McGrew Télé-Louisiane, the intention of the show is not only to provide an educational and entertaining vehicle to teach children French, but to impart lessons about Louisiana culture as well as teamwork and positive character development. “We also aim to expose the audience to folktales, history, and all things unique to Louisiana that are sometimes overlooked,” Billeaudeaux said.
In the premiere episode, titular character Boudini the magician and his alligator companion Coco le cocodrie (alligator in Louisiana French) catch so many fish on Lake Bijou, their boat becomes weighed down by the excess. When Colinda (a character based on the fictional character mentioned in the traditional song "Allons Danser Colinda”) motors up to the pair in her own boat, she congratulates Boudini on his trove, but informs him that he is past the six fish per boat limit in place on the lake. She explains (en français, of course) that the rule is in place for a reason, as it ensures that there will be enough fish for everyone, and give nature an opportunity to replenish the supply. Understanding, Boudini throws all but six of the poisson back, and at Colinda’s suggestion sells some of the remaining six to buy chicken and dessert for Coco. The episode ends with Boudini and Coco napping by a campfire with full bellies, happy, and instilled with lessons of sharing and minding rules. And like any proper cartoon featuring poisson, a hefty dose of fish-slapping humor is sprinkled throughout the short episode.
Courtesy of Phillipe Billeaudeaux.
“All of the cartoons I grew up with in the eighties exemplified how working together empowers the group to more easily overcome obstacles,” said Woodworth, citing shows like He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, The Real Ghostbusters, and G.I. Joe. “We are stronger together.”
The inspiration for the cartoon came from “real life Boudini” Ken Meaux, a Cajun ventriloquist and television personality who, along with his alligator ventriloquist puppet, hosted after-school cartoons and horror movies on television programs that aired in Acadiana in the eighties and nineties, and was the artist behind the first comic strip in Louisiana French, Bec Doux. In addition to contributing to Télé-Louisiane, Co-Creator Billeaudeaux is a musician with Cajun band Feufollet, who collaborated with the Louisiana children’s host of decades past on a series of ads for their single “Baby’s on Fire”. “Around our meeting, I was starting to learn animation and [Meaux] and his life’s work inspired me to create a cartoon catered to French immersion students in Louisiana,” Billeaudeaux said. Billeaudeaux and Woodworth met through a mutual friend and Télé-Louisiane contributor, and the pair developed the character of Boudini, his friends, and the universe they inhabit using Meaux’s television personality as a jumping-off point.
[Read more about Billeaudeaux's involvement in the band Feufollet, here.]
After initial episode brainstorming, Marguerite Justus writes the script (Billeaudeaux credits her as being the most fluent in French of the team), before Woodworth sketches out the storyboard and Billeaudeaux records the actors in his home studio. Then, Woodworth does the painstaking work of animating the characters, often having to draw them frame-by-frame. “Since we are using the classic twenty four frames a second, that means I have to draw twenty four individual pictures for one second of cartoon,” Woodworth explained, though fortunately the animation software he uses simplifies the work by allowing him to plug in one of around thirty mouths he’s pre-drawn for Boudini to talk, for example. Woodworth sends the animated scenes back to Billeaudeaux, who then adds effects such as the reflection in the water and the campfire in the final shot, and also composes and records the score, then adds sound effects to render the final episode.
Courtesy of Phillipe Billeaudeaux.
Casting the voice actors to bring the characters to life was based on French skills, accents, and acting ability. Billeaudeaux’s fourth grade French teacher Kirby Jambon voices Boudini, while zydeco musician Cedric Watson (for whom Billeaudeaux plays bass) records the voice of alligator sidekick Coco. After receiving constructive criticism for casting Cajun singer and radio personality Megan Constantin as the Black Creole character Colinda, Billeaudeaux and Woodworth pivoted and recast the role with Black actor and advanced French immersion student Aaliyah Walker, with plans made to have Constantin voice a different character in future episodes.
Of course, perpetuating the French language among children in Louisiana is a primary goal of Boudini et ses Amis. “Our language is a cornerstone to our unique culture and by losing our native tongue, we’re at risk to losing it all,” warns Billeaudeaux, who explained that Louisiana French language preservation is close to his heart because both sides of his own family are French and Acadian. “My father and everyone before him in our family spoke French.” Billeaudeaux was in the first French immersion class in Lafayette, which allowed him to learn the language as well, but he realized how limited resources in Louisiana French are for children. “There wasn’t and isn’t much as far as entertainment for children in Louisiana French, and I’ve always found it’s a lot easier to learn something when it’s fun.”
Episodes can be streamed on Télé-Louisiane’s Youtube page. Support the company’s efforts towards French language preservation at telelouisiane.com.
