A YOUNG Paarl boy’s drawing of a spider is to be turned into an animated character and broadcast on DStv’s Cartoon Network.
Primary school pupil Nico Smit, 7, beat 5 000 entries from across the country to have his artwork turned into a character in a children’s programme.
Nico was one of 5 365 school pupils who entered Cartoon Network’s Animation Generation drawing competition.
When the Cape Argus visited Nico at Courtrai Primary in Paarl recently, he explained that he saw that there were no spiders in the TV show The Amazing World of Gumball and he wanted to introduce them.
He said his creation took him a few hours to make and he used buttons for the body of the spider, some paper for the legs and a mesh net for his spiderweb.
“I also put diamante crystals on the net so that it sparkles when it comes into contact with water.”
Nico’s drawing will be fully transformed from a one-dimensional drawing into a live-wire animated character to promote the second season of The Amazing World of Gumball, which will be screened on Cartoon Network next month.
Soekie Blake, a librarian at the school who helped the pupils enter the competition, said it was very exciting for the school.
“Nico was so astonished that he won that he couldn’t believe it.”
Blake said Nico had won an Apple iPad and a goodie bag, while the school received R7 000 in prize money.
Some 1 900 primary schools across the country were invited to participate in the competition and judges included Daniel Lennard, the executive producer for The Amazing World of Gumball.