Xilam

Background
Xilam is a French animation company that was founded in 1999 by Marc and Alix du Pontavice, after leaving Gaumont Multimedia. The company mostly produces public-domain cartoons and animated movies in French and English. Most of their productions are co-produced with other French companies like Canal+.

(August 5, 1999-)
Nicknames: "Red X", "Paint X", "The Painter", "The Painting"

Logo: A white stick figure-like person walks near a surface on the screen, brandishing a paintbrush and a paintcan. He grabs the brush and paints an "X" on the surface. Once he is done, the camera zooms in on the "X" as the person backs away a little. The text "ilam" in a weird font fades to the right of the "X", which completes the company name "Xilam".

Variants:
 * From 1999-2003, the "X"'s lower-left part stretched up to the upper-left part.
 * A different version was used on Xilam's website. Here, the stick figure walks towards us, then stops and shifts to the right when the Xilam logo appears letter-by-letter, with "presents" below the logo.
 * On Stupid Invaders, the stick figure and the "X" are centered, and "xilam" is shown on the bottom.
 * On Go West: A Lucky Luke Adventure, the stick figure (who now wears a cowboy hat) paints the logo as usual, but the "m" is missing. Suddenly, the "m" runs in from the right like a horse. It first misses its point, but then walks back and settles next to the "a", completing the logo.
 * On Oggy and the Cockroaches: The Movie, the logo is already formed, and the cockroaches spray graffiti text over it that says "XILAM" in a graffiti-like font.
 * On some films and shows from the company, the animation is filmed or videotaped in a 4:3 aspect ratio.

FX/SFX: The man moving and painting the "X", the camera zooming and panning, and the "ilam" text fading in. All 3D animation.

Music/Sounds: A 12-note whistling theme, complete with two brush noises when the person paints the "X", and a piano rendition of the last five whistle notes when the camera zooms in and the "ilam" text fades in.

Music/Sounds Variants:
 * The website version uses a different theme reminiscent of classic Looney Tunes cartoons.
 * On Oggy and the Cockroaches: The Movie, there's an orchestral composition of the aforementioned tune, but then the cockroaches sing the last five notes and laugh.
 * On Kaena: The Prophecy, synth strings are heard in the background.
 * On Go West: A Lucky Luke Adventure, a jazzy piano rendition of the theme is heard, along with noises from the "m" horse.

Availability: Current and common. Seen on all animated shows and films made by Xilam. It also plasters the Gaumont Multimedia logo on later prints of earlier Space Goofs and Oggy and the Cockroaches episodes, and possibly Gaumont Multimedia's other properties as well.

Editor's Note: This is a relaxing logo with decent animation and a catchy theme.

Season 1 (1999 reprint)
Nickname: "The Sun Globe"

Logo: Same as the Space Goofs variant of the Gaumont Multimedia logo, but the text now says "XILAM ANIMATION PRESENTS" (in English) or "XILAM ANIMATION PRESENTE" (in French).

FX/SFX: Same as the Gaumont Multimedia variant.

Music/Sounds: As with the Gaumont version, it's the opening theme called Monster Men, sung by Iggy Pop.

Availability: Seen on later prints of Season 1 of Space Goofs.

Editor's Note: None.

Season 2 (May 20, 2005-May 12, 2006)


Logo: We see a irregular pentagon on a space background. On top of it is "A Xilam Production" (in English) or "Une realisation du Studio Xilam" (in French). Then, a UFO (with the Space Goofs) flies over it, and the logo segues into the opening sequence.

FX/SFX: The UFO.

Music/Sounds: Same as above.

Availability: Seen on Season 2 of Space Goofs.

Editor's Note: None.

Oggy and the Cockroaches (1999-)
Nickname: "The Sun Globe II"

Logo: Same as the Oggy and the Cockroaches variant of the Gaumont Multimedia logo, except that the filmstrip inscription now says "Xilam PRESENTS" (in English) or "Xilam PRESENTE" (in French). This version was used on later prints of Seasons 1-2.

Variants:
 * For Season 3, the logo was enhanced and the filmstrip was stretched out more.
 * For Season 4, the logo was modified to fit widescreen. The logo was retouched with a darker filmstrip, smoother animation and a different space background. Like in Season 3, the filmstrip is stretched out more. Also, the sun spikes have been removed.
 * In Seasons 5-6, the planet now clearly represents Earth and has yet another different space background. "PRESENTS" is also in a different font. Instead of hitting the screen however, the logo hits the background and shatters it, segueing into the intro.

FX/SFX: Same as the Gaumont Multimedia variant.

Music/Sounds: Same as the Gaumont Multimedia variant. For Seasons 4-6, the bombastic hit has been replaced with the intro theme.

Availability: Seen on later prints of Seasons 1-2 and all seasons afterward of Oggy and the Cockroaches.

Editor's Note: None.

The New Adventures of Lucky Luke (September 16, 2001-May 4, 2003)


Logo: The logo is placed to the top-right corner with "A XILAM PRODUCTION" (in English) or "UNE REALISATION DU STUDIO" (in French) next to it on a sky background. Below that is Lucky Luke standing on a cliff with his horse Johnny Jumper neighing.

FX/SFX: The horse neighing.

Music/Sounds: The New Adventures of Lucky Luke theme song, composed by Hervé Lavandier.

Availability: Seen on The New Adventures of Lucky Luke.

Editor's Note: None.

Ratz (September 21-November 21, 2003)


Logo: The logo is placed on the top with "A" and "PRODUCTION" on a purplish- gradient rectangle (in English) or at the bottom with "UNE REALISATION DU STUDIO" on the top, both on separate rectangles (in French). At the middle are the two main characters, Rapido and Razmo coming out from the mouths of two totems.

FX/SFX: Rapido and Razmo's movements.

Music/Sounds: The Ratz theme song called "Don't Panic On The Board", composed by Hervé Lavandier.

Availability: Seen on Ratz.

Editor's Note: None.

The Daltons (May 31, 2010-November 18, 2016)


Logo: The text "A Xilam Studio production" (in English), "Une Réalisation du studio Xilam" (in French) or "Eine Xilam Animation Produktion" (in German) is placed at the center of a black background. It is constantly lightened up by the glowing shadow of a swinging wrecking ball.

FX/SFX: The wrecking ball swinging.

Music/Sounds: The Daltons theme song, composed by Hervé Lavandier.

Availability: Seen on The Daltons.

Editor's Note: None.

Zig and Sharko (December 21, 2010-)
Logo: On a live-action sea background, the waving text "A Xilam Studio Production" zooms towards us. It then fades away to the opening.

Variant: For Seasons 2-3, the text has been changed to "a Xilam animation production".

FX/SFX: The text waving.

Music/Sounds: The Zig and Sharko theme song, composed by Vincent Artaud.

Availability: Seen on Zig and Sharko.

Editor's Note: None.