Italo Bettiol, the creator of the French animated series Chapi Chapo, passed away at the age of 96 at his home in southern France, a family friend announced on Thursday.
The Italian-born director "died peacefully", according to Eric Valin, a collaborator and friend of the family quoted in a statement released by Magic, the company that represents the rights to Chapi Chapo.s
Premiering on 16 October 1974, each five-minute episode featured a girl in red named Chapi and a boy in blue named Chapo playing with magical cubes.
The show was "broadcast worldwide, including in the United States on the Nickelodeon program Pinwheel.”s
The Trieste native left Italy for France in 1947 with his colleague Stefano Lonati – who later also directed several Chapi Chapo episodes. The duo established the Belokapi company in 1968, producing numerous children's television shows including L'ile aux enfants and Pepin la Bulle.
"A tireless inventor, now retired, Italo Bettiol continued to tinker with extraordinary machines in his workshop in Aniane, near Montpellier," the statement read.
Follow the latest news on Google News
