Baltazar is an ingenious, colourful cartoon professor much loved by generations who grew up in the former Yugoslavia. Baltazar’s world is one of fairness and tolerance. There’s no problem that can’t be solved by the kindly professor with a touch of humour and the help of his friends. Thank goodness the Professor is so very, very clever!

Realising that this is a resource of great national importance, the Croatian Ministry of Science, Education and Sports website (www.mzos.hr) has a link so you can write direct to the esteemed Professor. He will answer personally any science-type question you can dream of.

Although Baltazar never really went away – he graces innumerable t-shirts, mugs and pencil cases - it seems once again he has hit top of the pops. You can watch him on Croatian TV (the morning and evening kids’ slots, Tue/Thu HRT2), and he’s on air once more in Italy too, where the funny, poignant and educational cartoons are being shown on the popular RAI 3 kid’s time slot. There are also DVDs you can buy in Croatian and in English showing all 57 episodes. A perfect treat for your kids, and for you too if you can’t resist indulging in a little nostalgia now and then.

In fact, Baltazar is a well-travelled gentleman indeed: he is especially well-loved in Scandinavia, and he has reached corners of the globe as far as Iran, New Zealand and the USA.

First screened in 1967, Baltazar is one of the most enduring creations of the Zagreb School of Animated Film, a movement that had its heyday in the 1950s and 60s with a stripped-down, low budget style born of necessity but with a close connection to Zagreb’s avant garde art scene. Fans of the animated film of other countries (Czech and Russian spring to mind) will surely love the humble Professor.