Nu, Zayats ...

September 24, 2008 8:12 AM

In 1969, Russian animation studio Soyuzmultfilm released Nu, Pogodi! (Well, Just You Wait!), a series that followed the multitalented and comical Wolf in his quest to capture the Hare. Having very little dialogue but considerable music, it was an international hit across eastern Europe. Most who followed the show will tell you that despite attempts to portray Wolf as anti-authoritarian and decadent, Wolf had a much greater fanbase. Why else would the Nu Pogodi game be based on him, and not Hare?
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing (14 comments total)

I love Ну, погоди! and had no idea it went back to 1969 (why weren't they showing it in Russian class when I was in college? I would have learned more!). Thanks for the post!
posted by languagehat at 8:39 AM on September 24, 2008

I'm glad I'm not the only one who always hated that simpering, wide-eyed, long-eared little twit.
posted by nasreddin at 8:42 AM on September 24, 2008

Oh yeah, and of course everyone prefers Wolf. I thought that would have been obvious.
posted by languagehat at 9:15 AM on September 24, 2008

Why else would the Nu Pogodi game be based on him, and not Hare?

My guess is it's because the Hare would never get into a situation where it would have to catch eggs falling at an increasing rate - something he eventually will inevitably fail at. Failure is the domain of the Wolf (if you watch the cartoons, you'll see that even though he has many talents, he always fails in everything he does).

By the way, the Hare actually made an occasional appearance in the original hand-held version of the game, taunting the Wolf and making eggs fall two at a time (IIRC).
posted by daniel_charms at 9:16 AM on September 24, 2008

Is this the cartoon mentioned in Snow Crash (in the scene where Y.T. and Raven go on a date)?
posted by PsychoTherapist at 9:20 AM on September 24, 2008

Seeing Soyuzmultfilm reminds me of the Masters of Russian Animation collection, which has quite a lot of Soyuzmultfilm shorts. My favorite is "Firing Range", which may or may not be Soyuzmultfilm. Probably not.
posted by mkb at 11:36 AM on September 24, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

OK. So, in the GI Joe cartoon in the 80s, why did the Russian GI Joe-equivalent team always yell "Nu Pogodi" before a fight?

It just makes no sense.
posted by COBRA! at 12:09 PM on September 24, 2008

Wasn't that Blood, Sweat & Tears "Spinning Wheel" playing during the see-saw part of the first short in the first link? How did that come about?

Wonderful post!
posted by soundofsuburbia at 12:15 PM on September 24, 2008

The first YouTube link, that is.
posted by soundofsuburbia at 12:16 PM on September 24, 2008

Firstly, I have to thank this post for helping me explain why a Russian character in the book I'm reading keeps on saying 'Nu.' (It's Chaim Potok's The Chosen, if anyone cares.)

I literally just got to the scene with about 20 'Nu's when I saw this post. Awesome!

Anyways, this cartoon is awesome! Thanks for this post.
posted by flibbertigibbet at 12:24 PM on September 24, 2008

Hare sucks. Wolf rules. Hello!?!
posted by k8t at 2:57 PM on September 24, 2008

mkb, your link is indeed to a film made by Soyuzmultfilm.
posted by prefpara at 4:27 PM on September 24, 2008

Russian animation is awesome! To think exploring YouTube in the wake of the Vinni Puh thread I ran smack into Nu, Pagodi, and didn't think to FPP it.
posted by JHarris at 6:46 PM on September 24, 2008

Firing Range is really good. I think the Russians made some incredible hand-drawn animation but I've only seen people in the west pick up on this over the past few years or so.
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 7:55 PM on September 24, 2008