La Linea (“The Line”) is an Italian animated series that depicts the adventures of Mr. Linea, a character who is drawn with a single unbroken line. Created by animator Osvaldo Cavandoli, the series premiered on Italian television in 1972, originally as a single commercial for a housewares company. Due to the popularity of the short, Cavandoli expanded the animation into a series that would ultimately include 90 episodes.
Because Mr. Linea speaks gibberish (a mock version of Milanese, says Wikipedia), the series could readily air outside of Italy–it eventually was shown in more than 40 countries. The last installment of La Linea was released in 1986, and the entire series can be viewed on the LaLineaCavandoli YouTube channel.
