Calabash Brothers

Chinese zodiac culture has been included on the list of Shanghai's intangible cultural heritage, according to Liu Kuili, director of China Folklore Society and a judge of the competition. The winning works are infused with auspicious meaning and strong local flavor.

Chinese mainland sculptor Liu Yajun whose zodiac "tiger" design won the top prize says he was inspired by images from classic cartoon films, such as "Ne Zha Conquers the Dragon King" and "Uproar in Heaven."

"The tiger's eyebrows are inspired by the propitious clouds in these films," he says. "And its nose and eyes are based on the vivid figure of the embroidered Chinese folk fabric tiger."

These top 12 winning designs will be marketed globally in a series of by-products including toys, comic books, animation films and theme park figures. The latest information will be posted on www.kisssun.com.cn.

The zodiac competition also reflects nostalgia for original cartoon images, such as the Monkey King, the Calabash Brothers and Black Cat Detective.

Since the 1990s, the industry has tried to reanimate itself in the face of foreign competition and there have been recent signs of modest revival.

Earlier this year, the feature film "Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf" made around 80 million yuan (US$11.7 million) in theaters nationwide, a record for domestic animation. It is adapted from a popular 500-episode TV animation series, in which the goat looks like a sheep.

"Mcdull Wudang"

Last year's animated feature "Calabash Brothers," a remake of the 1986 TV series, took in 10 million yuan nationally.

Wang Ying, general manager of CCTV Animation, attributes the domestic success of the two films to originality in content and promotion.

"The key to a good animation is imagination," Wang adds. "Even if we have created an imaginative story, we still need to use our imagination in marketing and film distribution."

He expects "Mcdull Wudang," the tale of an ordinary pig who becomes a kung fu pig, to be a success domestically. The film, the fourth Mcdull, will be released on July 24. In this installment the pink pig meets apprentices of Bruce Lee and Hong Kong action director Yuen Woo-ping.