The Croatian Post presents the fifth Croatian crypto stamp in cooperation with the companies BitX and Marrow Labs. Croatian crypto stamps are envisioned as the perfect combination of the analog and the digital, and the fifth issue is available for purchase at post offices, at epostshop.hr, and in the webshop at kripto.posta.hr/marka/v5, where the Croatian Post allows the purchase of crypto stamps with cryptocurrencies. To faithfully transpose collecting into the digital world, crypto stamps have been divided into digital categories, emphasizing distinctiveness and exclusivity. Motifs from the world of Professor Balthazar appear in five different categories: Professor Balthazar with a Test Tube in 2,000 copies, Professor Balthazar's Bed in 4,000 copies, Professor Balthazar's Robocycle in 6,000 copies, Professor Balthazar's Submarine in 8,000 copies and Balthazar's Machine with a Windmill in 10,000 copies, making a total quantity of 30,000 copies.
A drop of powerful magic
We all remember and adore him – a busy little man who solves all problems with his knowledge and a complex machine that produces solutions to problems in the form of a drop of magic potion. A simple plot in an artistic animated format that children love so much, and all this with a story that always has a happy ending and a positive message for children – these are the pedagogical and artistic values of this timeless animated series for children and adults.
Professor Balthazar is the main character of this animated series. He is a friendly scientist who solves the problems of his fellow citizens with a help of a complex machine, but the secret behind it lies in his imagination and positivity. The animated series “Professor Balthazar”, consisting of a total of thirty-eight episodes with a running time of around ten minutes, was created at Zagreb Film from 1968 until 1977 and is a unique work of the world-renowned Zagreb School of Animated Film. The co-authors of this work are Zlatko Bourek, Zlatko Grgić, Boris Kolar, Tomica Simović and Ante Zaninović. The renowned French film critic Georges Sadoul first coined the name “Zagreb School of Animated Film” in 1959 at the Cannes Film Festival while describing the work of a group of Zagreb-based authors as “a unique artistic and philosophical style of animated films that originated in Zagreb.”
The series has been immensely popular all over the world for more than 50 years – the Professor Balthazar series carries a powerful message that imagination and the power of positive thinking conquer lies, ideology and manipulation. All this is hidden in a story that, combined with enchanting drawings with magnificent colors, leaves everyone in awe. The universal message that all problems can be solved in a non-violent way and that knowledge, unlike violence, is the true power has a great impact on children, which is in stark contrast to other animated films that solve problems through violence. Balthazar teaches that happiness comes from giving, that every human being is different and that diversity should be embraced and celebrated. His endearing character, who was approximately sixty years old when the series was created, never aged and remained a hallmark of many generations, but also of worldviews where knowledge and kindness, not ideology, have the power to shape reality.
Renata Brkić, Professor Balthazar Association
