sportacus

I was introduced to a new superhero over the Christmas holidays. And so were my five-year-old niece and smitten three-year-old nephew.

One of our hosts -- a five-year-old boy -- appeared after dinner wearing a short, lopsided blue jacket that looked homemade with what appeared to be a pair of blue gym shorts, pinned in a triangle on the top of his head.

While the rest of us were eyeing chocolate for dessert, he told his mother that he would prefer an apple or a banana instead. Thus, we were introduced to "sports candy" and the world of Sportacus.

For those of you not in the know, but dying to be, Sportacus is the brainchild of an Icelander named Magnus Scheving and, though his Lazytown franchise has been a hit in Iceland since the 1990s, it has only been in North America a couple of years. The way it has captured the imagination of the two little boys I was with during the Christmas holidays, as well as my own imagination, I think we'll all be hearing more from Sportacus in the future.

As an adult viewing its DVD, it comes across as a strange hybrid. It reminded me of a children's version of the Rocky Horror Picture Show with shades of Pee Wee Herman. Only upon finding out its Icelandic origins did its unusual originality and quirkiness make more sense. It appears to come from another world -- and, well, it's difficult to be more unique than Iceland.

Anyway, it's a children's show I can watch in fascination. Except for videos though (and costumes available at WalMart), I'm not sure where in the Saturday morning lineup you would find it.

But ask a five-year-old. They probably know.