School for Vampires (German: Die Schule der kleinen Vampire, Italian: Scuola di vampiri) is a children/teens Italian-German horror-comedy animated television series, based on children book Die Schule der kleinen Vampire by Jackie Niebisch in 1983.
Oskar von Horrificus: Oskar is often seen as the hero and is one of the students at the school. Count von Horrificus is his uncle. Oskar tries to be a great student, but unfortunately he has a fear of blood and is therefore a vegetarian. He is still able to change into a vampire bat like his friends and often visits the human girl Sunshine because he has a crush on her and she feels the same. However, Sunshine doesn't know he's a vampire, as she is a skeptic.
Stoker: Stoker is rather an anti-hero and a troublemaker at the school. He is often getting himself or his friends into trouble and suffers from the most bad luck of anyone else in the series. His name is obviously a pun of Bram Stoker, the author of the popular novel Dracula. Stoker is the most stereotypical-looking vampire of his friends, since he resembles Count Dracula and loves blood. He has a one-sided crush on Gothetta. In the English dub, he speaks with a Cockney accent.
Leechy: Leechy is a child prodigy who is very intelligent and often makes inventions for his friends. He is seen to be very close with Oskar, and had a crush on Professor Oxford's young niece, Ravena. He dresses and acts like a stereotypical nerd and has sharper fangs than the other students.
Ashley: He was once a young vampire like the others, but was exposed to the sun, resulting in him being turned into a talking, sentient pile of dust. His name is a pun, since he is an ash pile. Ashley often speaks about his vampire life and that he was the best one in all the land where he comes from. Ashley also often tells everyone things they should know about others, like why Lenny was upset for a while. He is often a source of comic relief. As a vampire, he had red hair and wore dark navy blue clothes.
Klot: Klot is the youngest vampire of the group. He is best friends with Ashley and is often seen carrying him around in a bassinet for his dolls. Klot also believes in the Fang Fairy.
Gothetta: The only girl vampire in the school and the most level-headed out of all the kids. She is a skilled botanist. Gothetta gets into trouble herself at times, but isn't as bad as Stoker. She doesn't particularly like Sunshine. Gothetta is also as smart as Leechy (only not as nerdy) and is often seen as a big sister figure to Klot. She has long curly red hair in a ponytail with the sides of her head shaved (also known as a wolftail). One episode shows her as a human. In the English dub, she speaks with somewhat of a "Valley Girl" accent.
Lenny: The school's custodian. He is very protective of the students, especially when Sunshine's grandfather tries to kill them. Unlike the others, he was bitten by a vampire, not born as one. He speaks with a British accent.
Professor Oxblood: A vampire teacher and the uncle of Ravena. He looks similar to Count Orlock from Nosferatu.
Sunshine Polidori: A human girl whom Oskar has a crush on. Sunshine is a skeptic and is unaware that Oskar is a vampire. When she was turned into a vampire, she had black hair and was called Moonbeam. Her grandfather is a vampire hunter.
Paulus Polidori: Sunshine's grandfather who is a vampire hunter. Even though he is not a skeptic like Sunshine, he is also unaware of the fact that Oskar is a vampire. He has a brother who is a skeptic, but even though Sunshine is also a skeptic, she demands that her grandfather be treated with respect. His brother eventually becomes a believer when Gothetta and Stoker change into bats and scare him. Paulus Polidori is often thought of as a "crackpot".
Count Alarich von Horrificus: Oskar's uncle who works as the headmaster of the vampire school. He is always striving to make Oskar the best vampire he can be.
Minor Characters
Buck: a mischievous vampire boy.
Lady Kryptina: a female vampire teacher at the school.
Nofre: An Egyptian vampire princess who resembles Cleopatra. She only appeared in one episode and is a spoiled brat.
Count Fracula: An elderly vampire who is a parody of Count Dracula.
Ravena: A female vampire whom Leechy has a crush on. She is related to Professor Oxford and is also interested in inventing things. She has black hair in a bun and somewhat resembles Mina Harker from the Dracula franchise by the way she dresses.
Batoria: Gothetta's cousin who looks like a stereotypical goth or scene girl. She's friends with Stoker. Her name is a parody of Countess Bathory.
Animated films for TV
The German Media (MDM) supported the project development of the movie SCHOOL FOR VAMPIRES by promoting a 3D produced by RABBIX VFX GmbH Weimar and Hahn Film AG - stereoscopy teasers. Director and producer Gerhard Hahn will begin this year with the production of the feature film.
The film adaptation of the already published in 5 countries book series by Jackie Niebisch is co-produced by the ARD, CARTOON ONE and the DZT and the first 78 episodes were broadcast by ARD and KIKA with high odds. An animated television series was developed, producing several seasons. The first 26 individual new adventures were completed under the direction of Tony Power and aired from March 2010. The international pre-sales of the series support the sale of the movie, which is planned for 2010.
The animated series had one significant difference, depending on the voice dubbing and location of its broadcast. The German dub had different names for four of the main characters.
