News Vinicius and Tom, mascots of the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games, will be the stars in a new Rio 2016 series to be shown on Cartoon Network in Brazil The partnership between the Rio 2016 Organising Committee and the channel was announced on Sunday (21), in Flamengo Park The cartoon, which will be called “Vinicius e Tom - Divertidos por Natureza” (Vinicius and Tom - Fun by Nature), will be aired on pay TV in Brazil and will also be available via the digital platforms of both organizations The premiere is scheduled for August 5, exactly a year before the ceremony that will open the first Games in South America On the small screen, the cartoon super-duo’s adventures will run over 32 episodes of two minutes each The story will follow the two characters through the forests and urban jungles of Brazil, on a mission to spread Olympic and Paralympic values Inspired by the beaches of Rio de Janeiro, scenes from the cartoon incorporate elements of the Rio 2016 visual identity (Photo: Rio 2016) This is the first time in the Americas and only the third time in history that the Games’ mascots have been immortalised in TV cartoon form "Cartoons are part of the daily lives of all children and we believe the series will enchant not only little kids but adults as well It will be a showcase for the mascots, the ambassadors of the Rio 2016 Games, and we hope it will help create fond memories of them for years to come," explains Sylmara Multini, Director of Licensing and Retail for Rio 2016 Committee Inspired by Brazil’s spectacular flora and fauna, the design of the Rio 2016 mascots incorporates influences from pop culture, animation and video game characters With their origins in both fiction and reality, the story goes that on the day it was announced that Rio de Janeiro would host the 2016 Games (2 October 2009) the joy that rocked the Brazilian population was felt by the whole of nature and out of this energy the characters were born (watch the video below)   "The mascots are one of the main ways to engage the public with games This animated series will give them life, strengthening the emotional bond people have with the event," said Beth Lula, Brand Director for the Rio 2016 Organising Committee Cartoon Network was chosen to bring the project to life because of its expertise in children’s content and its familiarity with the infant universe "Fun is our speciality The series is extremely fun and the two characters have a huge affinity with the style and DNA of Cartoon Network Sport and fun are defining elements in this series," said Daniela Vieira, channel content director in Brazil Meet the characters:  Vinicius Vinicius is the mascot of the Olympic Games and his character is a mixture of all Brazil's animals His superpower is that he is infinitely stretchy, and since he is a mixture of all the animals, he can do all the best things they can do: he can run faster, jump higher and is stronger than any other creature But Vinicius only uses his superpowers for the good, employing his keen sense of smell to sniff out adventures He does all the sports on the Olympic programme and he is super-communicative, making friends with people all over the world Tom Tom is the mascot of the Paralympic Games and his character is a fusion of all the plants in the Brazilian forests Tom uses his head – literally! Instead of hair he has a shock of leaves on his head and to get himself out of a jam he can reach into the leaves and pull out all kinds of objects Tom knows all nature’s secrets and he understands that with creativity, intelligence and determination, any barrier can be overcome He does all the sports on the Paralympic programme and his mission is to inspire people to look within themselves to find what they have to offer