As a boy, I read my fair share of comic books – and watched plenty of Saturday morning cartoons, too. One show that certainly made an impression on me was “Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids.” Bill Cosby would set up the storyline for the show each week, and he would warn you before the cartoon began: “… if you’re not careful, you might learn something before it’s done.” Wait, a cartoon that could also teach you something? Wasn’t that defeating the purpose of watching cartoons in the first place? Well, apparently it worked. I remember that line, and many of the antics that would regularly get the gang in trouble week after week.

Today, that same idea – comics can be fun and educational – comes to us in the heroic form of Kurt Dunder! Who is Kurt Dunder?, you ask. He’s an intrepid explorer created by Frank Madsen, and brought to us by the Danish company Campfire A/S and their mobile comics imprint Catooz.

In Kurt Dunder 1, we meet our hero, his friend Bill Milton, and his pet monkey, Attila, who are on their way to Africa to solve a mystery. They are trying to find a lost tribe – the Polo people, and along the way see if they can rescue Jorgen Birk, the man who discovered this lost tribe, who was kidnapped right from Kurt’s home!

OK, I don’t want to give too much away … but suffice to say, the story is clever, and the pace is just right. The cartoon is rendered in a style that is very reminiscent of the Adventures of Tintin (more time from my childhood well spent), with simple drawings that are still highly expressive.

What’s more, in the digital format on your Nokia mobile device, the Kurt Dunder comic form takes on several new twists. For starters, there is a fantastic soundtrack that goes with the comic – each scene includes audio effects that add depth to the story.

Additionally – and this is where the educational part slips in – there are moments in the story where you need to pick the correct answer to a question or challenge that is put in front of Kurt. The right answer is based on factual information. In the first chapter of Story #1 (there are 3 chapters in total) there is a question related to the African continent. Only one of the three choices is correct. Get the wrong answer? Go back and try again until you get it right.

You will also see why the two incorrect answers are in fact wrong, too. It’s subtle, but it does manage to teach the reader a thing or two on the sly. And, it was a pleasant reminder of one more childhood memory: the Choose Your Own Adventure book series, where each choice you made could alter the outcome of the narrative. This isn’t quite that elaborate, but you get the idea.

Each chapter is quick – you can probably go through the whole thing in less than 15 minutes – but it is immersive, engaging stuff. And the portability of the format is nice, too. Plus, you’ll never have to worry about keeping it shrink wrapped forever for fear of ruining the pages.

I’ve been enjoying the Kurt Dunder series on my Nokia E72. I can hardly wait to pick up Part 2 (which contains episodes 4 – 6) and Part 3 (Episodes 7 – 10) so I can see where Kurt goes next!  Each download for the Kurt Dunder series is available for $0.99 (USD) in Ovi Store.

What do you think of digital comics? Have you picked up Kurt Dunder or any of the other titles available in Ovi Store? Can they replace your printed comic book collection? Give us your feedback in the Comments section below.