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{{Short description|Flash cartoon series}}
{{More citations needed|date=November 2024}}
{{Infobox television
| alt                  =
| genre                = [[Action (fiction)#Action genre|Action]]<br>[[Black comedy|Dark humor]]<br>[[Surreal humour|Surreal humor]]
| creator              = [[Zhu Zhiqiang]]
| developer            = Zhu Zhiqiang
| voices               = Charlie Lehardy (#1)<br>Zhu Zhiqiang (#9)
| theme_music_composer = 
| composer             = Zhu Zhiqiang
| country              = [[China]]
| language             = Chinese<br>English
| num_seasons          =
| num_episodes         = 10
| list_episodes        =
| executive_producer   = Zhu Zhiqiang
| editor               =
| runtime              = 1-2 minutes
| company              = XiaoXiao Movie.com
| producer             =
| channel              = [[Newgrounds]]
| first_aired          = {{start date|2001|4|19}}
| last_aired           = {{end date|2002|2|23}}
| related              =
}}
'''''Xiao Xiao''''' ({{lang-zh|c=小小作品|p=Xiǎo Xiǎo Zuò Pǐn}}, {{lit.}} "'''''Little Work'''''") is a Chinese [[Internet]] [[Flash cartoon]] series by [[Beijing]]-based [[China|Chinese]] [[animator]] Zhu Zhiqiang ({{lang-zh|t=朱志強|s=朱志强|p=Zhū Zhìqiáng}}).

The cartoon features [[stick figure]]s performing [[choreography|choreographed]] fight scenes. Some of the cartoons are [[Interactivity|interactive]] and game-like.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2009-02-25 |title=Games time forgot: Xiao Xiao |url=https://www.destructoid.com/games-time-forgot-xiao-xiao/ |access-date=2024-03-29 |website=Destructoid |language=en-US}}</ref> All cartoons are in the [[Adobe Flash]] format, with the exception of Xiao Xiao #1, which was originally in [[Audio Video Interleave|AVI]] format and converted to Flash format. Others have seized on ''Xiao Xiao''{{'}}s popularity to make animations exploiting the easy-to-draw style of stick figures and minimalist backgrounds, creating cartoons that are sequels or [[Parody|parodies]] of the official cartoons.

== Etymology ==
In [[Mandarin Chinese]]; "''Xiao Xiao''" is the [[Chinese character]] for "small" repeated twice. Here this [[reduplication]] connotes an affectionate diminutive, an equivalent might be the English expression "itty bitty" or "lil' old".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Xiao Xiao |url=https://chinese.yabla.com/chinese-english-pinyin-dictionary.php?define=xiaoxiao}}</ref> Each ''Xiao Xiao'' cartoon is given a Chinese title with the adjective "Xiao Xiao" preceding a descriptive noun phrase. Xiao Xiao #1 was originally titled "Xiao Xiao Zuo Pin", which translates to "A Little Bit of Creative Work".

Over time, the term gradually shifted meaning from the series itself to the main character, an anonymous black stick figure.

==Legal dispute==
In June 2004, Zhu filed a lawsuit against [[Nike, Inc.|Nike]] for plagiarizing his cartoon stickmen in their commercials. Nike's representatives denied the accusations, claiming that the stickman figure lacks originality, and is public domain. Zhu eventually won the [[lawsuit]], claiming his copyright on his style and not the stickman,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newgrounds.com/bbs/topic/149676/2|title=Xiao Xiao Lawsuit??|author=|date=|website=Newgrounds.com|access-date=1 August 2017}}</ref> and Nike was ordered to pay $36,000 to the [[cartoonist]].<ref name="Nike">[http://www.lawdit.co.uk/reading_room/room/view_article.asp?name=../articles/Nike%20losses.htm Nike loses "Stickman" case but decides to appeal...] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051025101045/http://www.lawdit.co.uk/reading_room/room/view_article.asp?name=..%2Farticles%2FNike%20losses.htm |date=October 25, 2005 }}, Lawdit Solicitors</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20051122080419/http://www.ipfrontline.com/printtemplate.asp?id=2082 Can a "Stickman" be original? A Chinese court thinks so...] - News article, Wednesday, February 9, 2005, ipFrontline</ref> Nike stated it would appeal the suit in the [[Beijing High People's Court]].<ref name="XinHua">XinHua http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2004-07/16/content_1604987.htm {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061128234301/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2004-07/16/content_1604987.htm |date=2006-11-28 }}</ref><ref name="Nike"/> Nike won the appeal in 2006, with the judge saying in the paper that the Nike stickman design was different than Zhu's stickman design.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Guo |first=Yimeei |date=2017 |title=Modern China's Copyright Law and Practice |url=https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-5352-8 |pages=2–5 |doi=10.1007/978-981-10-5352-8 |isbn=978-981-10-5351-1 }}</ref> After winning the suit, Nike stated "This was never a commercial issue for us. It was a matter of principle."<ref>{{Cite web|date=2006-06-17|title=Beijing court rules in favor of Nike in animation lawsuit - Taipei Times|url=https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/worldbiz/archives/2006/06/17/2003314101|access-date=2022-02-21|website=www.taipeitimes.com}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://www.newgrounds.com/series/xiao-xiao Xiao Xiao series] on [[Newgrounds]]
* [http://www.stickpage.com/xiaoxiaoseries.shtml Xiao Xiao series] on Stickpage

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[[Category:2001 web series debuts]]
[[Category:2002 web series endings]]
[[Category:Chinese animated web series]]
[[Category:Browser-based game websites]]
[[Category:Chinese adult animated action television series]]
[[Category:Flash animated web series]]