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Wallace & Gromit facts for kids
| Wallace & Gromit | |
|---|---|
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| Creator | Nick Park |
| Original work | A Grand Day Out (1989) |
| Owner | Aardman Animations |
| Print publications | |
| Comics | List of comic books |
| Films and television | |
| Films | |
| Short films |
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| Television specials |
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| Theatrical presentations | |
| Plays |
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Wallace & Gromit is a funny British animated series. It was created by Nick Park and made by Aardman Animations. The series uses a special technique called stop motion animation.
The main characters are Wallace, a kind inventor who loves cheese, and Gromit, his super smart and loyal dog. Gromit is a beagle who doesn't speak. He shows what he's thinking with his facial expressions and body language.
The first short film, A Grand Day Out, came out in 1989. Wallace was voiced by Peter Sallis for many years. Later, Ben Whitehead took over his voice.
These characters are very popular around the world. Many people see them as symbols of modern British culture. BBC News even called them "some of the best-known and best-loved stars" from the UK.
Contents
The History of Wallace & Gromit
Creator Nick Park with his characters in 2005.
The first short film, A Grand Day Out, was nominated for an Academy Award in 1991. Later, two more short films, The Wrong Trousers (1993) and A Close Shave (1995), were released. Both of these films won Academy Awards!
In 2005, the first full-length movie, Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, came out. It also won an Academy Award. This movie is the second highest-earning stop-motion animated film ever.
A fourth short film, A Matter of Loaf and Death, was released in 2008. It was the most-watched TV show in the UK that year. This film won a BAFTA Award and was nominated for an Academy Award.
Sadly, Peter Sallis, the original voice of Wallace, passed away in 2017. However, Nick Park has said he has more ideas for Wallace and Gromit. He wants the adventures to continue!
In 2019, a new Wallace & Gromit project was announced. In 2021, a special augmented reality (AR) mobile app called The Big Fix Up was released. It lets you experience a Wallace & Gromit story in a new way.
In 2021, a bronze statue of Wallace and Gromit was put up in Preston, Lancashire. This is Nick Park's hometown. A new movie, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl, is set to be released in 2024. It will be a sequel to The Wrong Trousers.
Meet Wallace and Gromit
Wallace's Clever Inventions
Wallace lives with his dog Gromit at 62 West Wallaby Street. This address is in a part of Wigan, England.
Wallace usually wears brown trousers, a white shirt, and a green sweater. He loves cheese, especially Wensleydale cheese.
His creator, Nick Park, says Wallace is a "homely sort" who enjoys adventures. Wallace is an amazing inventor. He creates many complex machines, which he calls "cracking contraptions." These inventions often have funny and unexpected results.
Wallace uses his inventions to help with his different businesses. Each business has a funny, punny name:
- In A Close Shave (1995), Wallace runs a window cleaning business. He uses a special motorcycle and sidecar.
- In The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005), he has a pest-control service called Anti-Pesto. He uses his Bun-Vac 6000 to catch rabbits.
- In A Matter of Loaf and Death (2008), Wallace opens a bakery called Top Bun. He even has a windmill on his roof!
- For the 2024 film, Vengeance Most Fowl, Wallace starts Gnome Improvements. He uses his old Anti-Pesto gnomes for this new business.
Wallace's inventions often lead to the main problems in the stories. But they also help solve them in the end!
Gromit's Loyal and Smart Ways
"Gromit doesn't ever say a word, but there has never been a more expressive character (animated or otherwise) to grace our screens."
—Empire magazine
Gromit is Wallace's pet dog and best friend. He is a beagle with cream-colored fur and floppy dark brown ears. Gromit is super smart! He even graduated from "Dogwarts University" with top honors in Engineering for Dogs. "Dogwarts" is a funny name, like "Hogwarts" from the Harry Potter books.
Gromit loves knitting, playing chess, and reading. He's also great with electronics and can even fly an airplane! He often helps Wallace out of tricky situations. Gromit's birthday is February 12.
Gromit doesn't have a mouth that moves, so he doesn't speak. He shows his feelings through his amazing facial expressions and body language. Many people compare his silent acting to famous silent movie stars. He sometimes makes dog noises like yelps or growls.
Gromit's tastes are often more modern than Wallace's. He enjoys reading about science, philosophy, and popular culture. His books often have funny, punny titles like "Pup Fiction" (like Pulp Fiction) or "The Dogfather" (like The Godfather). His favorite music includes "The Beagles" (like the Beatles) and "Red Hot Chili Puppies" (like Red Hot Chili Peppers).
In A Matter of Loaf and Death, Gromit finds a love interest in Fluffles, a poodle. They become a sweet couple.
NASA even named one of its Mars explorer robots after Gromit in 2005!
Where Wallace and Gromit Live
The series doesn't say exactly where Wallace and Gromit live. However, Nick Park has hinted that it's inspired by Wigan, a town in England. In The Wrong Trousers, a letter shows their address as "62 West Wallaby Street, Wigan."
Wallace's voice, provided by Peter Sallis, has an accent from West Yorkshire. This adds to the British feel of the characters.
In one episode, Wallace mentions his "Preston North End soccamatic." Preston is another town in Lancashire, England. This shows how the creators mix different parts of northern England into their world.
Wallace & Gromit Films and Shows
Main Series Films
| Title | U.K. release date | Director(s) | Screenwriter(s) | Story by | Producer(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Short films | |||||
| A Grand Day Out | 4 November 1989 | Nick Park | Nick Park and Steve Rushton | Rob Copeland | |
| The Wrong Trousers | 26 December 1993 | Nick Park, Bob Baker and Brian Sibley | Christopher Moll | ||
| A Close Shave | 24 December 1995 | Bob Baker and Nick Park | Carla Shelley and Michael Rose | ||
| A Matter of Loaf and Death | 25 December 2008 | Nick Park and Bob Baker | Steve Pegram | ||
| Feature films | |||||
| The Curse of the Were-Rabbit | 7 October 2005 | Nick Park and Steve Box | Nick Park, Steve Box, Mark Burton and Bob Baker | Claire Jennings, Carla Shelley, Peter Lord, David Sproxton and Nick Park | |
| Vengeance Most Fowl | 25 December 2024 | Nick Park and Merlin Crossingham | Mark Burton | Nick Park and Mark Burton | Richard Beek |
Spin-off Films
| Title | Original release/air date | Director(s) | Screenwriter(s) | Story by | Producer(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Short films | |||||
| Timmy Time: Timmy's Christmas Surprise | 12 December 2011 | ||||
| Timmy Time: Timmy's Seaside Rescue | 13 July 2012 | ||||
| Shaun the Sheep: The Farmer's Llamas | 26 December 2015 | Jay Grace | Nick Vincent Murphy, Lee Pressman and Richard Starzak | Paul Kewley and John Woolley | |
| Shaun the Sheep: The Flight Before Christmas | 3 December 2021 | Steve Cox | Mark Burton and Giles Pilbrow | ||
| Feature films | |||||
| Shaun the Sheep Movie | 6 February 2015 | Mark Burton and Richard Starzak | Paul Kewley and Julie Lockhart | ||
| A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon | 18 October 2019 | Will Becher and Richard Phelan | Mark Burton and Jon Brown | Richard Starzak | Paul Kewley |
List indicator(s)
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Television Series
| Title | Originally aired | Series | Episodes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First aired | Last aired | |||
| Main series | ||||
| Wallace & Gromit's Cracking Contraptions | 15 October 2002 | 1 | 10 | |
| Wallace & Gromit's World of Invention | 3 November 2010 | 8 December 2010 | 6 | |
| Spin-offs | ||||
| Shaun the Sheep | 5 March 2007 | present | 6 | 170 |
| Timmy Time | 6 April 2009 | 13 July 2012 | 3 | 78 |
| Shaun the Sheep 3D | 7 March 2012 | 13 June 2012 | 1 | 15 |
| Shaun The Sheep Championsheeps | 2 July 2012 | 13 July 2012 | 21 | |
How Wallace & Gromit Are Made
The Magic of Stop Motion
The Wallace & Gromit films are made using stop motion animation. This means that models, usually made of plasticine, are moved tiny amounts. A camera takes one picture (frame) for each small movement. When all the pictures are played quickly, it looks like the characters are moving!
Because each second of film needs 24 separate pictures, making even a short film takes a very long time. Animators can usually film about 30 frames in a day.
Sometimes, special effects like fire or smoke are too hard to make with stop motion. For these parts, computer animation is used. Artists work hard to make sure the computer-animated parts look exactly like the clay models. They even add small details like fingerprints to make them blend in perfectly.
Many of the original models were destroyed in a fire in 2005. However, some sets and props from The Wrong Trousers survived. They were kept safe at a museum.
The Music Behind the Fun
The music for all the Wallace & Gromit films was written by Julian Nott. The main theme song is very famous. It was even used to wake up astronauts in space in 2010!
Other Adventures and Media
Video Games
Wallace and Gromit have starred in many video games.
- In 1996, the Wallace & Gromit Fun Pack was released for computers. It had mini-games based on their films.
- In 2003, Wallace & Gromit in Project Zoo came out for PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, and PC. In this game, you play as Gromit. He has to stop Feathers McGraw from turning the zoo into a diamond mine!
- In 2005, a game based on Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit was released. You could play as both Wallace and Gromit.
- In 2008, a series of episodic games called Wallace & Gromit's Grand Adventures began. New episodes were released over time.
- In 2021, an augmented reality mobile game, Wallace & Gromit: The Big Fix Up, was released.
- In 2023, a virtual reality game called The Grand Getaway was released for VR headsets.
List of Video Games
| Title | Release date | Platform(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Main series | ||
| Wallace & Gromit Fun Pack | 1996 | PC |
| Wallace & Gromit Cracking Animator | 1997 | |
| Wallace & Gromit Fun Pack 2 | 1999 | |
| Project Zoo | 3 October 2003 | PlayStation 2, GameCube, Xbox, Windows |
| The Curse of the Were-Rabbit | 7 October 2005 | PlayStation 2, Xbox, Mobile |
| Wallace & Gromit – The Curse of the Were Rabbit (Interactive DVD Game) | 7 November 2005 | DVD |
| Wallace & Gromit's Grand Adventures Episode 1: Fright of the Bumblebees | 23 March 2009 | Windows, Xbox 360 |
| Wallace & Gromit's Grand Adventures Episode 2: The Last Resort | 5 May 2009 | PC, Xbox 360, iOS |
| Wallace & Gromit's Grand Adventures Episode 3: Muzzled! | 15 June 2009 | PC, Xbox 360 |
| Wallace & Gromit's Grand Adventures Episode 4: The Bogey Man | 30 July 2009 | |
| Wallace & Gromit: The Big Fix up | 18 January 2021 | iOS, Android |
| The Grand Getaway | 2023 | Meta Quest 2 VR |
| Shaun the Sheep series | ||
| Shaun the Sheep | 26 September 2008 | Nintendo DS |
| Off His Head | 23 October 2009 | |
| Home Sheep Home | 2011 | iOS |
| Home Sheep Home 2 | 2011 | |
| Shaun's Mossy Mole Mischief | June 2016 | Wii U, Nintendo 3DS |
| Home Sheep Home: Farmageddon Party Edition | October 2019 26 May 2023 (re-release) |
Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Series S, PlayStation 4 & PlayStation 5 |
| Untitled The Sandbox game | TBA | iOS, Android |
| RollerCoaster Tycoon -Shaun the sheep | 28 January 2021 | iOS |
| Timmy Time series | ||
| Timmy Time | 19 August 2011 | Nintendo DS |
Comics and Books
Since 2005, Wallace & Gromit have had their own monthly comic book. They also appeared in the BeanoMAX and The Beano comics. In 2010, they started appearing daily in The Sun newspaper.
There are also many Wallace & Gromit graphic novels. These books collect the comic strips into longer stories.
List of Comics
| Number | Title | Publisher | Run | Issues |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wallace & Gromit Comic | Titan Magazines | 2005–07 | 26 |
| 2 | Shaun the Sheep Comic | Titan Magazines | 2007–08 | 19 |
| 3 | Wallace & Gromit | D. C. Thomson & Co. | 2013–15 | N/A |
| 4 | Wallace & Gromit | The Sun | 2010–13 |
- List of graphic novels
- The Lost Slipper, 1997
- The Lost Slipper and Curse of the Ramsbottoms, 1998
- Anoraknophobia, 1998
- Crackers in Space, 1999
- A Grand Day Out, 1999
- Catch of the Day, 2002
- The Whippet Vanishes, 2004
- A Pier Too Far, 2004
- The Bootiful Game, 2005
- Plots in Space, 2007
- A Grand Day Out, 2009
- The Wrong Trousers, 2010
- The Complete Newspaper Comic Strips Collection, 2013
- The Complete Newspaper Comic Strips Collection, Volume 2, 2014
- The Complete Newspaper Comic Strips Collection, Volume 3, 2015
- The Complete Newspaper Comic Strips Collection, Volume 4, 2015
Stage Shows
Wallace and Gromit have also appeared on stage. In 1997, they were in a play called Wallace And Gromit™ Alive on Stage in a Grand Night Out.
Their spin-off character, Shaun the Sheep, has also had live shows. Shaun's Big Show started in 2011. Shaun even starred in a pantomime version of Snow White in 2015.
Promotional Appearances
Wallace and Gromit have appeared in many advertisements. They have promoted cars, crackers, and even tea! They also helped save a Wensleydale cheese factory from closing. This is because Wensleydale is Wallace's favorite cheese!
Wallace & Gromit's Thrill-O-Matic dark ride at Blackpool Pleasure Beach.
In 2009, a special exhibition called "Wallace & Gromit present a World of Cracking Ideas" opened in London. It aimed to inspire children to be inventive.
In 2010, Wallace and Gromit were featured on UK postage stamps for Christmas. A theme park ride based on the characters, called Wallace & Gromit's Thrill-O-Matic, opened in 2013 at Blackpool Pleasure Beach.
The duo also appeared in a special for the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II in 2012. They even hosted a concert, Wallace & Gromit's Musical Marvels, which later toured around the world.
Helping Others: Charity Work
Wallace & Gromit help raise money for children's charities. These include Wallace & Gromit's Children's Foundation and Wallace & Gromit's Grand Appeal. These charities support children's hospitals and hospices in the UK.
In 2013, 80 large, decorated sculptures of Gromit were placed around Bristol. This project was called Gromit Unleashed. Artists and celebrities decorated the sculptures. Later, similar projects with Shaun the Sheep (Shaun in the City) and more Gromit sculptures (Gromit Unleashed 2) were held. These events raised lots of money for charity.
Spin-off Series
Shaun the Sheep (2007–present)
Shaun the Sheep first appeared in the 1995 film A Close Shave. In 2007, he got his own TV series. In Shaun the Sheep, Shaun and his flock live on Mossy Bottom Farm. They often try to make their lives more exciting. This usually leads to funny adventures and sometimes trouble with the farm dog, Bitzer. They always try to avoid being caught by the Farmer!
This series led to more shorts, a TV special, and two feature films: Shaun the Sheep Movie (2015) and A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon (2019).
Timmy Time (2009–12)
In 2009, a spin-off from Shaun the Sheep was created called Timmy Time. This show focuses on Timmy, a little lamb. Timmy and his friends learn important lessons about sharing, making friends, and fixing their mistakes. The show is made for very young children.
Images for kids
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Museum set from The Wrong Trousers, on display at the National Media Museum in Bradford, West Yorkshire
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Gromit sorts the mail at his house where he hopes to find a birthday card (scene from The Wrong Trousers).
See also
In Spanish: Wallace y Gromit para niños