The World of Wallace and Gromit

by Andy Lane

Wallace and Gromitthe eccentric, cheese-loving inventor and his faithful, long-suffering dogstarted life in 1985 in Nick Parks A Grand Day Out, a film he had started while attending Britains National Film and Television school. Gromit actually began as a cat in another story and initially Wallace didnt have a name, but since then the pair have been catapulted to international fame and captured the hearts of millions, along with a cast of characters that includes the adorable Shaun the Sheep, the dastardly penguin Fingers and the long-suffering lady friend Wendolene. From an idea doodled in a sketchbook to three fully realized feature films, the secrets of the model-making shop, the set-design shop and the animation studios are all revealed here for the very first time. Including previously unseen original concept artwork from Nick Park and insights into stop-motion animation, this book looks at the establishment of the characters as global property through innovative marketing, major advertising campaigns and must-have merchandise. The World of Wallace & Gromit will explore the way in which two animated characters from Bristol were taken to the heart of the British public and became a much-loved global phenomenon.

192 pages, Hardcover

First published September 3, 2004

About the author

See also works published as Andrew Lane

During 2009, Macmillan Books announced that Lane would be writing a series of books focusing on the early life of Sherlock Holmes. The series was developed in conjunction with the estate of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Lane had already shown an extensive knowledge of the Holmes character and continuity in his Virgin Books novel All-Consuming Fire in which he created The Library of St. John the Beheaded as a meeting place for the worlds of Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Who.

The first book in the 'Young Sherlock Holmes' series – Death Cloud – was published in the United Kingdom in June 2010 (February 2011 in the United States), with the second – Red Leech – published in the United Kingdom in November of that year (with a United States publication date under the title Rebel Fire of February 2012). The third book – Black Ice – was published in June 2011 in the UK while the fourth book – Fire Storm – was published originally in hardback in October 2011 with a paperback publication in March 2012. The fifth book, Snake Bite was published in hardback in October 2012 and the sixth book, Knife Edge was published in September 2013. Death Cloud was short-listed for both the 2010 North East Book Award. (coming second by three votes) and the 2011 Southampton's Favourite Book Award. Black Ice won the 2012 Centurion Book Award.

Early in 2012, Macmillan Children's Books announced that they would be publishing a new series by Lane, beginning in 2013. The Lost World books will follow disabled 15-year-old Calum Challenger, who is co-ordinating a search from his London bedroom to find creatures considered so rare that many do not believe they exist. Calum's intention is to use the creatures' DNA to help protect the species, but also to search for a cure for his own paralysis. His team comprises a computer hacker, a free runner, an ex-marine and a pathological liar.

Reviews

[Sophie Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

This gorgeous paperback covers the making of the first 3 Wallace and Gromit films.

Plenty of pictures and a wealth of information throughout.

It’s definitely not for everybody but if you’re a Wallace & Gromit fan it’s a must buy.

[Kevin de Ataíde · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm always captured by the humour in Wallace and Gromit, which has the same spirit as the popular American movies of Disney and Pixar. The book is very simply written, obviously for children who form the prime market for the films. The child within me grabbed at it and I learnt far more than necessary about England's favourite animated characters.