Nick Park
Encyclopedia
Nicholas Wulstan "Nick" Park, CBE
(born 6 December 1958) is an English filmmaker
of stop motion
animation
best known as the creator of Wallace and Gromit
and Shaun the Sheep
.
Park has been nominated for an Academy Award a total of six times, and won four with Creature Comforts
(1989), The Wrong Trousers
(1993), A Close Shave
(1995), and Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit
(2005).
, England and grew up on Greenlands Estate, Preston and later moved to Walmer Bridge
, where his mother still resides. He is the middle child, of five siblings. He was born to Mary Cecilia Ashton (b. 1930), a seamstress, and Roger Wulstan Park (b. 1925 d.2004), an architectural photographer. His sister Janet lives in the South Ribble
area still, in Longton
. He attended Cuthbert Mayne High School (now Our Lady
's Catholic High School). He grew up with a keen interest in drawing cartoons, and as a 13-year old made films with the help of his mother – who was a dressmaker – and her home movie camera and cotton bobbin
s. He also took after his father, an amateur inventor, and would send items – such as a bottle that squeezed out different coloured wools – to Blue Peter
. He studied Communication Arts at Sheffield Polytechnic (now Sheffield Hallam University
) and then went to the National Film and Television School
, where he started making the first Wallace and Gromit film, A Grand Day Out
.
in Bristol
, where he worked as an animator on commercial products (including the video for Peter Gabriel
's "Sledgehammer
", where he worked on the dance scene involving oven-ready chickens). He also had a part in animating the Pee-wee's Playhouse
which featured Paul Reubens
. Along with all this, he had finally completed A Grand Day Out
, and with that in post-production, he made Creature Comforts
as his contribution to a series of shorts called "Lip Synch". Creature Comforts matched animated zoo animals with a soundtrack of people talking about their homes. The two films were nominated for a host of awards. A Grand Day Out beat Creature Comforts for the BAFTA
award, but it was Creature Comforts that won Park his first Oscar
.
In 1990 Park worked alongside advertising agency GGK to develop a series of highly acclaimed television advertisements for the "Heat Electric" campaign. The Creature Comforts advertisements are now regarded as among the best advertisements ever shown on British television, as voted (independently) by viewers of the UK's main commercial channels
ITV
and Channel 4
.
Two more Wallace and Gromit
shorts, The Wrong Trousers
(1993) and A Close Shave
(1995), followed, both winning Oscars. He then made his first feature-length film, Chicken Run
(2000), co-directed with Aardman founder Peter Lord
. He also supervised a new series of "Creature Comforts" films for British television in 2003.
His second theatrical feature-length film and first Wallace and Gromit
feature, Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit
, was released on 5 October 2005, and won Best Animated Feature Oscar at the 78th Academy Awards, 6 March 2006.
On 10 October 2005, a fire gutted Aardman Animations
' archive warehouse. The fire resulted in the loss of most of Park's creations, including the models and sets used in the movie Chicken Run
. Some of the original Wallace & Gromit models and sets, as well as the master prints of the finished films, were elsewhere and survived.
Park's most recent work includes a U.S. version of Creature Comforts
, a weekly television series that was on CBS every Monday evening at 8 p.m. ET
. In the series, Americans were interviewed about a range of subjects. The interviews were lip synced to Aardman animal characters.
In September 2007, it was announced that Nick Park had been commissioned to design a bronze statue of Wallace and Gromit, which will be placed in his home town of Preston. In October 2007 it was announced that the BBC
has commissioned another Wallace & Gromit short film to be entitled Trouble at Mill (retitled later to A Matter of Loaf and Death
).
Nick Park studied at Preston College, which has since named its library for the art and design department after him: the Nick Park Library Learning Centre. He is the recipient of a gold Blue Peter badge
.
In February 2011, Park made his first ever appearance, himself as an animated character in The Simpsons
episode, "Angry Dad: The Movie
". His new Willis and Grumble short, Better Gnomes and Gardens borrows elements and themes to Wallace & Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit. Lisa Simpson asks Park, in case he does not receive the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film:
(Note: Willis and Crumble are a parody of Park's characters Wallace and Gromit. Also, stop-motion animation is produced by Chiodo Bros. Productions, Inc., not Aardman.)
from 8 nominations and has received an Emmy Award
nomination.
remarked Park has taken on some attributes of Wallace, just "as dog-owners come to look like their pets", overexpressing himself, possibly as a result of having to show animators how he wants his characters to behave.
He is a fan of The Beano
comic, and guest-edited the 70th anniversary issue dated 2 August 2008. He also contributed to Classics from the Comics
at the same time, picking his favourite classic stories for the comic reprint magazine's new Classic Choice feature.
The character idea for Wallace came from his old English teacher. Wallace wears the same clothes as Park's teacher and has a similar personality.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born 6 December 1958) is an English filmmaker
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
of stop motion
Stop motion
Stop motion is an animation technique to make a physically manipulated object appear to move on its own. The object is moved in small increments between individually photographed frames, creating the illusion of movement when the series of frames is played as a continuous sequence...
animation
Animation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
best known as the creator of Wallace and Gromit
Wallace and Gromit
Wallace and Gromit are the main characters in a series consisting of four British animated short films and a feature-length film by Nick Park of Aardman Animations...
and Shaun the Sheep
Shaun the Sheep
Shaun the Sheep is a British stop-motion animated children's television series produced by Aardman Animations, and commissioned by the BBC and the WDR. It first aired in the UK on CBBC in March 2007...
.
Park has been nominated for an Academy Award a total of six times, and won four with Creature Comforts
Creature Comforts
Creature Comforts was originally a 1989 British humorous animated short film about how animals feel about living in a zoo, featuring the voices of the British public "spoken" by the animals. It was created by Nick Park and Aardman Animations...
(1989), The Wrong Trousers
The Wrong Trousers
The Wrong Trousers is a 1993 animated film directed by Nick Park at Aardman Animations in Bristol, featuring his characters Wallace and Gromit...
(1993), A Close Shave
A Close Shave
A Close Shave is a 1995 British animated film directed by Nick Park at Aardman Animations in Bristol, featuring his characters Wallace and Gromit. It was his third half-hour short featuring the eccentric inventor Wallace and his quiet but intelligent dog Gromit, following 1989's A Grand Day Out,...
(1995), and Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit
Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit
Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit is a 2005 British clay-mation animated comedy horror film, the first feature-length Wallace and Gromit film. It was produced by DreamWorks Animation and Aardman Animations, and released by DreamWorksPictures...
(2005).
Childhood
Park was born on Brookfield Park in Preston in LancashireLancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, England and grew up on Greenlands Estate, Preston and later moved to Walmer Bridge
Walmer Bridge
Walmer Bridge is a small village in Lancashire, England. Surrounding villages are Much Hoole and Longton.- History :Walmer Bridge is first recorded in 1251 in the chartulary of Cockersand Abbey as Waldemurebruge....
, where his mother still resides. He is the middle child, of five siblings. He was born to Mary Cecilia Ashton (b. 1930), a seamstress, and Roger Wulstan Park (b. 1925 d.2004), an architectural photographer. His sister Janet lives in the South Ribble
South Ribble
South Ribble is a non-metropolitan district and borough of Lancashire, England. Its council is based in Leyland.In May 2007, the council was officially declared "Excellent" by the Audit Commission, gaining its place among the best 5 district councils in the country,-Overview:On 4 October 2007, a...
area still, in Longton
Longton, Lancashire
-External links:**...
. He attended Cuthbert Mayne High School (now Our Lady
Blessed Virgin Mary (Roman Catholic)
Roman Catholic veneration of the Blessed Virgin Mary is based on Holy Scripture: In the fullness of time, God sent his son, born of a virgin. The mystery of the incarnation of the Son of God through Mary thus signifies her honour as Mother of God...
's Catholic High School). He grew up with a keen interest in drawing cartoons, and as a 13-year old made films with the help of his mother – who was a dressmaker – and her home movie camera and cotton bobbin
Bobbin
A bobbin is a spindle or cylinder, with or without flanges, on which wire, yarn, thread or film is wound. Bobbins are typically found in sewing machines, cameras, and within electronic equipment....
s. He also took after his father, an amateur inventor, and would send items – such as a bottle that squeezed out different coloured wools – to Blue Peter
Blue Peter
Blue Peter is the world's longest-running children's television show, having first aired in 1958. It is shown on CBBC, both in its BBC One programming block and on the CBBC channel. During its history there have been many presenters, often consisting of two women and two men at a time...
. He studied Communication Arts at Sheffield Polytechnic (now Sheffield Hallam University
Sheffield Hallam University
Sheffield Hallam University is a higher education institution in South Yorkshire, England, based on two sites in Sheffield. City Campus is located in the city centre, close to Sheffield railway station, and Collegiate Crescent Campus is about two miles away, adjacent to Ecclesall Road in...
) and then went to the National Film and Television School
National Film and Television School
The National Film and Television School was established in 1971 and is based at Beaconsfield Studios in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, and it is located close to Pinewood Studios.-History:...
, where he started making the first Wallace and Gromit film, A Grand Day Out
A Grand Day Out
A Grand Day Out is an award-nominated 1989 animated film directed and animated by Nick Park at Aardman Animations in Bristol. This was the first adventure featuring the eccentric inventor Wallace and his quiet but smart dog Gromit...
.
Career
In 1985, he joined the staff of Aardman AnimationsAardman Animations
Aardman Animations, Ltd., also known as Aardman Studios, or simply as Aardman, is a British animation studio based in Bristol, United Kingdom. The studio is known for films made using stop-motion clay animation techniques, particularly those featuring Plasticine characters Wallace and Gromit...
in Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
, where he worked as an animator on commercial products (including the video for Peter Gabriel
Peter Gabriel
Peter Brian Gabriel is an English singer, musician, and songwriter who rose to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock group Genesis. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on to a successful solo career...
's "Sledgehammer
Sledgehammer (song)
"Sledgehammer" is a song by British musician Peter Gabriel from his 1986 album So. It hit number one in Canada on 21 July 1986 where it spent four weeks; number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States on 26 July 1986; and number four in the UK singles chart, thanks in part to a...
", where he worked on the dance scene involving oven-ready chickens). He also had a part in animating the Pee-wee's Playhouse
Pee-wee's Playhouse
Pee-wee's Playhouse is an American children's television program starring Paul Reubens as the child-like Pee-wee Herman. The show was developed from Reubens' popular stage show and the one-off TV special The Pee-wee Herman Show, produced for HBO, which was similar in style but featured much more...
which featured Paul Reubens
Paul Reubens
Paul Reubens is an American actor, writer, film producer, and comedian, best known for his character Pee-wee Herman. Reubens joined the Los Angeles troupe The Groundlings in the 1970s and started his career as an improvisational comedian and stage actor...
. Along with all this, he had finally completed A Grand Day Out
A Grand Day Out
A Grand Day Out is an award-nominated 1989 animated film directed and animated by Nick Park at Aardman Animations in Bristol. This was the first adventure featuring the eccentric inventor Wallace and his quiet but smart dog Gromit...
, and with that in post-production, he made Creature Comforts
Creature Comforts
Creature Comforts was originally a 1989 British humorous animated short film about how animals feel about living in a zoo, featuring the voices of the British public "spoken" by the animals. It was created by Nick Park and Aardman Animations...
as his contribution to a series of shorts called "Lip Synch". Creature Comforts matched animated zoo animals with a soundtrack of people talking about their homes. The two films were nominated for a host of awards. A Grand Day Out beat Creature Comforts for the BAFTA
British Academy of Film and Television Arts
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts is a charity in the United Kingdom that hosts annual awards shows for excellence in film, television, television craft, video games and forms of animation.-Introduction:...
award, but it was Creature Comforts that won Park his first Oscar
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
.
In 1990 Park worked alongside advertising agency GGK to develop a series of highly acclaimed television advertisements for the "Heat Electric" campaign. The Creature Comforts advertisements are now regarded as among the best advertisements ever shown on British television, as voted (independently) by viewers of the UK's main commercial channels
ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
and Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
.
Two more Wallace and Gromit
Wallace and Gromit
Wallace and Gromit are the main characters in a series consisting of four British animated short films and a feature-length film by Nick Park of Aardman Animations...
shorts, The Wrong Trousers
The Wrong Trousers
The Wrong Trousers is a 1993 animated film directed by Nick Park at Aardman Animations in Bristol, featuring his characters Wallace and Gromit...
(1993) and A Close Shave
A Close Shave
A Close Shave is a 1995 British animated film directed by Nick Park at Aardman Animations in Bristol, featuring his characters Wallace and Gromit. It was his third half-hour short featuring the eccentric inventor Wallace and his quiet but intelligent dog Gromit, following 1989's A Grand Day Out,...
(1995), followed, both winning Oscars. He then made his first feature-length film, Chicken Run
Chicken Run
Chicken Run is a 2000 British stop-motion animation film made by the Aardman Animations studios, the production studio of the Oscar-winning Wallace and Gromit films...
(2000), co-directed with Aardman founder Peter Lord
Peter Lord
Peter Lord CBE is a British film producer, director and co-founder of the Academy award-winning Aardman Animations studio, an animation firm best known for its clay animated films and shorts, particularly those featuring plasticine duo Wallace & Gromit.-Biography:In cooperation with David...
. He also supervised a new series of "Creature Comforts" films for British television in 2003.
His second theatrical feature-length film and first Wallace and Gromit
Wallace and Gromit
Wallace and Gromit are the main characters in a series consisting of four British animated short films and a feature-length film by Nick Park of Aardman Animations...
feature, Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit
Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit
Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit is a 2005 British clay-mation animated comedy horror film, the first feature-length Wallace and Gromit film. It was produced by DreamWorks Animation and Aardman Animations, and released by DreamWorksPictures...
, was released on 5 October 2005, and won Best Animated Feature Oscar at the 78th Academy Awards, 6 March 2006.
On 10 October 2005, a fire gutted Aardman Animations
Aardman Animations
Aardman Animations, Ltd., also known as Aardman Studios, or simply as Aardman, is a British animation studio based in Bristol, United Kingdom. The studio is known for films made using stop-motion clay animation techniques, particularly those featuring Plasticine characters Wallace and Gromit...
' archive warehouse. The fire resulted in the loss of most of Park's creations, including the models and sets used in the movie Chicken Run
Chicken Run
Chicken Run is a 2000 British stop-motion animation film made by the Aardman Animations studios, the production studio of the Oscar-winning Wallace and Gromit films...
. Some of the original Wallace & Gromit models and sets, as well as the master prints of the finished films, were elsewhere and survived.
Park's most recent work includes a U.S. version of Creature Comforts
Creature Comforts
Creature Comforts was originally a 1989 British humorous animated short film about how animals feel about living in a zoo, featuring the voices of the British public "spoken" by the animals. It was created by Nick Park and Aardman Animations...
, a weekly television series that was on CBS every Monday evening at 8 p.m. ET
Eastern Time Zone
The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...
. In the series, Americans were interviewed about a range of subjects. The interviews were lip synced to Aardman animal characters.
In September 2007, it was announced that Nick Park had been commissioned to design a bronze statue of Wallace and Gromit, which will be placed in his home town of Preston. In October 2007 it was announced that the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
has commissioned another Wallace & Gromit short film to be entitled Trouble at Mill (retitled later to A Matter of Loaf and Death
A Matter of Loaf and Death
A Matter of Loaf and Death is an animated television short created by Nick Park, and the fourth of his shorts to star his characters Wallace and Gromit...
).
Nick Park studied at Preston College, which has since named its library for the art and design department after him: the Nick Park Library Learning Centre. He is the recipient of a gold Blue Peter badge
Blue Peter
Blue Peter is the world's longest-running children's television show, having first aired in 1958. It is shown on CBBC, both in its BBC One programming block and on the CBBC channel. During its history there have been many presenters, often consisting of two women and two men at a time...
.
In February 2011, Park made his first ever appearance, himself as an animated character in The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
episode, "Angry Dad: The Movie
Angry Dad: The Movie
"Angry Dad: The Movie" is the fourteenth episode of The Simpsons twenty-second season. It aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 20, 2011...
". His new Willis and Grumble short, Better Gnomes and Gardens borrows elements and themes to Wallace & Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit. Lisa Simpson asks Park, in case he does not receive the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film:
- LisaLisa SimpsonLisa Marie Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons. She is the middle child of the Simpson family. Voiced by Yeardley Smith, Lisa first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987. Cartoonist Matt Groening...
: Good luck, Mr Park. There'd be no shame in losing to you. - Park: Oh, that's very sweet of you. Thank you for saying so. [after shaking hands, Park's fingers come off]
- Lisa: Agh!
- Park: No worries. I'll just stick 'em back on. I'm more clay than man now.
(Note: Willis and Crumble are a parody of Park's characters Wallace and Gromit. Also, stop-motion animation is produced by Chiodo Bros. Productions, Inc., not Aardman.)
Awards and nominations
Nick Park has Won 4 Academy Awards from 6 nominations, 5 BAFTAsBritish Academy of Film and Television Arts
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts is a charity in the United Kingdom that hosts annual awards shows for excellence in film, television, television craft, video games and forms of animation.-Introduction:...
from 8 nominations and has received an Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
nomination.
| Year | Nominated For | Award | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Creature Comforts Creature Comforts Creature Comforts was originally a 1989 British humorous animated short film about how animals feel about living in a zoo, featuring the voices of the British public "spoken" by the animals. It was created by Nick Park and Aardman Animations... |
BAFTA British Academy of Film and Television Arts The British Academy of Film and Television Arts is a charity in the United Kingdom that hosts annual awards shows for excellence in film, television, television craft, video games and forms of animation.-Introduction:... |
Best Animated Film BAFTA Award for Best Animated Film -Winners and nominees:... |
|
| Wallace & Gromit: A Grand Day Out A Grand Day Out A Grand Day Out is an award-nominated 1989 animated film directed and animated by Nick Park at Aardman Animations in Bristol. This was the first adventure featuring the eccentric inventor Wallace and his quiet but smart dog Gromit... |
BAFTA | Best Animated Film | ||
| 1991 | Creature Comforts | Oscar | Best Animated Short Film | |
| Wallace & Gromit: A Grand Day Out | Oscar | Best Animated Short Film | ||
| 1994 | Wallace & Gromit: The Wrong Trousers The Wrong Trousers The Wrong Trousers is a 1993 animated film directed by Nick Park at Aardman Animations in Bristol, featuring his characters Wallace and Gromit... |
BAFTA | Best Animated Film | |
| Wallace & Gromit: The Wrong Trousers | Oscar | Best Animated Short Film | ||
| 1996 | Wallace & Gromit: A Close Shave A Close Shave A Close Shave is a 1995 British animated film directed by Nick Park at Aardman Animations in Bristol, featuring his characters Wallace and Gromit. It was his third half-hour short featuring the eccentric inventor Wallace and his quiet but intelligent dog Gromit, following 1989's A Grand Day Out,... |
BAFTA | Best Animated Film | |
| Wallace & Gromit: A Close Shave | Oscar | Best Animated Short Film | ||
| 2001 | Chicken Run Chicken Run Chicken Run is a 2000 British stop-motion animation film made by the Aardman Animations studios, the production studio of the Oscar-winning Wallace and Gromit films... |
BAFTA | Alexander Korda Award for Best British Film BAFTA Award for Best Film This page lists the winners and nominees for the BAFTA Award for Best Film, BAFTA Award for Best Film not in the English Language and Alexander Korda Award for Best British Film for each year, in addition to the retired earlier versions of those awards... |
|
| 2004 | Creature Comforts | BAFTA | Comedy Programme or Series Award British Academy Television Award for Best Comedy (Programme or Series) - 1980s :*1981 Yes Minister*1982 Yes Minister*1983 Yes Minister*1984 Hi-de-Hi!*1985 The Young Ones*1986 Only Fools and Horses*1987 Just Good Friends*1988 Blackadder the Third*1989 Only Fools and Horses- 1990s :... |
|
| 2005 | Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit is a 2005 British clay-mation animated comedy horror film, the first feature-length Wallace and Gromit film. It was produced by DreamWorks Animation and Aardman Animations, and released by DreamWorksPictures... |
Oscar | Best Animated Feature Academy Award for Best Animated Feature The Academy Award for Best Animated Feature is one of the annual awards given by the Los Angeles-based professional organization, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences... |
|
| 2006 | Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit | BAFTA | Alexander Korda Award for Best British Film | |
| 2008 | Creature Comforts | Emmy Award Emmy Award An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various... |
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program (for Programming Less Than One Hour) Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming less than One Hour) The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program is a Creative Arts Emmy Award which is given annually to an animated series which is judged to have been the best... |
|
| 2009 | Wallace & Gromit: A Matter of Loaf and Death A Matter of Loaf and Death A Matter of Loaf and Death is an animated television short created by Nick Park, and the fourth of his shorts to star his characters Wallace and Gromit... |
BAFTA | Best Short Animation | |
| 2010 | Wallace & Gromit: A Matter of Loaf and Death | Oscar | Best Animated Short Film |
Personal life
The Daily TelegraphThe Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
remarked Park has taken on some attributes of Wallace, just "as dog-owners come to look like their pets", overexpressing himself, possibly as a result of having to show animators how he wants his characters to behave.
He is a fan of The Beano
The Beano
The Beano is a British children's comic, published by D.C. Thomson & Co and is arguably their most successful.The comic first appeared on 30 July 1938, and was published weekly. During the Second World War,The Beano and The Dandy were published on alternating weeks because of paper and ink...
comic, and guest-edited the 70th anniversary issue dated 2 August 2008. He also contributed to Classics from the Comics
Classics from the Comics
Classics from the Comics was a UK comic, published from March 1996 until October 2010. Published monthly, it was D. C. Thomson & Co. Ltd's third all-reprint comic...
at the same time, picking his favourite classic stories for the comic reprint magazine's new Classic Choice feature.
The character idea for Wallace came from his old English teacher. Wallace wears the same clothes as Park's teacher and has a similar personality.
External links
- U.S. News & World Report interview
- Making His Mark in Clay: An Interview with Nick Park Nick Park speaks about his influences, on how he uses drawing to tell a story and tells us what it was like to bring Wallace and Gromit to the big screen.