SO...! We’ve been away quite a while, a good few weeks, and a lot has happened in that time! What’s our plan for catching up then? Well:
---This article will cover all the top news stories we may have missed recently
---On Wednesday 5th May we’ll be releasing the next issue of the Aardmag! This will be the first ‘Aardmag Mini’ – a smaller version of the regular magazine, and more information on ‘Aardmag Mini’ and how often you might see it will be revealed in the issue. But don’t be put off – it’s still going to be packed with fantastic features!
The issue will have part 2 of our EXCLUSIVE Wallace and Gromit comic – ‘Martians on the Moon’ – and trust me, the artwork will blow you away! We’ll also be covering all the latest merchandise for 2010, including some exclusive news from the Toy Fair that you won’t have heard before!
We’ve listened to your feedback from our survey last year and are currently changing the format of the Aardmag to fit in with what you want to see.
--- The Merchandise section on this website is also one we’re taking really seriously, so to tie in with the Aardmag’s launch we’ll be publishing a big update to the section on Wednesday 5th, hopefully creating a list of every Wallace and Gromit item that’s been made since 2007!
We’ve got big plans for the future of the section as well, that we’ll be setting out on Wednesday, so if you’re a collector, or are just interested in Wallace and Gromit merchandise, don’t go anywhere!
--- And what for the future? Well keep checking back because we’ve got such big plans! Aardmag #6 has an interview with someone really exciting (any guesses?... Hint: We’ve spoken to him once before?...), we’ve got a new Aardman Unleashed section in the works on the show I consider ‘The Undiscovered Gem in Aardman’s Crown’, and we’ve got a potentially mind boggling project for the future that I’m currently discussing with Aardman! And there’s more besides!!
And if you want to keep up to date with the news, even if we fall behind here sometimes, and want to ensure you never miss an update why not follow us on Twitter? You’ll find us at: http://www.twitter.com/62wwsnews!
All the latest news:
...First came the news that the ‘World of Cracking Ideas’ exhibition was moving from its temporary home at London’s Science Museum to Glasgow! With new exhibits it’s certainly not to be missed by any Aardman and Wallace and Gromit fans – you can find more information and book tickets here: http://www.glasgowsciencecentre.org/
Nick Park (apparently...!) said:
"It’s great to see the World of Cracking Ideas exhibition making its way from London all the way up to Glasgow. Inventiveness has always been central to Wallace's character and it is fantastic that Wallace & Gromit can excite young people about innovation in this way. I hope Wallace & Gromit fans in Scotland and Northern England will enjoy the exhibition in its new home."
...Meanwhile Wallace and Gromit are very busy because they’ve also opened another exhibition, this time in Merseyside! The exhibition at the ‘Spaceport’ is, as you might guess from the name, centred around space. Full of facts about the moon and other planets, Wallace and Gromit give the exhibition a really fun feel. You can find more information and book tickets here: http://www.spaceport.org.uk
Nick Park (again, apparently...!!) said:
“It’s been 20 years since we first sent Wallace & Gromit into Space and it’s great to see them back out there again, delving more deeply into the mysteries of the universe. Hopefully their efforts will help educate others about some of the amazing facts surrounding Space exploration and recent advances in technology.”
...Meanwhile Aardman had a fantastic night at the Children’s BAFTAs! ‘A Matter of Loaf and Death’ scoped the ‘Children’s Choice Award’, voted for by the viewers, so naturally Aardman and Nick Park are chuffed to bits! Meanwhile Shaun the Sheep won the British Academy Award for ‘Best Children’s TV Series’ – BAA indeed! Congratulations to all involved!
...And I cannot recommend the ‘Home Sheep Home’ game more highly! I played it before it was release, and just fell in love, but no one predicted quite how popular it was going to become! Literally millions of people have played it now. Set aside hours of your time and give it a play – you won’t regret it! Find it here: http://www.shaunthesheep.com/games/homesheephome/
...Possibly the most exciting news, however, is a third advert for NPower – staring Wallace and Gromit. Wallace creates a widescreen television... By stringing loads of smaller televisions together! Gromit saves the day by realising just how much energy Wallace is using – his television is a Monster!! Well worth a watch, you can see it on Youtube below. Here are some fun facts from http://www.wallaceandgromit.com about the making of the advert:
• The advert took 4 weeks to create
•The scary film Wallace is watching, ‘Revenge of the Killer Watts’ was made at the same time as the rest of the advert was shot and features a haunted house built from foam core, an animatable door that slams open in the “we’ve created a monster” shot, and extra gravestones and trees for the foreground.
• The flying bats in the opening shots were produced by one of Aardman’s 2D artists and were then added to the TV footage.
• The smart energy monitor was designed to make it fit into Wallace & Gromit’s world. The real monitor looks very modern so it was “Wallace-ified” by being made to look metallic and given rivets.
• Aardman used 31 TV’s in the commercial that took a day to rig into position. Some of them had miniature lights built into them which helped them look more like working televisions.
• Gromit’s shadow as he walks toward Wallace with the smart energy monitor is in homage to the vampire film, Nosferatu.
• In preparation for the shoot Wallace was given a full makeover - his trousers were fixed, his tank-top repainted and he was also given clean teeth and new eyes. Gromit was also given a new nose and eyes.
...If you’ve got an iPhone, iPod Touch (or even an iPad!) you might know of the Wallace and Gromit Comics, made by Titan, that you can download as Apps. Well Titan has released another FREE App to download – the comic in question being ‘Washday Blues.’
...And if you’re interested in the history of Aardman do not miss the Aardman Podcasts – a new video (just under 10 minutes each) goes up every Month with Dave Sproxton explaining a detailed history of the company.
Even I’ve discovered new facts from the videos, and they’re filled with fantastic old films (like Dave Sproxton and Peter Lord’s first ever animation!) so there’s something for any fan. So far three videos have been released and you can see them here:
...And that’s about it for the latest news and updates! We’ll be more on ball in the future, make sure to check back daily for our new reviews (one goes up at 3:00pm every weekday!), and especially next Wednesday for the next Aardmag! See you soon!
