The creator of Wallace and Gromit has revealed that the world’s most famous stop-motion animated dog was nearly a cat.
As Aardman Animations marks its 50th anniversary, Nick Park, who joined the studio in 1985, told the BBC he had originally modelled Gromit as a feline companion for Wallace.
“I had this idea of an English guy who builds a rocket in the basement of his house,” said Park. “I was thinking he may have a pet, probably a cat. I started modelling the cat and it was just very difficult, so I thought I’d do a dog instead.”
Sean Clarke, Aardman’s managing director, told the broadcaster another of its characters, Shaun the Sheep, nearly spoke. The Wallace and Gromit spinoff – in effect a silent comedy with little or no dialogue – has been another success for the studio.
The Wallace and Gromit specials are firmly embedded in British popular culture and have had a surge of Oscar and Bafta wins. The studio includes Chicken Run, Early Man and Flushed Away among its other successes.
Chicken Run was the highest-grossing stop-motion film of all time, while Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl became one of the BBC’s most-watched scripted shows in two decades after it aired on Christmas Day in 2024.
Peter Lord and David Sproxton launched Aardman’s studio in Bristol in 1976 with another beloved British children’s character: Morph.
A number of exhibitions have marked the 50th anniversary this year, at venues including M Shed in Bristol’s harbourside and the Young V&A in east London. The Royal Mint released a collectible 50p coin.
The exhibition in Bristol, open until 13 September, maps how Aardman rose from modest beginnings in the city and began to win the nation’s hearts and minds by moulding Morph for the children’s programme Take Hart, before going global.
More than 150 items are on display at the Young V&A in Bethnal Green, including never-before-seen models, sets and storyboards from Aardman’s archives.
They include meticulous models such as Gromit’s vegetable patch, the museum from The Wrong Trousers and a remarkably large and detailed ship from 2012’s The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists!
Original Aardman models including Wallace and Gromit, Shaun the Sheep and Morph are being auctioned to celebrate the anniversary. There are more than 220 lots, with each starting at £100.
Wallace, Gromit and the villain Feathers McGraw, used in Vengeance Most Fowl, will be included in the sale, as well as a Shaun puppet from the film Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom, which is released this month.
Ngaio Harding-Hill, Aardman’s director of attractions, live experiences and archive, said: “The Aardman 50th anniversary auction is an unprecedented opportunity to own a part of the studio’s 50-year history.
“The collection has been carefully curated by the studio’s creative talent and includes contributions, such as an original Nick Park sketch, produced in celebration of this unique moment to connect with our fans.”
Bidding begins on 4 September and the auction concludes on 24 September, with a live event open to online, absentee and telephone bidding around the world.
The proceeds will be invested in talent development initiatives at Aardman, including bursaries at its training facility, the Aardman Academy, skills development programmes and opportunities for emerging film-makers.
