Over the years Wallace and Gromit have been treated to some really exciting calendars – most notably some that have original photographs of the duo taken especially for it – but I think this is the most exciting calendar yet.
Every Month you get two (or one large) original sketches from the work of Nick Park, ranging between ‘The Wrong Trousers’ and ‘A Close Shave’. Nick always wanted to be a Beano artist as a boy, and although we are all grateful he fell into animation his work here certainly suggests he could have gone far.
In just the same way that a screengrab from Wallace and Gromit can instantly engage us these sketches are absolutely full of character, feeling and emotion. Someone as talented as this, in so many different ways could make you incredibly jealous, but his work is loaded with so much charm that you can’t help but fall in love with everything he does.
There’s a little screengrab at the bottom of each Month as well, and sometimes these are the shots inspired by one of the sketches featured that Month as well. When that happens it gives a great comparison between the original and finished moment and it might have been nice if all the screengrabs were like that. Sometimes it’s amazing how closely Nick works to the original image.
I usually opt for a larger calendar, rather than the engagement type, but his sketches fit this size so well (it must be said – Danilo have done an excellent design job with presentation), and it looks so brilliant, with plenty of space to write your engagements (if you can bear to deface the calendar!), that for once I think I’ll put a smaller one in pride of place on my wall’s ‘calendar spot’.
