because not only did Aardman produce some really interesting work within that period, it's also fascinating to observe how the studio developed during those early stages, and some of the wonderful little oddities that surfaced as they were in the process of shaping their identity, and in their quest to create animations with primarily adult appeal. Holmwood, Leigh (15 October 2008). "Wallace and Gromit get YouTube channel after Aardman deal". Guardian.co.uk . Retrieved 17 November 2010. The two most significant characters of the film, besides Robinson's Speaker, are the aforementioned waiter (who might be described as our protagonist, although he has very little involvement

Spangler, Todd (23 September 2015). "Aardman Buys U.S. Animation Studio Nathan Love". Variety . Retrieved 10 October 2015. Kate O’Connor, the head of Animation UK, which represents the industry, said: “Business challenges affecting the animation sector have changed dramatically. Other countries have put some eye-catching tax reliefs in place. We’re not asking for handouts, but to be competitive in the global marketplace. Thus concludes Babylon, the forgotten masterpiece of Aardman's pre-Wallace and Gromit era. Lord and Sproxton demonstrate their directorial prowess, and the character animation is truly outstanding, so it's little surprise that Park and Golly both had bright futures ahead of them, but Aardman never again made a film even remotely like it, so much so that its bleakness will likely prove startling to anyone familiar only with their later output. Beautifully desolate and wonderfully haunting, it is an excellent entry to the Sweet Disaster series, a fascinating oddity among Aardman's work, and a film that greatly deserves to be regarded as much more than a mere footnote in Aardman's history, as the project that indirectly enabled Wallace and Gromit to get their first adventure off the ground.Cheese-loving inventor Wallace may have endless optimism, but his faithful hound Gromit is the brains of the operation, coming to his masterʼs rescue whenever necessary. After becoming national icons in a series of short films, the duo found worldwide fame in the comedic horror feature film The Curse of the Were-Rabbit in 2005. Kiss, Jemima (28 August 2008). "Channel 4 creates 'home for animation' ". guardian.co.uk. London. Archived from the original on 17 May 2009 . Retrieved 24 April 2009. IGN: Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit Review". web.archive.org. 28 December 2005 . Retrieved 25 November 2023.

Aardman is a very British success story, a creator of extremely clever and influential films with international appeal more downbeat and deliberately devoid of humour than this one. Sadly, the accompanying booklet to the On 1 October 2006, right before the release of Flushed Away, The New York Times reported that due to creative differences DreamWorks Animation and Aardman would not be extending their contract. [21] The deal was officially terminated on 30 January 2007. [22] According to an Aardman spokesperson: "The business model of DreamWorks no longer suits Aardman and vice versa. But the split couldn't have been more amicable." [22] Unofficial reasons for departure were weak performances of the last two movies, for which DreamWorks had to take writedowns, [22] and citing the article, "Aardman executives chafed at the creative control DreamWorks tried to exert, particularly with Flushed Away..." [21] The studio had another film in development, Crood Awakening (eventually The Croods), which had been announced in 2005, with John Cleese co-writing the screenplay. [23] With the end of the partnership, the film's rights reverted to DreamWorks. [22] The miniature sheet stamps are 27 x 37 mm ( A Close Shave) 34 x 24 mm (remainder), all perforated 14.bringing them to life via stop motion animation. Two of the resulting films, Palmy Days and Early Bird, were particularly witty in Wildgoose, David (27 August 2010). "LunchTimeWaster: The Physics of Sheep". Kotaku . Retrieved 17 November 2010. Eight stamps illustrate a selection of its most popular characters, while a miniature sheet of four showcases stories featuring their most famous duo, Wallace and Gromit.