AARDMAN: AN EPIC JOURNEY

in keeping with the meticulous construction of every Aardman animation, from the superhero that gave the company its name to this year’s Early Man, this absorbing memoir is a patient, considered affair.

Founders Lord and Sproxton’s success wasn’t achieved overnight. It took a constant process of consolidation, aided by wise decisions (such as

choosing Bristol as their base), canny hirings (Nick Park, Richard ‘Golly’ Goleszowski) and fortuitous timing.

Though Park’s Creature Comforts and The Wrong Trousers won Oscars, it was Morph, its Lurpak ads and the video for Peter Gabriel’s ‘Sledgehammer’ that put Aardman on the map.

But it hasn’t all been plain sailing. After the commercial and artistic high of 2000’s Chicken Run, Aardman’s fortunes suffered a series of serious setbacks that make the middle third of this book a surprisingly downbeat read. From the collapse of The Tortoise And The Hare to 2005’s devastating warehouse fire, there have been plenty of hurdles – not to mention Jeffrey Katzenberg, who wooed Aardman to DreamWorks only to reportedly take issue with its devotion to stopmotion and general Britishness.

Shaun The Sheep may have provided a lifeline, but even a tome as celebratory as this one finishes on a cautionary note, as Aardman heads for a sequeldependent future with its founders preparing to jump ship. Neil Smith