[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
Royal Mail Reveals Stamp Images Celebrating Bristol-Based Aardman’s Most Popular And Beloved Animated Characters

• Eight stamps in the main set showcase fans’ favourite characters Wallace and Gromit, Feathers McGraw, Shaun the Sheep, Timmy, Robin, Morph and Chas, Frank the tortoise and Rocky and Ginger
• A further four stamps pay homage to one of Britain’s favourite duos, Wallace & Gromit, with an exclusive miniature sheet, featuring four of their most iconic moments. Royal Mail worked closely with Aardman on the stamp issue
• The stamps are available to at
  www.royalmail.com/aardman and by phone on 03457 641 641
• The stamps go on general sale on 19 October, with the Presentation Pack, containing all 12 stamps, priced at £18.55

Eight stamps showcase some of British studio Aardman’s most celebrated characters. They include fan favourites: Wallace and Gromit, Feathers McGraw, Shaun the Sheep, Timmy, Robin, Morph and Chas, Frank the tortoise and Rocky and Ginger.

An exclusive miniature sheet, created especially for Royal Mail by Aardman, is also revealed. Wallace and Gromit celebrate four of their favourite ‘cracking’ moments by displaying them proudly on their wall, in their humble abode at 62 West Wallaby Street. Key moments on the stamps include memories from A Matter of Loaf and Death, The Wrong Trousers, A Close Shave and A Grand Day Out.

Royal Mail worked closely with Aardman on the stamp issue.

David Gold, Director of External Affairs and Policy, Royal Mail said: “This set of stamps will surely bring a smile to everyone’s face. These instantly recognisable, iconic animated characters have found a place in our hearts. We are certain they will add a bit of joy to any envelope.”

Sean Clarke, Managing Director at Aardman, said: “We are delighted to partner with Royal Mail to celebrate some of our most iconic characters in this colourful and fun-packed stamps series. We have had the pleasure of creating these films featuring these much loved characters over the last 40 years, so it is a real honour for the studio to receive this royal stamp of approval. It’s a true testament to all the hard work that goes into making these productions and we are sure that our fans will enjoy them.”

Aardman:
Aardman is the Bristol-based studio behind some of Britain’s most beloved animated characters, including Wallace and Gromit, Shaun the Sheep and the plucky heroines of Chicken Run. Co-founders Peter Lord and David Sproxton began their animation partnership at school when they created a character called ?Aard-man?, which the BBC bought for its Vision On series and which marked the advent of Aardman.

The two young animators got their big break when they created the shape-shifting clay character Morph for the BBC?s Take Hart series. Utilising a stop-motion animation technique that involves shaping 3D figures out of modelling clay, the pair achieved international fame when Nick Park joined the company: his films would win four Academy Awards®, making Aardman a household name. The studio’s productions are global in appeal, with recent animated productions including festive holiday specials Robin Robin and Shaun the Sheep: The Flight Before Christmas, CGI series Lloyd of the Flies, a new stop motion series for pre-schoolers The Very Small Creatures, and a feature length sequel Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget is coming in 2023, plus a brand new Wallace & Gromit film for 2024.

The stamps are available at www.royalmail.com/aardman