Aardman Characters

        When I was little, I had a bit of a phobia of puppets and mannequins, which extended to some stop motion animation. When I say some, the main culprit was Aardman's Down & Out (1977). Part of the Animated Conversations series, Down & Out does not share the endearing, cartoonish style that has become the company's trademark since Nick Park came on board.

        Dealing with topics including probation and homelessness, Animated Conversations is decidedly adult in tone and more serious than much of Aardman's output. This is reflected in the design of the characters; they are rough, angular and drab. Still exaggerated caricatures, they are more naturalistic than Aardman's better known characters, and far less child friendly.

         The increased realism places Down & Out within the realms of Freud's theory of the Uncanny; the characters are both familiar and alien, nearly but not quite human. Rather than a sense of revulsion, in me they evoke fear. Either way, they lack appeal.

        The uncanny and stop motion animation often go hand in hand, and indeed many this suits the purpose of many 'darker' animations. Down & Out could arguably fit into this category, depicting the grim and dreary underside of society. Yet while the animation had the potential to draw attention to the pathos and plight of the homeless, the creepy character design somewhat detracts from any sympathetic response.  

        An unappealing character is something of an anomaly for Aardman, who have produced numerous well loved characters, from Morph to Wallace & Gromit.

        What is notable among these characters is that none of them seek the same level of kitchen-sink realism as Animated Conversations, at least not in design. The real sound, semi documentary style gained popularity with Creature Comforts, but the eponymous creatures share the distinctive house style of large, round eyes and broad, expressive mouths, as opposed to the more anatomically accurate features of Down & Out.

        It is hard to pinpoint exactly what makes a character appealing or unappealing, and indeed it may take only the subtlest change for a character to cross the line. Although the characters of Stage Fright are recognisably Aardman, there are minor differences; longer noses, smaller eyes, and even in one case monstrously pointed teeth, which make them unnerving rather than endearing. Perhaps this is a result of the darker plot of Stage Fright, with mood, tone and story combining to influence how the characters are perceived? However, the ghastly Arnold Hugh looks remarkably similar to Shaun The Sheep's farmer, an animation that could hardly be more different in tone to Stage Fright. In a cute, cosy programme aimed at very young children, the farmer looks a little out of place; a menacing, eyeless figure in the bucolic world.