Wallace and Gromit return with online shorts

The goofy plasticine man and his long­suffering canine sidekick are coming back – and they're bringing a whole new range of crazy gadgets.

After a break of six years, Wallace and Gromit are returning in a series of short Internet films that show off Wallace's latest inventions, their creator said today.

Nick Park, who has won three Academy Awards for his animated films, said fans will be able to download the 12 one­minute movies from the Internet this Autumn.

"As fans already appreciate, Wallace is one of the most prolific inventors of our time – remember a certain pair of mechanical trousers?" Park's company, Aardman Animations said in a statement, a reference to the wayward pants in the Wallace and Gromit animated short, "The Wrong Trousers."

In the new mini­films, Gromit will be seen demonstrating a series of inventions, including a high­powered gun that fires cricket balls and a toaster­cum­TV – what Aardman calls "essentials for a modern lifestyle."

Park said he became inspired after the American magazine "Explore" asked him to come up with a set of photographic vignettes of Wallace's workshop, showcasing the odd gadgets dreamed up by the amateur inventor with a fondness for Wensleydale cheese and sensible knitted vests.

Bristol­based Aardman became the first studio to release a free animated series on line when it launched "Angry Kid" in May 2000. To date, the company said, more than seven million people have accessed "Angry Kid."

Wallace and Gromit have not had any film adventures since the Oscar­winning "A Close Shave" in 1995.

Park's first full­length animated film, "Chicken Run," about a group of hens escaping a chicken coop, was a hit and he is currently working on the script for the first full­length Wallace and Gromit feature, titled "The Great Vegetable Plot." It will be released in two years.

Aardman Animations online: www.aardman.com