Shaun Of The Dead!

I've got mutton better to do, so I shall sheepishly bless ewe by ramming several pics of ひつじのショーン or Shaun the Sheep down your throat.


Before we get started, let's take a peak at a previous Wallace and Gromit entry and a pudding ad featuring Shaun.




Speaking of Wallace and Gromit though, did you know that they were once shills for a Life Insurance Co.? Well, they were.



Of course, Shaun also gets into the act of selling stuff at KFC. Some of the goodies include 2 different lunch bags, a facecloth and carrying case, 2 popsicle makers, an onigiri (riceball) maker, a portable drinking cup and a pencil case.












In addition to KFC, you can also get some snacks such as these cornflakes and わたかし (candy floss.)



Here is what happens when Shaun gets Zombified!



Now aren't you glad I sheared that with you?

It's Gromitable.

I'd seen the W&G shorts way before they started winning Oscars. Whenever I caught an Animation Fest in Toronto (back in the day), I anxiously awaited a new Aardman short, whether it be Creature Comforts or Wallace & Gromit. Amazing stuff!

Someone linked to my mention of Wallace & Gromit the other day, so I thought I'd up the ante and present my stuffed Aardman collection. All of these (and several more, doubles of which have been given out as presents) were all UFO caught a few years back.







No commentary, just check out the picks. If you don't already know the characters, you have no business visiting this blog. Here we go...



















To whet your whistle for more Glico pudding, here ya go...

I'm a Big Fan.

My latest collectible obsession is a set of 6 キャップオープナー (kyappu opena or cap openers) that came with a Pet-bottle of strong green tea. This particular brand, 濃い味 or koiaji, is made by Itoen. Frankly, these items are not very efficient at opening the bottle, but they are cute.

First up are 手まり or te-mari (handmade balls), but not the type that you play catch with. Temari are these decorative little balls that were originally made from old kimono yet have been made out of paper or rubber more recently. If you're interested, you can learn how to make your own temari.







Then there's the 和傘 or wagasa, a traditional paper umbrella (and no, not the little one you place in your cocktail!) It has a long history and if you want to learn to make your own, scroll down that link to the bottom. It's pretty complicated though!








うちわ or uchiwa are hand-made paper fans. They are more durable than 扇子 (sensu or folding fans) but a little more bulky to carry around. Since I'm completely incompetent at crafts, if you're at all like me, I'd suggest this link to make your own. For the more adept, learn how to make your own uchiwa here but you'll have to scroll down past the history to the bottom for a step-by-step guide.

At various festivals throughout the summer, uchiwa are given out as promotional items, usually made out of plastic emblazened with a brand name. Here are a few in my collection:


Here's an ad for a new Pachinko parlour. New Pachinkos spread like dandelions, so I don't think this fan will be a collectors item.










What appears to be a perfume ad for oshimatsubaki.











I'm not sure where I got this but I got it back in 2002. I suspect I went to a live Masked Rider show and they were handing these out. I love the looks I get when I attend one of these Ultraman/Kamen Rider/etc. shows. I'm the only adult in the place that is not accompanied by a child. In this otaku-land, I'm not given a second glance. In N.A. I'd be put on a offender's list.






One thing I like about KFC are their Kid's meal promos. They get some of the better sponsors, such as Wallace & Gromit. This one came out around the time of the Were-rabbit movie.


I had never seen any W&G commercials before. Here's a cute one for pudding:



Surprisingly, I actually have a traditional uchiwa made out of bamboo and washi paper. It's bigger than most and can stir up quite a breeze.

Wallace and Gromit.

Okay, I'm cheating a bit here, because these didn't come from a bottle, but a box. I managed to collect the entire series from a convenience store, each box came with a pair of figures from the movie or clay-mated shorts, a trading card and a candy (which I gave to my students.) But they are crap at my desk, so I guess it counts.























Wallace & Gromit are the main characters in a series of three British animated short films and a feature-length film by Nick Park of Aardman Animations. All the characters were made from molded Plasticine modelling clay on wire frames, and filmed with stop motion clay animation.

Wallace is an absent-minded inventor, cheese enthusiast (especially for Wensleydale cheese), and companion to the dog Gromit who appears to be rather more intelligent than his master. Wallace is voiced by veteran actor Peter Sallis; Gromit remains silent, communicating only through body language.

I've seen all the short subjects, mainly in Animation Festivals ages ago before they were released to the public or won any Academy Awards, and I saw the movie last Christmas...brilliant. I have several stuffed animals of Wallace, Gromit and other characters at home that I caught via UFO Catcher. But that's a whole other blog area!