‘Creature Comforts’: Nick Park’s profound portrait of a zoo
Over the years, the unique style of animation championed by Nick Park has become instantly recognisable for fans all over the world. Ranging from Wallace and Gromit to Shaun the Sheep, Park has created some of the most beloved projects in children’s animation, which has established him as a true cultural icon. While his later work has also earned acclaim, it’s the early gems that continue to be cited as his best creative efforts.
Park’s work at Aardman Animations proved to be a turning point for the studio, especially due to the impact of his 1989 short Creature Comforts. Using stop-motion animation and voiceovers, Creature Comforts presents a highly nuanced portrait of a zoo where the resident animals are interviewed about their living conditions. It ended up becoming the first Aardman project to pick up an Oscar, winning the ‘Best Animated Short’ category.
During a conversation with How Did They Do It?, Park spoke about the studio’s values: “At Aardman, we pride ourselves on being original and not being formulaic, we do have to have a stamp of originality in it. We have a development team now and a number of different creatives and directors that are eager to make films. I personally feel kind of spoilt because I can mention an idea, and everyone listens, I don’t know how long it will last!”
The talented animator explained what made Aardman projects special, claiming that they never tried to fit in. He added: “Everything goes through some kind of evaluation, and there are lots of ideas here that don’t get taken up. If we are genuinely finding it funny, then we hope other people will too. If you make it for yourself, then that is how it will appeal to others, but if you try hard to fit a perceived market, you might miss badly.”
Creature Comforts is the perfect example of their innovative approach to children’s entertainment, combining whimsical comedy with striking insights about the institutions and the control they have over people. In fact, the voice-overs were actually done by residents of an old age home as well as a housing estate which adds a contextual layer to the political commentary, providing a platform for them to voice their concerns.
The characters themselves are unforgettable, including a severely depressed gorilla who thinks of the zoo as a prison and a Brazilian puma who can’t get used to the lack of space in the facility. On the other hand, there are animals like turtles who are happy with the meagre living conditions maintained by the zoo. Due to the differences in opinions, Creature Comforts manages to mimic real journalistic coverage by treating the zoo as a microcosm of modern human society.
Watch the film below.
