Haynes publishes Wallace & Gromit manual

Haynes, the publishers of the enduring car and technology manuals, has moved into the world of Plasticine with its latest book, Wallace and Gromit: Cracking Contraptions Manual. The volume explores the science and engineering behind the wackiest of the inventions featured in Nick Park’s popular animation series, including Moon Rocket, Techno Trousers and Knit-O-Matic.

The 128-page guide, which took nine months to complete, combines characteristic Haynes manual cutaway sketches, executed by Thunderbirds illustrator Graham Bleathman, and detailed explanations by Derek Smith of the workings behind Wallace’s outlandish inventions. Wallace and Gromit creator Nick Park said: "It’s a shame that Wallace didn’t have this edition a few years ago actually, it certainly might have made Gromit’s life a bit less stressful.”



The publication is not the first time Haynes has moved into fiction, with its Haynes Star Trek USS Enterprise manual published last month. Haynes is traditionally known for its car maintenance manuals, the first of which, the Austin Healey ‘Frogeye Sprite’ guide, appeared in 1965.

J. Haynes, chairman of Haynes Publishing, said: “Haynes is really about empowering individuals and explaining how things work. We started branching out in the 1990s, with manuals for computers, bicycles. Wallace and Gromit is really just an extension of that process”. The new Haynes manual is costs £12.99.