Wallace and Gromit in pictures

Wallace and Gromit appear on the Google homepage to mark 20 years since the cartoon pair's first public appearance - at an animation festival in Bristol Photograph: Public Domain

TV viewers got their first look at the plasticine duo just over a year later on Christmas Eve 1990, fact fans – when the BBC first broadcast A Grand Day Out. They went to the moon. In search of cheese, obviously Photograph: Aardman/Channel 4

A classic pose from 1993’s The Wrong Trousers. Wallace: cheerful, well-meaning, massively over confident. Gromit: sceptical, sharply intelligent, tragically lacking in vocabulary Photograph: Aardman/BBC

Wallace and Gromit had a close shave with 1995's… A Close Shave. Sidecars are always funny. As are dogs wearing goggles Photograph: Aardman/BBC

'Do you know your hand's on my ball?' 'You hum it and I'll…' Wallace and wool shop owner Wendolene Ramsbottom in a tender moment from A Close Shave Photograph: Aardman/BBC

I know it, you know it, and Gromit knows it. Alas, Wallace has no idea that when he presses the button on his remote control, disaster is going to ensue. Probably. Cracking Contraptions again Photograph: Aardman/BBC

Talk about a Cracking Contraption! Gromit gets in some goalkeeping practice while Wallace puts his feet up Photograph: Aardman/BBC

The high-speed car chases are one of the joys of Wallace and Gromit. This one is from their big-screen adventure, The Curse of the Were-Rabbit. Just how do they do that? With difficulty. 'Anti-pesto!' Fabulous Photograph: DreamWorks

Gromit measures a marrow even bigger than him in the Curse of the Were-Rabbit Photograph: DreamWorks

Aw, look at the cute liccle bunny wunny! Except Wallace and Gromit's humane pest control outfit ends up with rather more rabbits than they can handle. This one ended up in a pie with his ears stretched into a pair of furry slippers. No, of course that didn't happen Photograph: DreamWorks

The enthusiasm for animal contestants on Britain’s Got Talent just went a little bit too far. Alternatively, a scene from the Children's BBC series Shaun the Sheep. Shaun. Shorn. See? Photograph: Aardman/BBC

More Shaun the Sheep. They have such expressive eyes don’t they? Brilliant Photograph: Aardman/BBC

This is what they performed in the Britain's Got Talent final, but fell foul of the authorities for uprooting that footpath sign. Being sheep, you thought they would have read the countryside code Photograph: Aardman/BBC

Oh my God, a giant has pulled Wallace's head off! Well, if you want to make an award-winning animation, you have got to break a few handcrafted figurines. This is from the brand new instalment, a Matter of Loaf and Death, and the giant is Aardman head of animation Loyd Price. Her on the right is Piella Bakewell. What fun they must have coming up with the names Photograph: Graeme Robertson/Guardian

His head reinstated, thank goodness, Wallace has a giant brush – or something similar – stuck in his ear. Never let it be said these actors don't earn their corn Photograph: Graeme Robertson/Guardian

The set of the new Wallace and Gromit film. Like Harry Hill, it's smaller than you think it is Photograph: Graeme Robertson/Guardian

The name of Wallace and Gromit’s traditional baker – Top Bun! Of course it is. I don't know about you, but A Matter of Loaf and Death is going to be required viewing in my house. Even if, at the exact moment it starts, I have just opened a present that turns out to be a home cinema projector Photograph: Aardman/BBC

Dogs love putting their heads out of car windows, and Gromit is no exception in this scene from A Matter of Loaf and Death Photograph: Aardman/BBC

What do you mean 'Is it vegan?' Wallace entertains Piella Bakewell to a bite of his favourite snack in A Matter of Loaf and Death Photograph: Aardman/BBC