The next stop in our Manchester A to Z tiles blog series is D for Danger Mouse. Created by stop motion legends Cosgrove Hall, Danger Mouse was a TV staple for kids in the 1980s, and is enjoying a renaissance with a star-studded reboot today. But this beloved Secret Service Agent originally voiced by David Jason has deeply Mancunian roots, and some notable local legends helped bring him to life along the way. Here’s the story of how it all happened, and how we turned it into our Manchester series D tile.
Cosgrove & Hall: Stop Frame Superstars
Brian Cosgrove and Mark Hall met whilst studying at Manchester College of Art and Design, going on to work together as graphics artists at Granada Television. Mark left to start his own production company Stop Frame Productions in 1969, followed soon after by Brian – narrowly missing the arrival of Factory Records founder Tony Wilson in 1973.
Their success with shows such as Rainbow meant that when Stop Frame Productions sadly ceased to be, a former producer supported the creation of Cosgrove Hall as a subsidiary of Thames Television in 1975. From their headquarters in Chorlton they went on to redraw the British animation map, and creating some of the most iconic characters of the late 20th century.
The Invincible Danger Mouse
Danger Mouse’s arrival in 1981 was their first breakthrough success. A spy spoof in the classic 007 mould, this plucky mouse who had an extremely relaxed attitude to dynamite, and his anxious partner Penfold, thwarted all kinds of villains including Count Duckula who was treated to his own spin-off show, also starring David Jason.
Noddy and an adaption of Wind in the Willows followed, but Danger Mouse has remained their most recognisable creation. In 2015 the remake attracted some serious comedic talent, including Stephen Fry, Kevin Eldon, Alexander Armstrong, Morwenna Banks and Kayvan Novak.
The Story behind the D tile
We’ve based our D tile illustration on an acetate from the original animation, including a subtle nod to the Manchester music scene at the time. Manchester is a cultural melting pot with lots of overlap, and the Danger Mouse story has one of the quirkiest. Bernard Sumner of Joy Division and New Order once worked as a tracer at Cosgrove Hall, and The Stone Roses’ John Squire worked as a colourist on the Danger Mouse series. He even invited drummer Simon Wolstencroft to join him in his work painting DM’s ears. So it’s John’s hand that can be seen wielding the paintbrush in our D tile, an illustration that brings together an explosive collection of Manchester talent.
All of our 6in x 6in D tiles are designed here in Manchester before being screen printed and hand-rolled in the UK’s ceramic heartland, Stoke-on-Trent. This D tile design is printed then applied to the pre-glazed tile before kiln firing at 850°C to fully fix the decorative design before being boxed up in our gift-ready packaging.
We hope you’ve found this a useful insight into the story behind the Cotton tile, and our creative process. The next blog in the A to Z series is coming soon – E for Exchange Theatre.
