Noggin the Nog

Each episode of The Saga of Noggin the Nog began:

‘In the lands of the North, where the black rocks stand guard against the cold sea, in the dark night that is very long the men of the Northlands sit by their great log fires and they tell a tale…’

The series was inspired by the walrus-ivory Lewis Chessmen depicting Norse characters seen at the British Museum. Peter remembers seeing Noggin peeping out from behind a shield, and Oliver spotted a scared Thor Nogson on a pony – the story had to be told! The Nordic patterns on the back of the chessmen can be seen in the series titles and illustration style, and Oliver delighted in the Badness of Nogbad and doing his voice!

On display in the Smallfilms Gallery are cardboard cut-out characters, preliminary sketches, character-designs, book illustrations and a variety of other material related to the world of Noggin the Nog.

Ⓒ Image Copyright Firmin Partnership / Smallfilms LTD