Bob the Builder, also known simply as Bob, is the titularprotagonist of the British animated programme of the same name. He is a general contractor with his own construction yard in Bobsville (original series), Sunflower Valley (Project: Build It), Fixham Harbour (Ready, Steady, Build!), or Spring City (2015 reboot) depending on the programme.
The character's appearance was created by Curtis Jobling. His character sketches initially showed him with a moustache but this made him seem too old for the target audience of preschool children and so he was then restyled as clean-shaven. As stop-motion animation requires frequent repositioning of the models, Bob was given large feet for stability.[4]
When the series was sold internationally, some changes had to be made to make him more acceptable to other cultures. For Japan, the character was shown with all five fingers on each hand, rather than his usual four. This was done because, in that society, a missing finger can indicate membership of the criminal Yakuza clans.[5][6] However, none of the footage was altered.
In 2014, the toy company Mattel bought the rights to the character and gave him a Hollywood-style makeover, making him seem younger and slimmer and more realistically proportioned. This was not well-received on social media, where the new look was described as creepy and unconvincing.[7][8][9] Like in Japan, his 2015 redesign has five fingers on each hand, instead of four.
↑ Moore, David (20 December 2001), "William of Sen to Bob the Builder: non-cognate cultural perceptions of constructors", Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 8 (3): 177–184, doi:10.1108/eb021180
↑ "Lopez to co-produce Bob The Builder film". Aberdeen Evening Express: 10. 27 January 2024. ProQuest2918676255.
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