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The Mighty Book of Boosh: a sneak preview
Digital, Graphic Design, Music Video / Film
Posted by Gavin Lucas, 28 August 2008, 14:42 Permalink Comments (27)
While it’s common knowledge amongst Mighty Boosh fans that the surreal TV show’s spaced out Shaman, Naboo, is played by Noel Fielding’s brother, Michael, it’s less well known that the man inside Boosh character Bollo’s gorilla suit is actually a graphic designer and photographer. Bollo’s design skills (his real name is Dave Brown) are showcased in the the forthcoming Mighty Book Of Boosh, published by Canongate on 18 September. Brown, has art directed and designed the book and contributed the bulk of the photography therein. Here we reveal a selection of spreads and images from the book...
Brown met Noel Fielding at Buckinghamshire College whilst studying a mix of graphic design, illustration and advertising. They formed a group of friends that are all involved, in one way or another, with the Mighty Boosh.
“I was at college with Noel and Jake (an illustrator) and Nigel Coan,” explains Brown. “Nige and his partner Ivana Zorn do all the animation for the Boosh. Ivana’s done a lot of illustration for the book and Nige does The Moon sketches with Noel.” Julian Barratt met Fielding when they were both on the stand up circuit in mid nineties – where he also met animator and director Tim Hope. “Tim works on the back projections for the TV show,” says Brown.
“I’ve been trying to get a book of Boosh stuff together for a long while,” admits Brown, “but it’s been a combination of having the time to dedicate to it and getting a publisher interested in letting us do what we wanted to do that means we’ve been able to do it this year. We didn’t want to produce a run of the mill, piece of shit comedy book - like you see in the shops. We needed a publisher to invest in it the way we wanted, we’re all very creative people. Noel pretty much draws everything from character costume designs to some of the stranger characters’ faces. I’ve got over ten years of photography of Boosh exploits from day one.”
And the Mighty Book of Boosh is stuffed full of Brown’s photos of Vince, Howard, Naboo, Bob Fossil and various other Boosh characters. Brown has also designed dozens of graphic devices to bring various Boosh jokes to life in print - such as a poster advertising the fight from the very first episode of the first TV series between Killeroo and Howard Moon - or the front page of a newspaper with the story of coy carps dying due to Howard Moon crying into their pond (referencing another first series episode in which Howard’s unrequited love for Mrs Gideon causes him to cry repeatedly into a pond).
There are also several books within the book, notably Vince Noir’s Childhood Tales From The Jungle and Howard Moon’s A Trumpet Full of Memories- for which Brown has created covers and layouts.
As well as getting old friends and regular Boosh collaborators to contribute (there are illustrations by Ivana Zorn (she’s illustrated the lyrics to many-a-crimp specially for the book), paintings, drawings and sketches by Fielding and Barratt, a short graphic novel by college-chum and illustrator Jake and further illustrations by another college buddy, John Chandler) Brown has also commissioned other artists to contribute. Andrew Rae’s mug shot-style drawings of creatures with law-breaking tendencies such as Sheila the lizard who parks in Handicapped spots are rather good - as are Mr Bingo’s drawings of the main Boosh protagonists’ hair cuts.
John Chandler provided illustrations for a Dixon Bainbridge story in the book
Illustrator Andrew Rae contributed several images of asbo-attracting animals for the book
Mr Bingo's drawings of Boosh characters' hair-dos
“There’s so much there and we really felt that we need to get this down and in something,” says Brown, “to create a record. (The Mighty Boosh are in fact creating a musical record, an album, but that’s a different story). We didn’t just want to make something that was a record of Boosh humour and jokes, but to create something that anyone, even if they weren’t a fan of the Boosh, particularly creative people, could pick up and think, ‘wow, this is full of goodies.’”
Scans of notebooks showing character and scene sketches and ideas in development
Whilst touring the country with The Mighty Boosh stage show, Brown made a point of photographing each theatre from the stage. Some of this series are shown in the book
The Mighty Book of Boosh is published 18 September by Canongate; £19.99
27 Comments
I need this book! Massive fan of the series, this would be a dream present
2008-08-28 21:00:53
Oh wow, thanks for this! I've been a Boosh fan for ages so i'll definitely be pre-ordering a copy!
2008-08-28 21:41:35
Cool! This may start to make up for Season 3 ; )
2008-08-29 03:48:14
"make up for season 3"?!
what happened gobot?
did you get all frightened when elsie asked you to dance?
did the crack fox make you cry?
did all the drug references offend your sensibilities?
are you 12?
;)
theatre, radio, tv, animation, music, art and graphic design - there's far too much talent wrapped up in that one little collection of people for my liking.
2008-08-29 16:25:43
Blogged here: http://booshare.blogspot.com/2008/08/preview-mighty-book-of-boosh.html
Wow, looks like a great book :) Many thanks for this preview.
p.s.
Series 3 is top. Obviously!
2008-08-31 00:33:58
well said, coleman ;)
i'm really excited about the book now. will make up for the fact that i'm going to england in september/october but still can't see them live :( lol
2008-08-31 05:10:14
I cant wait for the book to come out am so excited the preview of the book is genius, if you guys do a book signin be sure too come too manchester :D
p's
series 1,2 and 3 are genius
and the live show is awesome
cnt wait too see you live in december :D
2008-09-01 01:29:14
the mighty who..?
2008-09-03 10:37:45
i already knew there was a Boosh Book coming out i just didn't know when but now i do i'll deffinitly be getting 1!
2008-09-05 23:18:30
I need this. Clearly.
This is exactly what I hoped from the guys; so much weirdness and creativity that I semi want to eat it instead of read it, it just looks that good.
2008-09-06 12:14:37
I personally enjoyed season 3 a lot... but this book surely will be ordered and fancy that, it comes out on my birthday..
2008-09-09 07:33:38
Also, I wanted to say, this show blows away anything on here in America.. the only thing I ever watch here is Tim & Eric Awesome Show, which can be a bit mind blowing from time to time.
2008-09-09 07:36:59
Loved experience of visiiting Noel's exhibition at Maison Bertaux. Great to see some of the sort of work I enjoyed seeing 'live at the cake shop' immortalised in print.Vive Le Boosh.
2008-09-09 08:54:32
OMG!... can't wait for the book to be realesed...
so annoyed i live in edinburgh because they rarely come here and all the tickets get sold out!..
CAN'T WAIT :D xxx
2008-09-09 16:46:27
i'll be seeing these badboys tonight in dublin.
which means i'm better then you.
staunch
2008-09-18 11:54:59
I have this book... It is LEGENDARY!!!
:)
2008-10-06 14:24:13
I love The Mighty Boosh, i saw them live in september! they were amazing!
The programmes were amazing so i cant wait to get the book, no doubt itll be even better! ^^
2008-10-08 18:19:01
Im Excited!
Im Getting This Book In A Few Days! YAY!
I Agree With Brett! Nuthing In The States Compare To The Mighty Boosh!
All The Series Kickass!!!!
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!!!!!
:3
2008-11-03 06:06:06
I can't wait to get this book!!!! OMG i can't wait any longer!!!!! if it isn't in my stocking on xmas morning i am going to have a really big hissy fit!!!
2008-11-08 18:41:31
Not many things in life have mesmerized me more than Howard's Pencil Case story. This book may take the cake.
2008-11-11 23:34:46
thanks, definatley on the christmas list :)
saw them live, amazing :D
2008-12-02 23:10:34
Oh mi lord im obsessed with Noel. I love Booosh, YUM! Went to see it live. :)
2008-12-12 20:36:44
the mighty boosh is the best show in the whole world nothings better than it exept noels hair and noel feilding is the hottest guy ever i have seen all seasons of the mighty boosh about 17 time a day and the live show on dvd omg im like there biggest fan i made a book all about noel and i am allergic to jazz my room is covered with posters of the mighty boosh im getting the boosh book soon and im getting a dog soon and its gonna be called boosh and i have a vince pillow and i looooooove the mighty boosh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!i so want the boosh book and i looooooooooooooooove noel feilding but i dont have a chance coz his long term gf and im to young im only thirteen noels like 36 ok bye
2009-01-12 23:09:04
i luv d mighty book of boosh and really enjoyed all the series!! series 2 was a classic!! loved series 3!! cant stop reading MBOB!!! Noel fielding has got that seriously fit look about him!!
2009-05-18 08:08:26
whoa id pay like millions for that book... its genius :D!!!!
ive got season 1, 2 and 3 on dvd..
and this would be the icing on the cake :3
2009-09-01 09:26:03
yay!!! i can wait 4 the book 2 come out!! i seriously love the mighty boosh ! :D NOEL FIELDING ROCKS! series 1, 2 AND 3 are seriously amaze!! :D wow! thats all i can say :) alllllll the episodes are gold, but OLD GREG is seriously the best freaking thing ive ever seen!!!
2009-09-08 17:25:13
"A trumpet full of memories" is this book included? I want the cover live size, its classic.
2009-12-15 19:51:29
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