Publisher's Synopsis
In the history of comedy, there's been a small group of very special individuals who were without doubt, geniuses in the art of comedy timing. The likes of WC Fields, Laurel & Hardy, The Goons, Tony Hancock, Tommy Cooper, the Monty Python team, Rowan Atkinson and Rik Mayall. Rik Mayall exploded on to the comedy scene in the early eighties. He was so original, successful and hysterically funny that he became the most loved comic in Britain at the forefront and leader of this new 'alternative comedy'. He was shocking, exciting and breath-taking, provoking hysteria similar to the beginnings of rock'n'roll. This book documents Rik's beginnings and the first ten years of his 'showbiz' career - from Manchester University in 1976 to being no.1 in the pop charts in 1986. This book features the early quotes of Rik Mayall and his thoughts and views on the art of comedy with quotes from John Cleese, Michael Palin, Colin Gilbert, Rowland Rivron, Paul Bradley, Peter Brewis, Ruby Wax, Tony De Meur amongst others. Foreword by Lloyd Peters, the founder of the original 20th Century Coyote. Featuring rare photographs from Mark Young, Nobby Clark, Andy Hollingworth, Peter Anderson, Steve Rapport, Julian Deghy, Kevin Cummins, John Haynes, Roger Shelley, Virginia Turbett, Sheila Rock and many more. Original artwork by Dan Williams @danwilliamsart and by bellydraft@instagram. "I loved his manic energy. No-one, except Cleese, ever made me laugh as much as Rik at full tilt. Because he was a very good actor, he was able to vary his performances from quiet and subdued one minute to screaming mayhem the next. With everything else in between. It was like comedy jazz". - Michael Palin "The Young Ones was one of the very, very few shows that have made me laugh till I was ill, and Rik was its dominant force. He was the outstanding comedian of his generation. His startling bursts of energy twisted the audience in new directions, so that we never knew where he was going. I loved him". - John Cleese
