Small Fandom Overview: The Mighty Boosh
Hello. This month I will be introducing you all to The Mighty Boosh.
A cult in the UK, The Mighty Boosh originally started out as a stand-up comedy act. Extra characters were added over the years and the main characters of Howard and Vince became more and more extreme until they became what they are today. There is a BBC Radio series and three BBC television series. They have just started to screen The Mighty Boosh in America although this is a cut version that dispenses of many of the 'Britishisms' and music. They use music in their comedy, and the programme is often compared to Flight of the Conchords because of this and the fact the series is centred around two 'best mates'.
Music-wise The Mighty Boosh are most famous for creating a form of music called a 'crimp' (finally given a name in the third series). This is a kind of rap-song that normally has very silly lyrics.
Real Person Slash and its Relation to Fan Fiction in The Mighty Boosh
The two writers and stars of The Mighty Boosh are Noel Fielding (L) and Julian Barratt (R). They play Vince and Howard respectively. Due to the fact that Vince and Howard are admitted to be exaggerated versions of their own personalties, there are quite a few stories in the resulting fan fiction that sees the 'real' world and the 'created' world of the Boosh collide. For this reason some of my recommendations will contain Real Person Slash - I will put clear warnings on these pieces of writing.
The Mighty Boosh - the show
The actual programme itself is a comedy - described sometimes as surreal, although I personally think the show falls more under the remit of magical realism as there are rules in the particular universe even if they don't always make sense (e.g. two best friends sharing a flat with a shaman and a gorilla). One of my friends once commented that The Mighty Boosh is 'like a cartoon' because 'everything is reset' at the end of the episode. I think this is quite a good description :-)
The premise: it is about two best friends who go on (often dangerous) madcap adventures. These have involved Howard mistakenly being driven to Monkey Hell in a London black cab, the boys getting stranded on a desert island, being captured by blue aliens on other planets etc.
The Boosh isn't your normal comedy. It's a fan writers dream. ALL of the following are canon: bestiality, transgenderism, genderqueerism and bisexuality. Also canon are: shamans, flying carpets, amulets that transport you instantly to other planets, talking to animals, aliens, and weird monsters.
SERIES ONE - is set in a Zoo. Howard and Vince are Zoo keepers. As discussed above there is no story arc as such, however there is a slight difference in the way the characters are portrayed. Vince is less flamboyant in his dress and more innocent. Much is made of his ability to talk to animals. Howard is less of a loser basically.
We are introduced the Hitcher - a green man with a giant polo mint for an eye.
SERIES TWO - is set in a flat in Dalston. Howard and Vince live with Naboo (shaman) and Bollo (gorilla) who both used to live at the Zoo from series one. Vince has had a major make-over and we first meet the 'mirror-ball' suit. Vince and Howard are in a struggling band, no longer working at the zoo. This is probably my favourite series out of the three. It has yetis, coconut people, seaweed headed merman, plus Rudi and Spider.
We are introduced to - Old Gregg the transsexual merman who kidnaps Howard.
SERIES THREE - is set in the shop beneath the flat in Dalston. The most important plot points for slash fans for this series would be when Vince confesses his bisexuality and during the now infamous episode 'Party' in which Vince and Howard kiss. Howard temporarily declares himself to be gay, before changing his mind, and therefore upsetting Vince who had got used to to the idea of Howard being gay for him, before they both get girlfriends at the end of the episode.
We are introduced to - the crack fox who wants to make Vince wear 'a little red dress'.
CHARACTERS
(l-r) Howard Moon, Bollo, Naboo, Bob Fossil, (at back) Vince Noir
(l-r) Howard Moon and Vince Noir
Howard Moon (played by Julian Barratt) - Jazz Maverick. Frustrated writer/actor/musician/whatever he decides to be that week. Likes Jazz music. Wears corduroy. Has told Vince he loves him (series one).
Vince Noir (played by Noel Fielding) - Electro poof. Loves clothes and make-up. Is a 'confuser' - the running joke is that he is often mistaken for being Howard's wife.
Naboo (played by Mike Fielding - Noel's brother) - Shaman. Smokes a lot of drugs.
Bollo (played by Dave Brown) - gorilla. He is Naboo's familiar.
Bob Fossil (played by Rich Fulcher) - witless manager of the zoo and later a nightclub called The Velvet Onion.
Links
Livejournal links:
booshslashhaven - does what it says on the tin i.e. SLASH
booshhethaven - you probably won't understand the in-jokes but it is LOLZ community for those that do
blue_boosh - over 18 only extreme kink fiction
calmallamadown - general Boosh community
Off LJ links:
The Fiction Archive -
http://boosh.queertet.net/sec/archive/index.php
Official The Mighty Boosh site -
http://www.themightyboosh.com/
A cult in the UK, The Mighty Boosh originally started out as a stand-up comedy act. Extra characters were added over the years and the main characters of Howard and Vince became more and more extreme until they became what they are today. There is a BBC Radio series and three BBC television series. They have just started to screen The Mighty Boosh in America although this is a cut version that dispenses of many of the 'Britishisms' and music. They use music in their comedy, and the programme is often compared to Flight of the Conchords because of this and the fact the series is centred around two 'best mates'.
Music-wise The Mighty Boosh are most famous for creating a form of music called a 'crimp' (finally given a name in the third series). This is a kind of rap-song that normally has very silly lyrics.
Real Person Slash and its Relation to Fan Fiction in The Mighty Boosh
The two writers and stars of The Mighty Boosh are Noel Fielding (L) and Julian Barratt (R). They play Vince and Howard respectively. Due to the fact that Vince and Howard are admitted to be exaggerated versions of their own personalties, there are quite a few stories in the resulting fan fiction that sees the 'real' world and the 'created' world of the Boosh collide. For this reason some of my recommendations will contain Real Person Slash - I will put clear warnings on these pieces of writing.
The Mighty Boosh - the show
The actual programme itself is a comedy - described sometimes as surreal, although I personally think the show falls more under the remit of magical realism as there are rules in the particular universe even if they don't always make sense (e.g. two best friends sharing a flat with a shaman and a gorilla). One of my friends once commented that The Mighty Boosh is 'like a cartoon' because 'everything is reset' at the end of the episode. I think this is quite a good description :-)
The premise: it is about two best friends who go on (often dangerous) madcap adventures. These have involved Howard mistakenly being driven to Monkey Hell in a London black cab, the boys getting stranded on a desert island, being captured by blue aliens on other planets etc.
The Boosh isn't your normal comedy. It's a fan writers dream. ALL of the following are canon: bestiality, transgenderism, genderqueerism and bisexuality. Also canon are: shamans, flying carpets, amulets that transport you instantly to other planets, talking to animals, aliens, and weird monsters.
SERIES ONE - is set in a Zoo. Howard and Vince are Zoo keepers. As discussed above there is no story arc as such, however there is a slight difference in the way the characters are portrayed. Vince is less flamboyant in his dress and more innocent. Much is made of his ability to talk to animals. Howard is less of a loser basically.
We are introduced the Hitcher - a green man with a giant polo mint for an eye.
SERIES TWO - is set in a flat in Dalston. Howard and Vince live with Naboo (shaman) and Bollo (gorilla) who both used to live at the Zoo from series one. Vince has had a major make-over and we first meet the 'mirror-ball' suit. Vince and Howard are in a struggling band, no longer working at the zoo. This is probably my favourite series out of the three. It has yetis, coconut people, seaweed headed merman, plus Rudi and Spider.
We are introduced to - Old Gregg the transsexual merman who kidnaps Howard.
SERIES THREE - is set in the shop beneath the flat in Dalston. The most important plot points for slash fans for this series would be when Vince confesses his bisexuality and during the now infamous episode 'Party' in which Vince and Howard kiss. Howard temporarily declares himself to be gay, before changing his mind, and therefore upsetting Vince who had got used to to the idea of Howard being gay for him, before they both get girlfriends at the end of the episode.
We are introduced to - the crack fox who wants to make Vince wear 'a little red dress'.
CHARACTERS
(l-r) Howard Moon, Bollo, Naboo, Bob Fossil, (at back) Vince Noir
(l-r) Howard Moon and Vince Noir
Howard Moon (played by Julian Barratt) - Jazz Maverick. Frustrated writer/actor/musician/whatever he decides to be that week. Likes Jazz music. Wears corduroy. Has told Vince he loves him (series one).
Vince Noir (played by Noel Fielding) - Electro poof. Loves clothes and make-up. Is a 'confuser' - the running joke is that he is often mistaken for being Howard's wife.
Naboo (played by Mike Fielding - Noel's brother) - Shaman. Smokes a lot of drugs.
Bollo (played by Dave Brown) - gorilla. He is Naboo's familiar.
Bob Fossil (played by Rich Fulcher) - witless manager of the zoo and later a nightclub called The Velvet Onion.
Links
Livejournal links:
booshslashhaven - does what it says on the tin i.e. SLASH
booshhethaven - you probably won't understand the in-jokes but it is LOLZ community for those that do
blue_boosh - over 18 only extreme kink fiction
calmallamadown - general Boosh community
Off LJ links:
The Fiction Archive -
http://boosh.queertet.net/sec/archive/index.php
Official The Mighty Boosh site -
http://www.themightyboosh.com/