Gorillaz: Rise of the Ogre by Gorillaz, J. C. Hewlett (Designed by)

Product Details

Synopsis

"I tell you what, right, I can guarantee you're going to get some real juicy bits of Gorillaz info. I'll probably slag off loads of people, too. It'll be packed full of great shots from the sets of our videos, gigs, rehearsals, interviews...you name it. It's all in there. So place your order up front kids, this book going to be a scorcher!" - Gorillaz bass-slayer Murdoc Nicalls. This stunning, full-colour hardback will be the most unique rock autobiography ever published. Gorillaz have always been as much about the visuals as they are about the music, and the autobiography will be a feast for the eyes. Featuring brand new art from and designed by Jamie Hewlett, this is the full story of Murdoc, 2D, Noodle and Russel Hobbs for the first time. Included will be their emailing with their motley crew of collaborators, from Ike Turner to Sean Ryder, and accounts of the gigs, the movie (for the first time), the videos and the website - including the low down on Kong Studios, their legendary HQ. It is an essential purchase for a legion of fans.

Library Journal

How do you write a fake biography of a fake band? With style, writer and Gorillaz touring drummer Browne and comic book illustrator Jamie Hewlett, along with the design collective Zombie Flesh Eaters, answer back lustily. Gorillaz are a music/art hybrid masterminded by Hewlett and Blur frontman Damon Albarn, a veritable cartoon supergroup made up of mountainous B-boy Russel Hobbs, Japanese girl guitarist Noodle, metal-worshipping bassist Murdoc, and hollow-eyed, angular vocalist 2D. They are a genuine pop sensation, with millions of albums of dub/hip-hop/punk sold and concerts mixing animation and live musicians. Rise covers all that but from the "perspective" of the band, with the human creators cast as bit players and the focus squarely on the rise, fall, and rise of four scrappy toonz. The book is equal parts graphic novel, design catalog, and spoof of Stephen Davis's Hammer of the Gods: The Led Zeppelin Saga, characteristics that easily make it the best in-the-moment biography of a mainstream pop act this reviewer has read. Comics enthusiasts, music snobs, and devotees of great British art pranks alike will devour it whole. Recommended for libraries of all stripes.-Matthew Moyer, Jacksonville P.L., FL Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Biography

Gorillaz are the charismatically vile Murdoc (bass), charming 2D (vocals), haunted hip-hop hardman Russel Hobbs (drums), and ten-year-old Japanese phenom Noodle (guitars), who showed up one day in a FedEx crate speaking no English but packing a mean karate kick, an unknown past, and undeniable talent. The brainchild of musician Damon Albarn of the band Blur and comic-book innovator Jamie Hewlett, who was just named the 2006 Designer of the Year-the UK's most prestigious design prize, Gorillaz are (according to the Guinness World Records) the "World's Most Successful Virtual Band." They shot to fame in 2001 with their debut album 'Gorillaz,' which sold more than 5 million copies worldwide. Their second album, 2005's 'Demon Days,' produced a string of chart-topping singles, went double platinum in the United States, and has sold more than 6 million copies throughout the world.