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This Mitchell and Webb Book

Flesh Trade Book Cover

By David Mitchell & Robert Webb
Hardback, 288 pages, 3rd September 2009, Fourth Estate Ltd, £9.49 (Amazon)


Before getting this book, I was reaching the view that the era of the decent comedy tie-in book was pretty much over. I'd browse the Lee and Herring Fist of Fun book, or the NOT! book, and sigh that there seemed to be a lack of will to mine the seam of more slow-burning material that a book can give, opposed to the immediacy of TV and radio. However, I'm pleased to announce that the Mitchell and Webb book is a proper TV tie-in book from the old school, with special photo shoots and a minimum of recycled material (a few articles first published on the Guardian website).

Of course, most of it is based on characters and sketches from the show, but there's also some excellent stand-alone material with Great Flat-Share Fridge Note Discourses between such odd couples as Darth Vader and James Bond, and Peter Mandleson and Keith Harris. Other material just for the book includes some lovely '70s public health campaign parodies, a pitch for a working-class sitcom (giving us a very funny email exchange between two nobs at the Beeb), a painfully spot-on parody of Observer Woman, Mundane Quotes of the Great, suggestions for tabloid puns (highlight: 'You're The Wan That I Won't!'), an amusing collection of old Mitchell and Webb photos, David Mitchell's Stalker's Diary, and a great line in Mitchell and Webb Products. You too will wonder how you managed without the Mitchell and Webb Allen Key.

But! We're STILL not finished with the original material. A particular joy for me was Robert's Failed TV Pitches, especially as I struggled not to laugh out loud on the tube at Not While I've Got My Strength, but their parody of their own Mac vs PC ads is also a lot of fun, and it'll be interesting to see just how many people snigger at their section on The Mighty Boosh, included for those bought the book by mistake by their auntie. Snigger.

So, what of the characters we know and love? This is really where the book format comes into its own, as the Peter DeCoursey material is far, far superior to the radio and TV sketches. Peter has an Altitude interview, with sublimely amusing photos, and the cover of his autobiography is essential for anyone who didn't really get on with the snooker commentators before. Captain Todger gets some well-deserved attention, there's a lovely Digby and Ginger's Game of Life and Death, and we have more fun with the Lazy Writers and Money Saving Tips for the Current Emergency. REMAIN INDOORS.

In conclusion, this is probably the best value for money that you'll get all year, and deserves to be on everyone's coffee table. Even in London's prestigious Amersham area.

5 Stars

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Comments

I’m sure I would have wanted this no matter what, but it’s nice to see that you enjoyed it so much.

Xmas list gets longer…

By Phil
September 25, 2009 @ 11:22 pm

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It has a meta cover as well, which is always a good thing. Has anybody done a “top ten meta covers” list before? I’d read it!

By Pete Best
September 26, 2009 @ 10:09 am

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Has anybody done a “top ten meta covers” list before? I’d read it!

That’s a bloody good idea!

John Hoare's picture

By John Hoare
September 26, 2009 @ 2:08 pm

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Not only a top ten list, but the more I think about it, I’d be interested in reading a well-researched article on meta covers in general. There must be an established history - when they first emerged in mainstream culture, and what sociological/philosophical developments took place that made this step seem “obvious”.

And then there’s the history around the technical challenge of making such covers look convincing, and on a practical level, how the content needs to be planned so it works as an infinite loop: the ‘here I am, looking at a picture of me doing a “here I am, looking at a picture of me” face’ factor.

I wasn’t thinking about this at all until I wrote that first message, either. I was half-listening to the Adam and Joe show this morning; I wonder if they mentioned this subject at all while I wasn’t fully paying attention. In any case once I have a bit more time I’ll do a little search around for information about meta covers, and if you like I’ll post my findings here.

By Pete Best
September 26, 2009 @ 4:40 pm

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Dave's picture

By Dave
September 26, 2009 @ 5:04 pm

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Definitely post anything you find here, Pete! Or if you come up with enough for a full article and want to send it into us, we’d be interested…

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By John Hoare
September 26, 2009 @ 6:22 pm

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Simpsons Comics issue 4 had a great one.

For some reason I remembered The Beano and Dandy annuals doing it quite often, but having checked some cover galleries, looks like I’m wrong.

Nick R's picture

By Nick R
September 27, 2009 @ 12:05 am

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Has any one met a better meta?

That one’s lovely. Just noticed that the magazine Tom is looking contains a meta-Tennant; it would be even better if Tennant could haver been looking at one that did the same with Tom! It’s very possible such a cover with him doesn’t exist, however.

For some reason I remembered The Beano and Dandy annuals doing it quite often

I have the same memory. In fact it was the first thing that came to mind as I was trying to think of examples today. Maybe it was just the standard comics, or the “holiday” issues?

Or if you come up with enough for a full article and want to send it into us, we’d be interested…

I’ll do my best, John! Things are a bit critical at the moment with PhD deadlines and so on, so don’t be let down if I don’t meet your offer for a while. I appreciate the support in any case!

By Pete Best
September 27, 2009 @ 12:37 am

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You could fill an entire list of those with Animal Man covers alone :

http://www.coverbrowser.com/image/animal-man/5-1.j…
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/b6/Anim…
http://www.coverbrowser.com/image/animal-man/25-1…. (you can’t read it on that one, but the monkey is typing the script for the issue, including the cover description)

And of course the last one :

http://www.coverbrowser.com/image/animal-man/26-1…. (the man in the photo is Grant Morrison)

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By Seb Patrick
September 27, 2009 @ 11:11 am

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Nick R's picture

By Nick R
September 27, 2009 @ 4:19 pm

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> For some reason I remembered The Beano and Dandy annuals doing it quite often

The free Beano that was included with the Guardian the other week was the 2000th issue, with pretty much all the stories devoted to things like their characters striving to get that week’s Beano before their family members.

The cover is a meta one:
http://www.comicbitsonline.com/wp-content/uploads/…

I am sure that there were more examples in the Beano and Dandy. I have a distinct memory of Korky the Cat holding up a copy of the Dandy… I want to call the resulting “tunnel” effect “howlaround” for some reason, and that’s wrong.

By Pete Best
September 27, 2009 @ 9:08 pm

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