Introduction
PART 1
What’s in a name?
It’s all a bit woolly
A boy named Sue
Is that a Viking surname?
PART 2
The making of a berserker
A cataclysm
‘The rules!’ shouted Ralph, ‘you’re breaking the rules’
Don’t give them time to think
The slippery slope
Sixty-six of the best
PART 3
Finding things funny
Slapstick
Army, art, German or droogs?
Violence as comedy
The first frying pan
Too silly
Rude word, next question
Running away
PART 4
International rock god
A musical background
To love and be loved in return
Val Doonican – comic nexus
Are you ready to rock?
Money
That’ll be the day
PART 5
Manchester (before it was cool)
A fork in the road
Creativity
A bit nuts
A grebo on the bus
A new way of thinking
A double act
PART 6
The accidental comedian
The funniest thing I ever saw
Sturgeon’s Law
Guerrillas of new wave humour
Viva la revolución!
PART 7
We’re on the telly!
The Comic Strip Presents . . .
Learning on the job
Wish you were here
Another double act
The Young Ones
Cult hero
Dear boy, why not try acting?
PART 8
The life and death of a double act
Getting to the bottom of it
The Starcraft years
The Jacobite Rebellion
The end of the road
PART 9
International rock god pt 2
Some bad news
The third reunion
A mandolin
PART 10
Where’s the berserker?
Cold turkey
Brave (and rather confusing) new world
PART 11
Endings
A different kind of father
Checking out early
Dad
The People’s Poet
Le Venerable
How many fingers?
Acknowledgements
Picture acknowledgements
Plate section