Bob Mortimer has won the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize for his comics, which means a pig living in East Sussex will be named after the novel. Satsuma Complex. Mortimer also wins a significant amount of Bollinger champagne, as well as a complete set of PG Wodehouse’s Everyman’s Library collection and eternal glory – but there is something fitting about the pig. In the photo of the award next to him, he looks so happy sitting on a bale of hay.
The prize, for a novel about a man named Gary who searches for a girl he meets in a pub, is just the latest in a long line of successes for Mortimer, a comedian and writer who was once best known for his double appearances in “Film.” 90s with Vic Reeves. But over the past decade, Mortimer’s approachable absurdism, like his dad next door, has brought him a new wave of success—and a new generation of fans.
If you’ve ever seen him in any of his eleven appearances on the BBC panel show. I wish I could lie to you? You will know why. It’s a game that’s perfect for him, where he can let his imagination run wild and fill his stories with outlandish details, like describing a childhood friend with a “big head…a sniper’s dream.” in the kitchen and tried to feed a sick tawny owl while sitting on a cushion in the living room.
In 2018 he said Guard It brought him more recognition than any of his previous work: a video compilation of Mortimer’s performances in the series (which, partly because of Mortimer’s ability to laugh at himself, makes it impossible not to laugh at himself) has been viewed 22 million times. on YouTube.
Mortimer and Whitehouse: The Lost Fish also made him generally popular. In this incredibly wholesome and relaxing show, which started in 2018 and now has six episodes, he simply goes fishing with Paul Whitehouse and they talk about fishing, how they’re feeling and sometimes the beautiful scenery. I see two men of a certain age opening up.
It’s like Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon. Journey, but rates dropped sharply. Two casually cheerful middle-aged men just having a good time together. It sounds crazy, but it works and is loved by people who have never fished before and are far from middle-aged, partly because of Mortimer’s casual and reassuring banter.
It is his unique combination of silliness and earthiness – qualities also expressed in Mortimer’s Portrait of a Pig – that truly resonates with a generation tired of comedy and rooted in jaded cynicism.
Mortimer’s new legendary status comes three decades after his already illustrious career in comedy. He was working as a lawyer in south-east London when he met Reeves – in 1986 he saw him perform in a pub in New Cross and approached him after the performance.
They began writing together, and Mortimer eventually began appearing on the series. Vic Reeves’ Big Night, a surreal variety show parody. A few years later they began writing for television – their first pilot was based on live television and financed by Jonathan Ross’s production company – and Mortimer left his job as a lawyer.
In typical Reeves and Mortimer style, they satirized the tired motif by recreating it in the most exaggerated and bizarre way possible. In 1993 they opened their own panel exhibition. Falling stars, It also included absurdly costumed skits, completely exaggerated voices, and random elements of ridiculousness. (It was Falling stars gave young Matt Lucas his big break.)
The partnership lasted until the end of 2010. But it wasn’t until 2015 that Mortimer launched a football podcast. Atlético Minsthat he had a second wind. Like his previous work with Reeves, Atlético Mins may seem like a lawless world full of chaotic stupidity. It mainly consists of Mortimer and co-host Andy Dawson performing a series of skits tangentially related to characters from the world of football (the stunts of former half-back Peter Beardsley and his egg-loving wife Carol are fan favourites). Over the years, the podcast has become increasingly quirky – it was initially more football-focused – and its popularity has grown. Since 2018 Atlético Mins saw over 30 million listeners tune in to Scottish Tales, Geordie Hit (featuring the hysterical ‘Mr Sting’ and DS Denise Welch) and Barry the Landlord – to name just a few of my personal favourites.
Atlético Mins relies more on character sketches than observational humor, a form of comedy that now seems rather staid – and which Reeves and Mortimer have always avoided. In addition to his famous performances, op. I wish I could lie to you?, which largely explains Mortimer’s popularity among millennials; Barry the Homeowner inspired his popular “Guy on the Train” sketch series, published as videos on Twitter in 2019 and 2020, in which he portrayed himself as an obnoxious business guy having explicit, jargon-filled conversations on a train.
As always, Mortimer exaggerated the character’s personality, with phrases such as “back loop on the edge”, “working campa choo choo” and “face to face” capturing the language perfectly. Mortimer’s characters aren’t all that different from the plethora of “front camera comics” that keep popping up on TikTok and Instagram, but unlike some of the more promising options, he doesn’t have a personal agenda. It’s just very funny.
His appearance on James Acaster and Ed Gamble’s popular podcast. From the menu in 2021, what has further cemented his underdog reputation is his reckless commitment to not doing what is expected of him. The main thing Trips to a desert island For dinner, he chose an Odeon hot dog with ketchup and mustard “twisted on his own finger,” followed by a vindaloo with papadum and chips, and seared halibut, all accompanied by a citrus IPA at minus 20 degrees. there was treacle pudding with custard, prepared by his wife. We learned that he also loves “pocket meat” and mashed potatoes, which are made by adding water to microwaved potato chips.
Satsuma Complex is Mortimer’s first novel, but given its success and price, it quickly became one. Sunday Times Bestseller – not the last. In a world where so much comedy is smart and wry and good graphic novels are rare, Mortimer’s work is a balm. He is sincere, understated and sharp – and never underestimates the power of a stupid voice.
Source: I News
I am Mario Pickle and I work in the news website industry as an author. I have been with 24 News Reporters for over 3 years, where I specialize in entertainment-related topics such as books, films, and other media. My background is in film studies and journalism, giving me the knowledge to write engaging pieces that appeal to a wide variety of readers.