Topic: Frank Sidebottom Has Cancer [split topic]

[Gavin]

I don't want to show any premature disrespect for the man, but speaking as someone who used to buy OINK! comic religiously, I have to say he came pretty close to ruining it.

I think he was one of the goodies.

[rudi]

Very sad news. He was lovely both as Chris and Frank (I didn't know him well or owt, just met him a few times); I'm going to pop off to watch him on YouTube now and have a minor blub.

[kidsick5000]

I don't want to show any premature disrespect for the man, but speaking as someone who used to buy OINK! comic religiously, I have to say he came pretty close to ruining it.

Perfect time to bring it up. Very well done.



Gutted by the news. He was a reliable source of much needed stupidity. He'll be missed.

[Huzzie]

I don't think he did anything but bring something new and funny to Oink!

if anyone is interested, in respect to Chris, I'll scan some of his Oink! work later... Would anyone like that?

[Deadman97]

As trite as it sounds, the world is a less interesting place without him in it. Genuinely gutted.

[dfurnell]

I don't want to show any premature disrespect for the man, but speaking as someone who used to buy OINK! comic religiously, I have to say he came pretty close to ruining it.

I think you'll find that was Little Frank ruining it. He often left the tops off Frank's felt tip pens. He's only cardboard though.

[Jemble Fred]

if anyone is interested, in respect to Chris, I'll scan some of his Oink! work later... Would anyone like that?

Yes, please do!

[koeman]

Please do!

Bugger, looks like the Hit the North stuff I had didn't survive the crash of an old hard-drive.

[Catalogue Trousers]

Bloody hell, that is sad news.

RIP Frank, and thanks.

[phes]

 Very sad to hear this and have great memories ^^^ of a couple of nights watching this chap :(  RIP

[Huzzie]

Bugger, looks like the Hit the North stuff I had didn't survive the crash of an old hard-drive.

"Ohhh yes! I love the North! Especially those fantastic arcades! Have you seen 'em?!!"


I'm just a bit worried about who's going to look after Little Frank now. :-(

Poor auld Chris. He always looked like he was on deaths door (and for several years he was) but I thought he was going to come through this. I never thought it was terminal! Fuck me! It has happened so fast since being diagnosed. At least he won't have to suffer for months like my nana and other people I know who died from that hideous, disgusting disease!

[waste of chops]

From the Oink! supplement given away with an old issue of Crash magazine:

[Huzzie]

From the Oink! supplement given away with an old issue of Crash magazine:

Does anyone remember The Oink! Song and The Oink! Rap?...
(click "intro" to hear the former... http://www.tonyhusband.co.uk/ )

They were released with a great song by Frank on the b-side, where Frank and little Frank had a jam with all the Oink Characters, to the bassline of China Girl. It's brilliant! Anyway, I have the record here but I have no idea on Earth how to get it on the computer... I have a Sony turntable with a USB thingy. So if anyone would like to hear it and can walk me through uploading it, I'd be happy to do so.


P.s. The Oink! Song you hear in that link was written by the great but very sadly late Mark Rodgers (and, of course, Marc "Lard" Riley), one of the three editors of Oink! (well, 4 including Uncle Pig). He was taken by cancer too.

[Deadman97]

They were released with a great song by Frank on the b-side, where Frank and little Frank had a jam with all the Oink Characters, to the bassline of China Girl. It's brilliant!

I took that single to the last-day-of-primary-school disco. Whichever teacher was on the decks put the B-Side on and I remember everyone looking confused as fuck when "Star Trekkin" finished and, after a five-second gap, instead of another song the school hall echoed with "HELLOOO! FRANK SIDEBOTTOM 'ERE". I was the only one who laughed, it got taken off almost immediately.

[Huzzie]

I took that single to the last-day-of-primary-school disco. Whichever teacher was on the decks put the B-Side on and I remember everyone looking confused as fuck when "Star Trekkin" finished and, after a five-second gap, instead of another song the school hall echoed with "HELLOOO! FRANK SIDEBOTTOM 'ERE". I was the only one who laughed, it got taken off almost immediately.

Awww! Taken off to be replaced by Jive Bunny or something?! That's not on!

Hehe, it's a great single though, DM, isn't it? I love to hear Frank and Little Frank arguing all the way through, 'cause LF wanted his turn to sing but Big Frank wouldn't let him, kept telling him he had to wait and be patient. :-) (EDIT: Actually, no, I think LF wanted a chance to do a guitar solo, didn't he? And Frank kept procrastinating and making him wait, until he finally allowed it just as the side came to an end?)

"and now... on drums... it's... Harry The Head!! Take it away Harry!"

Well, that's the end of my post... you know it is.... it really is.....


Thank you.

EDIT: Actually, it's not the end of my thread at all, because...

Ohhh Mull of Timperly. The beasties of the golf course
and I'm late for me tea, cause I've just nipped out
to buy an LP, by the fantastic, Paul McCartneyyeeyyyy

Oh he makes great records at this time of year
and his wife, Linda McCartney, always wears (cant remember)
oh he plays piano, the bass guitar and sings
he used to be with the Beatles
but now he's in Wings!

You know he is! He reaalllyyy issss!!!

[koeman]

Radcliffe and Maconie have just given a nice tribute on Radio 2, and are currently playing Frank's wonderful version of Being For the Benefit of Mr Kite.

[madhair60]

Fuck.  Terribly sad news.  R.I.P Frank, you were loved and will be missed.

[Mr_Simnock]

Bugger. It has been a long while since I've seen him on TV, shame I only hear about him now he has passed away. His was the sort of act that rarely ever gets mentioned when folk talk about 'comedy'. I don't think you would get a Frank Sidebottom from anywhere else other than the UK, he will be much missed.

[Uncle TechTip]

RIP Chris. One of that band of performers whose zany innocence you just don't see any more.

Started off in Timperley, ended in Hale. At least he went up in the world.

[Phil_A]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2006/may/31/art.popandrock

Here's a lovely article by Frank's former keyboardist, Jon Ronson. Apparently Frank/Chris was also an animator on Pingu! Who knew?

[waste of chops]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2006/may/31/art.popandrock

Here's a lovely article by Frank's former keyboardist, Jon Ronson. Apparently Frank/Chris was also an animator on Pingu! Who knew?

He wrote this episode:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpLRXrmL76A

He's credited as "Frank Sidebottom" as well! Did he EVER break character?

[Doctor Stamen]

Radcliffe and Maconie have just given a nice tribute on Radio 2, and are currently playing Frank's wonderful version of Being For the Benefit of Mr Kite.

I'm quite sure Lard will have had something to say on 6 Music as well, I'll have a listen on iPlayer later.

[Huzzie]

Did he EVER break character?

Occasionally. And it could be a very sad sight sometimes unfortunately.

I never knew that about Pingu though. That's pretty impressive! How long ago was that? Any idea? I thought it was strictly Icelandic or Finish, or something.

[TotalNightmare]

A real damned shame...

Rest In Papier Macher!

I always loved this character and had bits and pieces of his TV work scattered over a dozen long play VHS tapes. I think it was because, like John Shuttleworth, he was an endearing character who had great musical talent but with a very focused outlook on the small things in life.

A few years ago I took part in a 24 hour comedy show in Manchester for Comic Relief and found out I was on right before Frank Sidebottom on the line up. It was daft, but the fact I could see him watch me from the back made me more nervous than the idea of entertaining the crowd. After his set, we spoke, briefly, with him in character and he played my ukulele... It was only a few minutes, but I was a very happy chappy.

So I can put that in my 'Happy Thoughts' Bank, despite the fact the world is a little less silly without him.

[dfurnell]

I never knew that about Pingu though. That's pretty impressive! How long ago was that? Any idea? I thought it was strictly Icelandic or Finish, or something.

That Pingu episode was 2004. About that time I oddly ended up being in email contact with someone who worked at Manchester's HOT Animation. She explained that Frank, recovering from his bankrupcy a few years before, was also working at the company. The company ended up aquiring the UK rights to Pingu and made a number of episodes after the european version stopped being made. So these later episodes do have odd UK references. You'll notice when Pingu makes the shadow of a ship on his bedroom wall it plays a little of the Blue Peter theme. So Frank ended up writing this episode. I saw him explaining he had to actually write out all the ak ak ak awwww noises as well as the story board. He also has Pingu on the toilet. Not your usual children's fare. Frank soon got his own career going again so he left the company I suppose about 2006.

His animation experience though led him to make 'Mr Galagher's Boat' which was the amimated pilot for a whole 'Frank's World' animated series. Do people here know about that? It really is just amazing. Frank wrote on his Myspace a year or so back that Coogan and Normal's Baby Cow had signed him to do a whole series of that. I wonder how far they got.

[dfurnell]

His animation experience though led him to make 'Mr Galagher's Boat' which was the amimated pilot for a whole 'Frank's World' animated series. Do people here know about that? It really is just amazing.

Here's the whole episode on Youtube. It does stand repeat viewings (only if you like Frank though), lots of VCR gags.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQ_YYFq5EKc

[Huzzie]

That's very interesting, Dfurnell! Thanks for that. I'll have to look out for it.


Thanks for the vid too!

[Jemble Fred]

Have to pass this on, too, via the late Mr Strang's status – I wish I'd been here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrM6sLx_DXo

I'm off to see Frank's lookalike play Hyde Park on Sunday actually. It would be fantastic if McCartney did a tribute in place of 'Here Today', but somehow I reckon he'll bottle it.

[bomb_dog]

Really sad news that.

Saw Frank in Bristol about three years ago. Great gig. Bit I remember the most was the call-response he did to 'Guess Who's Been On Match Of The Day', where he asked people to guess 'who's hiding, under me bed?', to which the response was 'Gary Lineker... with a felt tip pen'. Don't know why it was funny, but it stuck in my mind to this day whenever I see Gary on the telly. Don't know why he had a felt tip pen, nor his intentions in Frank's mind, but still makes me laugh.

If you've not got 'A,B,C and D', get it now. He's not long released 'E, F, G and H', which has been high on my 'to buy' list.

RIP Frank.

[Serge]

Rough Trade want to adopt Little Frank - someone has to look after him.