A decade ago, Supreme Vagabond Craftsman and I published our first book. He wrote the stories and I drew the pictures. It was called ZEBRA FACE and chronicled the adventures of a rubbish superhero and his mouthorgan-weilding sidekick as they battled a succession of baddies in a 2Dimentional universe with only rudimentary rhyme skills as their ‘special powers’.
With no distribution deal, website or blog – the book created a wave ripple of interest from the music press and style mags of the time. Via independent record shops, book shops and clothes shops we managed to shift 1,000 copies across the country, throughout Europe and as far away as the US and Japan, which to us felt like a huge success.
Having moved studio and house umpteen times since them days, we recently discovered a few boxes of unsold books. In celebration of the 10 year anniversary, we’ve lobbed them online to get your fingers wrapped round HERE.
Yo Insomniakz this is proof of the truth comin right through yo sunroof. This is two hover-trouser emcees with Guess Who moustaches and dangly earrings goin one plus one on the fuckin runway, ridin scramblers up yo embankment. 100cc is our situation you get weh?
Pock-marked skinheads from out the navy wearin Global Hypercolour, ekkin for a dust up, comin your way with a fist full o nuggets and one eye on the newsagents. Trip-hop is our game, see me larfin? Buju Bedtimes cold ghettin dumb and dumber, different strokin, rekked our limbs from fallin off mopeds that’s why we get bought drinks see? PM Dawn of the Dead overweighters duckin in your hedgerow lookin for ripped up bash mags and golf-balls so we got summat to cob at motors. No cell phones only CBs, we’re ravin we’re ravin.
Hycote Writers’ Team – Photos by Ian Newcomb circa 2001.
Hell yes. We’ve finally been given the green light for the animated series too, which features a whole host of bad-boy MCs doing the characters’ voices. More about that in 2012 when Zebra Face hits your haunted fish tank live and direct!