Fungus the Bogeyman

Product Information

This book is in good condition with some rubbing to the corners and scratches to the laminate on the front and back cover.

For example, Bogeymen are shown to enjoy eating and sharing flies in a similar way to human cigarettes; one brand of fly is the "strong French Gallwasp", a pun on the cigarette Gauloises. Combine that rudimentary appeal with a very adult level of punning and an endearing melancholy and you have Fungus. This could be interpreted as a comical, jovial way to show children that different people can live very diverse lives which may help them to become more aware of the world around them.Fungus the Bogeyman is a lovingly created work of art, with as much care and thought in the words as in the images. Written and illustrated by Raymond Briggs, a much loved children's author, perhaps best known for his Christmas classic, The Snowman. We have more or less straight comics, but also sections of pages treated as if they were notice boards, with text boxes pinned to them, "censored" text, charts, etc. Over a period of decades, a number of attempts were made to make a film from the book, which was difficult given its lack of an actual plot.

Briggs' use of language and play on words is masterful, although I did have to look up quaquaversal - "dipping from a centre toward all points of the compass". A co-production with Pilot Theatre, the show was directed and adapted by Marcus Romer and designed by Ali Allen.It is a hugely entertaining read from start to finish, chronicling the life of Fungus and his grotesque environment.