The early illustrations and animations of Terry Gilliam

Gilliam's foreword in his biography, written by Bob McCabe:

"...One of the things both Bob and myself wanted to highlight was the visual aspect of all the movies - you can write about them all you want but these movies are basically there to be seen."

The focus of my research begins with Terry Gilliam and an interest that I have in his films, including the early Monty Python years where he began in small, yet gruesome acting roles and provided all animation for the series of films.

It was these illustrations that tied together the style of satirical comedy so successfully. As the first Monty Python series hit our screens in 1969, reactions were mixed. It was a show that excited the youth and confused the parents.

Many of Gilliam's animations focus on bureaucracy, sometimes bordering on the rude in a naturally organic humorous way and involved the cutout technique.

Ironically, the lack of budget meant Gilliam had to often use found materials in his work, worked in his favour. He put into practice the technique that gave a definite, distinct edge to his work. It worked perfectly with the style of jaunty animation and the message of Python itself.

Prior to his permanent arrival in England, and after his time as a Politics student in Occidental College LA, an incident would occur that would prove the point of dissolution for Gilliam, concerning his homeland.

During a peaceful anti LBJ (President Lyndon Johnson) protest Gilliam and his then girlfriend Glenys Roberts decided to go to the scene of the nearby protest. They had heard that local police has sparked some trouble and, with Glenys being a reporter, she wanted to cover the event. Gilliam went with her and recalls to biographer Bob McCabe:

"There were cops everywhere and it was all going fine until the cops went berserk and we ended up in the middle of it. I did a big anti-riot poster afterwards that was sold in the shops. I started getting disillusioned with America and I wanted to go back to Europe, so we came to England"

Gilliam was in fact grabbed by his long hair that had already caused Gilliam some considerable trouble when he was randomly stopped and frisked. In Gilliam's own words:

"…because they knew who I was. I was an out of work musician, living off some middle-class man's daughter, peddling drugs."

It was the flowing, long hair that became a symbol for the free-thinkers of the 1960s. Then I thought of a song that my dad used to play me:

Almost Cut My Hair
Almost cut my hair It happened just the other day It's gettin kinda long I coulda said it wasn't in my way But I didn't and I wonder why I feel like letting my freak flag fly Cause I feel like I owe it to someone

Must be because I had the flu' for Christmas And I'm not feeling up to par It increases my paranoia Like looking at my mirror and seeing a police car But I'm not giving in an inch to fear Cause I missed myself this year I feel like I owe it to someone

When I finally get myself together I'm going to get down in that sunny southern weather And I find a place inside to laugh Separate the wheat from the chaff I feel like I owe it to someone

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young - Déjà Vu, March 1970

Current Bibliography

Books:

Dark Knights and Holy Fools. The Art and Films of Terry Gilliam by Bob McCabe
Inside The Yellow Submarine by Robert R. Hieronimus
The life of Python by George Perry

Films:

And Now For Something Completely Different
Brazil
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
Jabberwocky
Monty Python and The Holy Grail
Monty Python's Meaning of life
The Beatles Yellow Submarine
The Fisher King
The Life of Brian
Tideland
Time Bandits
Twelve Monkeys