How to Be a Complete Bastard

by Adrian Edmondson, Mark Leigh, Mike Lepine

Featuring the hilarious Rick Mayall.

Genres: Humor, Comedy, Fiction

108 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1986

About the author

Adrian Charles "Ade" Edmondson is an English comedian, writer, director, actor, and musician. He is probably best known for his comedic roles in the television series The Young Ones (1982–1984) and Bottom (1991–2003), which he also wrote together with his long-time comedy partner Rik Mayall.

Edmondson attended Pocklington School in Yorkshire from 1968 to 1975 and later went to the University of Manchester to study drama, receiving a 2:1 degree, where he met his future comedy partner Rik Mayall. Edmondson and Mayall soon became best friends and before long found work on the burgeoning alternative comedy scene.

Under the name 20th Century Coyote, Edmondson and Mayall became one of the star attractions at The Comedy Store. As their popularity grew, Edmondson and Mayall and other upcoming comedians (including Alexei Sayle, Peter Richardson, Nigel Planer, French and Saunders) split away from the Comedy Store to set up their own venue: The Comic Strip club. The Comic Strip soon gained a reputation as one of the most popular comedy clubs in London and soon came to the attention of Channel 4. Edmondson and the others were commissioned to act in six self-contained half-hour films, using the group as comedy actors rather than stand-up performers. The series, entitled The Comic Strip Presents... debuted on 2 November 1982 (the opening night of Channel 4).

On 11 May 1985, Edmondson married his Comic Strip fellow Jennifer Saunders. Edmondson's university nickname of "Eddie Monsoon," a play on his surname, inspired the name of Saunders' character, Edina Monsoon on Absolutely Fabulous

In 1986 he co-wrote the book How to be a Complete Bastard together with Mark Leigh and Mike Lepine. In 1987, he reunited with Planer and Mayall to star in Filthy Rich and Catflap. The series was penned by The Young Ones' co-writer Ben Elton and saw Edmondson display the same slapstick characteristics as Vyvyan, but was closer in personality to his later character "Eddie Hitler" in Bottom. The show received critical acclaim but poor viewing figures and was cancelled after one series. In 1988, he released a follow up to How To Be A Complete Bastard called The Bastard's Book of the Worst. In 1989 Edmondson made an appearance in an episode of Blackadder Goes Forth as The Red Baron, arch-nemesis to Mayall's character, Lord Flashheart.

In 1991, Edmondson was teamed up with his comedy partner Rik Mayall once more, this time co-writing and co-starring in their own sitcom, Bottom. Edmondson starred as "Edward Elizabeth Hitler" opposite Mayall's "Richard Richard." The series featured the slapstick and crude humour for which the pair had become famous, but also more in-depth character analysis. Mayall and Edmonson have said Bottom was aimed to be more than just a series of toilet gags, but a cruder cousin to plays like Waiting for Godot about the pointlessness of life. Edmondson played Estragon to Mayall's Vladimir in Samuel Beckett's play in the West End, in a production that opened at the Queen's Theatre on 30 September 1991. Bottom became very popular, but it was criticised for its often vulgar humour. Edmondson was also censured for essentially reprising the same character he had been playing for his entire career. It was also incarnated into five UK stage tours (1993, 1995, 1997, 2001 and 2003). The violent natures of these shows saw both Edmondson and Mayall ending up in hospital.

Reviews

[Ian Wood · Rating 2 out of 5]

A comedy book advocating drink driving, sexist and violence, I’m surprised no one thought of it sooner. That Adrian Edmondson’s “bastard” characters from ‘The Young Ones’, ‘Bottom’, ‘The Dangerous Brothers’, ‘The Comic Strip’ et al always came off ultimately being there own victim so making the cartoon violence funny. Here we have no moral outcome and a very unfortunate book.

I must admit to liking the send up of the ’Not the Nine O’clock News’ books, suggesting they are just a cash-in rip off. I’m not sure how the irony got past the editor.

[Desperados · Rating 3 out of 5]

In my opinion not as good as his second book 'Complete bastards book of the worst'. But still very funny. Fans of Vyvyan of The Young Ones will love it. Very dry humour.

[SJ Rusty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Puerile and adolescent toilet humour abound in this classic guide by Ade Edmondson. I first received a copy of this book when I was fourteen and it made me laugh uncontrollably. It still makes me giggle over thirty years later. Very much a product of its times, I doubt you'd be allowed to get away with this sort of stuff today.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favourite book as a 12 year old and still hilarious

[[ J o ] · Rating 4 out of 5]

[ to review at a later date - possibly even re-read at a later date as well, though not urgent ]