Rise of the Ogre is an autobiography created by the Gorillaz and Drummer, Cass Browne, it contains all sorts of rare art and information on all of the Gorillaz's songs and videos. It tells the story of 2D, Murdoc, Russel and Noodle; and how the band came to be. It even covers up the El Manana video.


Here are some quotes from the book, not in any specific order:

"Before Gorillaz took off I couldn't get anyone to talk to me. Now I can't get them to shut up."-Murdoc Niccals

"Sometimes good things come in big packages! I arrived in a FedEx crate!"-Noodle

"Well, we went through a lot of names. But seeing as, musically, I wanted to swing through the jungle baring my arse, I thought Gorillaz was a perfect name."-Murdoc Niccals

"War does not determine who is right. Only who is left."-Russel Hobbs

"Stripping for cash is yet another of my many talents"-Murdoc Niccals

"Sign us at our first gig, man. It'll be great press for both of us, kids will think some kind of phonenum...phenomunen, ph...some kind of movement's happening. Oh yeah, do something wicked that'll get us noticed."-Murdoc Niccals in a call to Mr. Whiffy Smiffy

"From the day we met we were inseparable. Even after he died."-Russel Hobbs about Del the Ghost

"Every great band is destroyed by their success. Cartoon bands are no exception."-Noodle

"Ask not for whom the bell tolls."-Murdoc Niccals

"He lost me at hello."-2D

"I love it when my quotes are blown up really big!"-Murdoc Niccals

"The palace we built has become a prison."-2D on the Feel Good, Inc. video

"It's the failure to see this planet as a single entity that causes so much pain so many times. You cannot attack one part of the world without it affecting the whole earth, the whole body. Attacking other cultures, other nations, is a self-destructive act. It always comes back on you in some way."-Noodle on the 9/11 attacks

"Always be wary of people who use quotes. I don't know who said that."-Murdoc Niccals

"Gorillaz virtually changed my wife...sorry, I mean, life...no, actually, it was my wife."-Terry Gilliam

"'Demon Days' is bigger, better...badder. We wanted to make an album that would climb out of the speakers and eat the listener."-Murdoc Niccals

"With the Demon Days being upon us, some of us are losing more of the morning by living more in the night. The balance needs to be re-addressed."-Noodle

"'Tomorrow Comes Today' was a tentative dipped toe in the water from everybody's point of view. It was like, let's not spend too much money, let's just test the market, and then 'Clint Eastwood' just blasted through it all."-Andrew Ruhemann

"I never really thought about anything as far as I can remember."-2D

"Help!! One of the geeks has escaped!! GEEK ON THE LOOSE!! GET A NET!"-Murdoc Niccals

"I just wanted to break a new ground in that area, advance the tradition and bring in my whole hip hop attitude to the taxidermy world. I've been cutting and pasting different animal styles together. Yaks with lizards,hogs and zebras...it keeps the whole skill fresh, y'know? Once they're done you can customize the animal with bass-bins, under-lighting, alloy wheels...a kinda 'Pimp-My-Rhino' thing."-Russel Hobbs

Success doesn't bring happiness. Only material stuff like money, cars and iPods can do that. And I've already got all that. So I have to find other ways to amuse myself."-Murdoc Niccals

"We live in a shockingly beautiful world. We are walking through the living kingdom of heaven every day; the colours, the sound, the love of others, the potential to create, the plants, wildlife, nature, music, all sensations and life...but if we refuse to see colour and beauty we may as well be in Hell. Maybe an animated band was the best way of announcing this."-Noodle

"Yeah. On top of all the comedy promo stuff, we had the added excitement of being constantly shot at."- 2D

'Ike can see clearly now Russel's mind has gone.' - murdoc on a picture of russel during the time he was with ike turner.

Trivia/Links To Real Life

One of Murdocs former bands was called Twos Company, which was also the name of a former band staring pre Blur Damon Albarn and Graham Coxon.

In the book, the first thing Damon said to Murdoc was a critisicm of his shoes. This is the same thing Damon Albarn said upon meeting Graham Coxon.

Some of the dialouge is lifted almost exactly from previous Gorillaz interviews. e.g, interview with Dazed and Confused editor taken from Charts Of Darkness, Demon Days segment lifts from the We Are The Dury tape sometimes etc.

The incident with Murdoc heckling at the award ceromeny happend with Damon.

The Cameron Diaz anicdote had been told previously in the MTV cribs episode.

Murdoc wanted Satan to drop a guest vocal on the next album whilset Damon wanted Liam Gallagher to do a vocal. Hmmm...

The Grassy Noel charachter may or may not be a reference to Damons old sparring partner Noel gallagher.
"He thinks we'r just a gimmick but he's living in the past".

Some of the albums in Big Rick Blacks window:
Happy Mondays- Bummed
Easy Rider Soundtrack
Full Metal Jacket Soundtrack
The Clash- London Calling

The parachute shot in the El Manana video was added in for the book and was not in the orginal video.

The group picture at the end (where they are all crouched in front of Pazuzu) is the uncensored version. The front cover of Slowboat To Hades had Noodles head covering up Pazuzu's rather elongated phallus.



23....
2D was born on the 23rd of may 1978.

Del sports a 23 on his shirt.

Big Rick Blacks Record Shack has a 23 in the corner.

Theres a 23 on the group shot on page 77 if you look closley.

The 2D interview clip takes place on highway 23.

One of the bumber stickers on Noodles big wheel is a sticker reading "23 Hour Party People". A sly reference to Shaun Ryders band The Happy Mondays.

The recurrance of the number 23 is discussed for the first time in the middle of the book.

On page 179, 2D hangs over a large caption reading "CATCH 23".

The group shots on page 212 where the band have numbers on there shirts. All the numbers in each shot add up to 23.


666...
Murdoc was born on June 6th 1966.

Murdocs helmet on the Rock The House cover is embazloned with 666.

Murdoc holds some 666 "lucky lungs" on page 95.

Murdocs prison number upside down was 666: Boobies.