Fandom: THE MIGHTY BOOSH
Pairings: Howard/Vince
Length: 16 chapters/11 LJ posts/339K
Warnings: Angst, fluff, swearing, shagging.
Author on LJ: violetisblue
Author Website: Sax and Violets
Why this must be read:

I volunteered to steer the Crack Van through the wild and woolly world of Boosh because of this story. Ironically, this has been the hardest fic to rec, because I despair of doing justice to this magnificent piece of writing. So, I’ll open with the author’s synopsis:

My own personal Howard/Vince origin story, starting well before season 1, continuing well past season 3 and concerning the true origins of crimping, the demise of the Zooniverse, the worst day of Howard’s life, estrangement, jealousy, passion, familial angst, jazz fusion, illegal shaman tricks, musical mind-melds, performance art and the perfect Booshian cup of tea. Amongst other subjects.

What the summary omits is the spot-on dialogue, witty crossover cameos and references (drawn from Nathan Barley, Hot Fuzz, Spaced, and others), playful meta elements (I am especially fond of the girls who become regulars at the Nabootique after they catch our heroes making out), and gorgeous descriptive passages. Above all, I am blown away by how violetisblue has extrapolated from and expanded on canon to create a true transformative work: Howard and Vince are still the Jazz Giraffe and the Confuser that we know and love, inhabiting the same maddening, magical world, but with greater depth and heft. At one point, the author encapsulated the fic with the phrase “Mighty Boosh as directed by Mike Leigh,” and that, unlikely as that sounds, is totally accurate. Take this scene, in which Vince and Howard’s relationship wobbles into new territory:

( You like jazz. Your favorite color is *brown*. You watch ten-hour black-and-white films about Lutheran manatees with wooden flippers committing suicide, for fun. You spend days at a time arranging paper clips and collecting horrible vinyl by manky old geezers and you couldn't sell Bill Burroughs a rent boy and you dance *between* the beat and you wear socks with sandals and I think you still don't know who Vivienne Westwood is, I mean, Howard, what in the name of Christ am I doing here? )

But what I love most about this story can be found in this passage from the final chapter, which makes me simultaneously tear up and grin like a fiend:

The moon speaks. Animals talk. Carpets fly. Magic is real. There are untold hidden treasures in the Arctic tundra, the far Eastern deserts, every neighboring galaxy, the next street down in Hoxton. There are amazing beings you never imagined could exist in the air, undersea (all right, let’s not dwell on those in particular, but still), in the forests, in the far reaches of space. There are monsters, and demons, and opportunity, around every corner. There is music in all that exists.

Whether you’re a longtime fan of the Mighty Boosh, or just venturing into the fandom, this is a must-read.

A Life Less Ordinary, on Livejournal and the author’s website.

---

That’s me done for the month. Thank you, mods, for letting me take the flying carpet out for a spin (er, just ignore the stains), and as for anyone who has been following my recs, I hope you’ve enjoyed the show.

Vidder: moribundlust
Musical artist: IAMX, “You Stick It in Me”
Pairings: assorted Noel Fielding characters/various (including assorted Julian Barratt characters and Chris Corner of IAMX)
Vidder on LJ: moribundlust
Vidder’s website: YouTube profile
Why this vid kicks ass:

When she posted the original version of this vid to booshslashhaven, the vidder claimed, “I sacrificed my ovaries for this.” Her martyrdom was not in vain. This is a downright filthy fanvid, assembled from episodes of The Mighty Boosh, videos and live footage by various Boosh-affiliated bands, and the short film Sweet.* It is emphatically Not Safe For Work.

Forner(cate)

Forner(cate) Edit

* Sweet is available on YouTube and as an extra in the Mighty Boosh series 2 DVDs, and is where the vidder got the clips of Noel sexxin’ an invisible partner and showing off his elephant dick. Yes, you read that correctly.

Fandom: THE MIGHTY BOOSH
Pairings: Anthrax/Ebola, implied Howard/Vince
Length: approx. 2,900 words
Warnings: D/s, S&M, breathplay
Author on LJ: kewen
Author Website: Freyr
Why this must be read:

It can’t be denied: The Mighty Boosh fails the Bechdel Test hard. That’s one reason I was so pleased to find this story about the goth girls from “Nanageddon.” kewen doesn’t just show us how Vince’s hoped-for gothic three-way might have played out; she gives the two women (especially Ebola) their own lives and distinct personalities.

Me and Anthrax let him buy us drinks, there’s no harm in that. It’s obvious he’s never been to the Black Spider before, because if he had, he’d know that me and Anthrax are untouchable. We stay together, and everyone else can piss off, especially men.

“Ladies,” he says with a cheeky smile, placing the drinks in front of us before sitting down himself.

She sneaks a glance at me and I think I see a flicker of amusement.

Poser.

I curl my own lip, not smiling. Goths don’t smile, I learnt this early on.

I’m dimly aware of him talking, but it’s just background noise. I can feel Anthrax’s hand slide up my thigh and I do my best to keep my face neutral. I know there are people watching us, men and women who have approached us in the past wondering what he’s got that they haven’t.

But I know why he’s still here.

Because he’s amusing, and Anthrax likes to play.

“Like No One’s Watching”

Fandom: THE MIGHTY BOOSH
Pairings: Julian Barratt/Noel Fielding
Length: 6,400 words
Warnings: RPS, Russell Brand (though he's rather sweet here)
Author on LJ: sheldrake
Author Website: shelfic
Why this must be read:

It was exactly a year to the day since Noel Fielding had disappeared. Julian hadn't marked it on the calendar. He didn't need to.

Don’t let the melancholy opening mislead you — this story soon turns giddy, as an irrepressible Russell Brand (“Do you want that cuddle now?”) tries to cheer up a morose and increasingly frazzled Julian Barratt with, er, antique furniture. Amazingly, this turns out to be the right tack, as it leads to the discovery of a letter.

( Woke up in Paris, for f——'s sake. Okay, to be fair, not the first time that's happened. )

Does the Mighty Boosh truly traverse time and space? Is Noel condemned to a life of short hair and haberdashery? Can this all get sorted out before Julian succumbs to the urge to punch Russell in the face?

“1905”

Fandom: THE MIGHTY BOOSH
Pairings: Howard/Mrs. Gideon, Howard/Vince
Length: approx. 1,300 words
Warnings: mild het, misuse of magic
Author on LJ: thymeth (AKA Astrid)
Author Website: On Facebook
Why this must be read:

Fanfiction grows out of the cracks in canon: the missing details, the contradictions. This fragmentary, impressionistic piece concerns Mrs. Gideon, who was Howard’s one-time bandmate and lover in the radio episodes, and the seemingly amnesiac object of his unrequited desire in series one of the television show, and how she went from the former condition to the latter. What the story is about, though, is Howard, and Vince, and the hazards and rewards of living in the moment.

It’s all jazz.

It just happens.

“You Used to Play Jazz, Didn't You, Howard?” on Livejournal and at the Boosh Slash Haven.

Fandom: THE MIGHTY BOOSH
Pairings: Howard/Vince
Length: Approximately 3,700 words
Warnings: Character death, rough zombie!sex, knifeplay, painting the fourth wall
Author on LJ: obeythebunny
Author Website: unknown
Why this must be read:

For all the bright colors, hijinks, and cheery tunes, the Booshverse can be a dark place. This wacky, creepy take on “Little Red Riding Hood,” in which Vince (wearing a hooded red PVC catsuit) first encounters a mysterious (and snide) voice in the forest —

“Who’s that keeps speaking?”
I’m the, erm… narrator.
“The narrator?”
Yes. Every fairytale has one.

— and then finds an old enemy (the subtitle is a clue to who) lying in wait at Bryan Ferry’s cottage, captures both the humorous and horrific sides of the canon. Plus, there’s a zombie, and zombies are dead cool these days, right?

“Macabre, Sordid, and Silly: a Crack Fairytale”

Fandom: THE MIGHTY BOOSH
Pairing: Howard/Vince, ref to Howard/OFC
Length: Seven parts, plus bonus chapters
Warnings: AU, criminal violence, domestic violence, gun!kink, references to drug use, discussion of suicide, supporting character death
Author on LJ: thieving_gypsy
Author Website: Jazz Maverick
Why this must be read:

In 2003, British big beat electronica act Mint Royale released a video, “Blue Song,” in which the getaway driver for a bank heist (Noel Fielding) gets his groove on while waiting for his accomplices (Julian Barratt, Nick Frost, Michael Smiley) to make their exit.

Not surprisingly, this has inspired a fair amount of outlaw!fic in what is known as the Mint Royale AU. Since the characters are left unnamed in the video, this gives writers leeway in deciding who they are: some use the actors’ real names, others pick and choose among their roles. thieving_gypsy opted to give us a version of Vince and Howard seen through a glass, darkly. Despite the dysfunction of their relationship — there’s a reason this series has the name it does — an essential Howard-and-Vince-ness shines through. Take Moon’s recollection of how they became acquainted:

( He just didn't feel *right* shooting someone who'd made him crack up laughing in the middle of a botched robbery. )

This story is not a comfortable read (note the warnings), but it’s undeniably gripping, often funny, sometimes very hot, and unexpectedly touching.

( The Stockholm Syndrome series )

Note: Ratings for individual chapters range from PG to NC-17. The overall series rating reflects the most common rating.

Fandom: THE MIGHTY BOOSH/JANE EYRE
Pairing: Howard Moon/Vince Noir
Length: 24.5k words
Warnings: Spoilers for Jane Eyre
Author on LJ: maestro1123
Author Website: The Pinstriped Emos on MySpace
Why this must be read:

Chapter One: In which Miss Noiyre arrives at Thornfield, blowjobs are mentioned, and the housekeeper has a problem with unsightly facial hair.

Reader, I married him.

Oh shit, wait — that comes later. Let me start over.

The opening lines make it clear that this fic is a witty, cheerfully anachronistic homage to Charlotte Brontë’s classic tale of mystery and romance. “Vince Noiyre” is a gender-bending male governess (“jobs are scarce enough for an electro-ponce-slash-classic-frontman”) who brings a lot of baggage — literal and metaphorical — to Thornfield, where he meets the brooding, riding-crop-wielding master of the house, “Howard Moonchester”; a hirsute housekeeper, Bollo; and his charge, Naboo, who is less interested in his lessons than in gaining access to whoever — or whatever — is kept locked up in the attic.

maestro1123 does justice to both the plot of Jane Eyre and the personalities of the Boosh characters. Take, for example, her version of the scene where the lovelorn governess draws a self-portrait and the likeness of an apparent rival for the master’s affections.

( Ah, who am I kidding. )

Action! Horror! Passion! Adam Ant! A gorilla in a maid’s cap! You’ll find them all in...

“Jane Eyre vs. The Mighty Boosh”

Fandom: THE MIGHTY BOOSH
Pairings: Howard Moon/Vince Noir, Julian Barratt/Noel Fielding
Length: Eight chapters, approx. 86,000 words.
Warnings: RPF, character death (sorta), meta liek whoa, stage show spoilers.
Author on LJ: tartpants
Author Website: unknown
Why this must be read:

What if, somehow, Julian Barratt and Noel Fielding swapped places with their alter egos? How would the comedians fare in the Zooniverse? What would Howard and Vince do if they woke up surrounded by familiar-looking strangers — and why is the last thing they remember a bright light and the sensation of flight?

Howard snatched his hand away from Vince's. "You come on, Vince. What's more likely? That we're dead, or that we're the creation of two asshole comedians who've made a career out of taking the piss out of us?"

Vince stared at him, his mouth falling open. "What's more likely is that we're dead," he protested. "People die all the time. As opposed to realising that they're fictional. People realise that they're fictional very rarely, in fact. Point-zero-point-one-point-negative-zero percent of the time."

Howard shook his head. "That's what I mean. Dying's way too normal for us."

tartpants has fun blurring the line between the creators and their work (who is pulling whose strings, exactly?), and does a fantastic job balancing comedy, romantic yearning, and existential terror.

A Journey Through Time and Space, on LJ (link to first chapter; must join comm to read) and at the Boosh Slash Haven.

Fandom: THE MIGHTY BOOSH
Pairings: Old Gregg/The Moon
Length: Approx. 7,100 words
Warnings: According to the author, “might scar you for life.”
Author on LJ: sparklebutch
Author Website: The Glitter Jungle
Why this must be read:

I picked this story to highlight two facts: (1) this fandom has one of the most cracked-out canons ever; (2) although Howard Moon/Vince Noir is clearly the OTP of The Mighty Boosh, there are other possibilities, and the pairing in this story, while so, so wrong, is weirdly right. I can’t decide if Noel Fielding, who plays both these characters, would find this hilarious or traumatizing.

( Can't be waitin' around for a fisherman all his life. )

“Full Moon Over Black Lake”

Greetings and salutations! You may call me laughingacademy. I have recced fics in many fandoms. But this month, I’d like to take you on a journey through Time and Space, into the world of...the Mighty Boosh!

---

Fandom: THE MIGHTY BOOSH
Pairings: Gen, or very mild Howard/Vince
Length: 1,625 words
Warnings: none
Author on LJ: nebula99
Author Website: unknown
Why this must be read:

A new story for a new year — the author wrote this, her first Booshfic, for Yuletide 2009, and it’s wonderful. Aw, look, Vince is crimping to an abandoned kitten! How could Howard possibly have a problem with this?

He lifted the creased paper and held it up to the light. The words glowed red as the sunlight poured through the window.

Behold.

This is the Tatty Kitten of the Apocalypse.

Nurture it as your own and you shall be rewarded with a slow and painful death.

P.S. It is litter trained.

...Oh.

“The Tatty Kitten of the Apocalypse,” available at the Yuletide 2009 archive and on the author’s LJ.

Here is my last recommendation. I hope you've all enjoyed reading the stories.

Fandom: THE MIGHTY BOOSH
Pairing: unrequited Howard Moon/Vince Noir
Length: 913
Author on LJ: amy_wolf


Why this must be read:
A lovely short that gets me every time with its angsty undertones. Told from Howard's POV it just demonstrates what an utter clueless fool he is. By the end you want to whack him around the head with a stick or something. Maybe a stick is too lenient - a frying pan would be better. My favourite line:

Vince: "I have actually fancied someone for longer than hairspray lasts. Even the good stuff."

It's such an expression in Vince-esque terms of how he feels about Howard but Howard is too much of a buffoon to notice!!

Over Him

Fandom: THE MIGHTY BOOSH
Pairing: Howard Moon/Vince Noir
Length: 1400 approx
Author on LJ:skypipe

Why this must be read:
Vince eats pineapple. Howard gets very flustered.

Maybe Vince knew that Howard hated him (but not really).

Maybe that’s why he was currently leaning against the counter eating and sucking on pineapple that was really far more juicy than it should have been. Vince was taking his time, letting drops trickle down his fingers, run off his chin, and Howard had to keep his eyes as focused as he could get them on the wall – such a nice wall it was as well, he hadn’t noticed before – or else things might happen.


Howard Hates Vince (but not really)

WARNING FOR REAL PERSON SLASH

Apologies for this being late - RL has been hell this week...

Fandom: THE MIGHTY BOOSH
Pairing: Howard Moon/Vince Noir, Julian Barratt/Noel Fielding
Length: 1500 approx
Author on LJ:smaych

Why this must be read:
This is one of those stories in which Howard/Vince and Julian/Noel cannot be divorced from each other. The relationships intermingle.

I love this story. I love the way the writer has written the scenes parallel to one another - so that when something happens in the 'real' universe we get a peek into what is happening in the 'boosh' universe. The idea of Julian and Noel role playing as Howard and Vince is sweet and kind of eerie. They hide behind their own creations, or, at least Julian does. So here we have a little slice of angst for you all.

The Game

Fandom: THE MIGHTY BOOSH
Pairing: Howard/Vince
Length: 5400
Author on LJ: accio_arse


Why this must be read:
This story is pure smut. Rather good pure smut. Surely when any story contains a plastic golden fox statuette used *inappropriately* it is worth reading? Yes/no?

*coughs*

Also, again, lovely Howard/Vince banter...

Get Foxed

Fandom: THE MIGHTY BOOSH
Pairing: Howard Moon/Vince Noir
Length: approx. 1000 words
Author on LJ: obeythebunny


Why this must be read:
This fic ticks the boxes for this fandom – Vince is a narcissistic tart, Howard is shifty and their banter is absolutely perfect. It is also funny and rather smutty. I think my favourite exchange is as follows:

“Aw, c’mon – look, my reflection’s a bit into yours.”
“It’s n– really?” Howard pauses.
“Yeah, look – he’s checking your reflection out. They’ve got well good chemistry, you can see it a mile off.”

And so Vince manipulates Howard (in a good way)...

Reflections

WARNING FOR REAL PERSON SLASH

Fandom: THE MIGHTY BOOSH
Pairing: Julian Barratt/Noel Fielding (REAL PERSON SLASH)
Length: approx. 40,000 words (novella)
Author on LJ: trickpie

Why this must be read:
This is almost certainly the definitive piece of Real Person Slash in The Mighty Boosh fandom. Nothing else exists that has the same audacity (and I mean this in a good way). The segues where Noel exists in some Booshy-half-world are particularly effective. The world of Noel and Julian is the Boosh and sometimes there is the sense that it is the 'real world' that is mad, not them. So, although it is an RPS story it is also in its own fashion about the Boosh world and about Vince and Howard.

This story charts a certain part (time?) of their relationship, or to be more precise, the bits that "aren't in between" as Noel comes to refer to them.

The dialogue is also perfect. They talk in riddles just how I would expect them to:

“The, uh. The kites are all snagged up. I don’t have the – I don’t know. I’m too impatient for them. I can’t untangle them.”
“So you came here.”
“Yeah.”
“Not my place.”
“Noel…”

Here's my third recommendation, split over five parts. I recommend reading it with a box of jaffa cakes in one hand and a bottle of red wine in the other.

Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Part Four
Part Five

Fandom: THE MIGHTY BOOSH
Pairing: Howard/Vince
Length: 2053
Author on LJ: grand_mimosa

Why this must be read:
The writing has a delicate touch and explores the Howard/Vince relationship beautifully. It's about two friends trying to work out the exact boundaries of their relationship and failing miserably. There are some lovely lines in this.

“Howard,” Vince says. “Howard Moon, if you ever outgrow me, I’ll pull your stomach out through your ear.”

And

Vince always waited for Howard, and Vince always waits for Howard; it’s enough to make Howard close his eyes during the middle of the day and hope it all lasts at least a little bit longer.


A Method for Growing Up

Hello. Here my first recommendation for The Mighty Boosh. Enjoy!

Fandom: THE MIGHTY BOOSH
Pairing: Howard Moon/Vince Noir
Length: one-shot approx 2000 words
Author on LJ: amy_wolf

Why this fic must be read...
This is a lovingly constructed fiction that sticks to canon, and like the episodes it follows, has the same bitter-sweet tone. The humour runs very close to that in the programme, so much so that it could almost be an episode. It beautifully charts the Howard/Vince relationship as it changes over time (i.e. the three television series). A favourite of mine.

Five Resolutions Vince Wrote Down, But Forgot

Hello. This month I will be introducing you all to The Mighty Boosh.

( overview )