Gilbert Ratchet
Encyclopedia
Gilbert Ratchet is a character in the British
comic
Viz
. He first appeared in 1990, created by (the then freelance) Davey Jones. In both his appearance and the surreal humour
of the strip, Gilbert is similar to Jones's other Viz character Tinribs
, although the character is based more on Screwy Driver, a character that formerly appeared in The Dandy
.
Gilbert is a young boy who is an expert at swiftly constructing items with which to help people. Quite often he is desperate for money for something (usually a comically small amount), such as some new tools or sweets, and so he strolls around town seeking people in a dilemma of some sort. In return for a promise of some money, Gilbert builds a contraption to assist them. In many ways this parodies (or is a tribute to, depending on how you look at it) the characters and plots of many strips in British children's comics like The Beano
and Whizzer and Chips
, which see youngsters with fantastic skills or magic objects that enable them to help others. This also mirrors the prevalence in British comics of wandering eccentric
millionaires, ever ready to dole out cash in return for junk. Several other stock characters in British comics (such as vicar
s, mayor
s and pop stars wearing star-shaped sunglasses) are also parodied.
Gilbert is indeed good at DIY and engineering
and can build highly complicated devices in a matter of minutes. The humour from the strip derives from the ludicrious nature of his inventions, the way they work with implausible efficiency and also the way they frequently go wrong in the most spectacular fashion.
For example, the head of an orphanage
worries the children in her care are not getting a good upbringing because they are starved of parental attention. Gilbert swiftly constructs a device in which the children travel along on a conveyor belt whilst two dummies - with wigs and clothes to make them look like mum and dad - say pleasant and encouraging things to the children through speakers. When the children get off at the end of the conveyor belt they are well-turned out, playing the violin
and carrying schoolbooks. However, Gilbert accidentally hits the switch that puts the device into Dysfunctional Mode. The dummy parents start shouting at the children, telling them they are worthless and even making lewd sexual advances towards them. The children then emerge from the machine horribly messed up, taking heroin and listening to Marilyn Manson
. The orphanage owner clips Gilbert round the ear for screwing up her charges and, naturally, refuses to give him a reward.
In fact it is quite common for Gilbert to inexplicably give his devices a harmful mode, and almost without fail the control lever is accidentally switched.
Gilbert is so happy to assist people he never actually considers whether it is morally right or wrong to help people achieve their aims. For example, he does not hesitate to help a supermodel with bulimia achieve her aim of vomiting
by building a terrifying contraption he cheerfully dubs "The Vomit-O-Matic".
Invariably, all of his devices go wrong, but by accident he does something right at the end of the strip that results in a reward. However, the thing he was after all along usually results in a surreal misunderstanding. He was once excited when he went to spend his reward money on a "forty-inch surround sound
TV" - he believed he would be getting a television, but after handing over his cash Gilbert was given several forty-inch tall Eddie Izzard
s who promptly stood round him making a lot of noise (Eddie Izzard is a transvestite
, which is sometimes abbreviated to TV) "Oh no, it's that kind of forty-inch surround sound TV!" Gilbert sighs.
Ratchett was once so annoyed with frequent misunderstandings like this (specifically the fact that "a bag of nails" turned out to be Jimmy Nail
's scrotum) that in a final frame he once wrote a letter resigning his position as a comic character, although he soon reappeared in Viz.
Religion
is often poked fun at in Gilbert Ratchet (and Viz as a whole), usually Christianity
. In a 2005 Gilbert Ratchet strip, he was on his way to a mosque
, saying the he hoped to make some light-hearted fun at the expense of Muslim
s. At the last minute he changed his mind and instead went to the Christian church
across the road; the rest of the storyline was about him helping a vicar
find Jesus
's collection of pornographic magazines
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
comic
Comics
Comics denotes a hybrid medium having verbal side of its vocabulary tightly tied to its visual side in order to convey narrative or information only, the latter in case of non-fiction comics, seeking synergy by using both visual and verbal side in...
Viz
Viz (comic)
Viz is a popular British comic magazine which has been running since 1979.The comic's style parodies British comics of the post-war period, notably The Beano and The Dandy, but with incongruous language, crude toilet humour, black comedy, surreal humour and either sexual or violent storylines...
. He first appeared in 1990, created by (the then freelance) Davey Jones. In both his appearance and the surreal humour
Surreal humour
Surreal humour is a form of humour based on violations of causal reasoning with events and behaviours that are logically incongruent. Constructions of surreal humour involve bizarre juxtapositions, non-sequiturs, irrational situations, and/or expressions of nonsense.The humour arises from a...
of the strip, Gilbert is similar to Jones's other Viz character Tinribs
Tinribs
Tinribs is a character in the British adult comic Viz.He is an alleged "robot" constructed for schoolboy Tommy Taylor by his "brilliant professor" father. The strip is loosely based on Brassneck who appeared in The Dandy from 1964 to 1968...
, although the character is based more on Screwy Driver, a character that formerly appeared in The Dandy
The Dandy
The Dandy is a long running children's comic published in the United Kingdom by D. C. Thomson & Co. Ltd. The first issue was printed in 1937 and it is the world's third longest running comic, after Detective Comics and Il Giornalino...
.
Gilbert is a young boy who is an expert at swiftly constructing items with which to help people. Quite often he is desperate for money for something (usually a comically small amount), such as some new tools or sweets, and so he strolls around town seeking people in a dilemma of some sort. In return for a promise of some money, Gilbert builds a contraption to assist them. In many ways this parodies (or is a tribute to, depending on how you look at it) the characters and plots of many strips in British children's comics like The Beano
The Beano
The Beano is a British children's comic, published by D.C. Thomson & Co and is arguably their most successful.The comic first appeared on 30 July 1938, and was published weekly. During the Second World War,The Beano and The Dandy were published on alternating weeks because of paper and ink...
and Whizzer and Chips
Whizzer and Chips
Whizzer and Chips was a British comic magazine that ran from 18 October 1969 to 27 October 1990, when it merged with the comic Buster. As with most comics of the time, Whizzer and Chips was dated one week ahead....
, which see youngsters with fantastic skills or magic objects that enable them to help others. This also mirrors the prevalence in British comics of wandering eccentric
Eccentricity (behavior)
In popular usage, eccentricity refers to unusual or odd behavior on the part of an individual. This behavior would typically be perceived as unusual or unnecessary, without being demonstrably maladaptive...
millionaires, ever ready to dole out cash in return for junk. Several other stock characters in British comics (such as vicar
Vicar
In the broadest sense, a vicar is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior . In this sense, the title is comparable to lieutenant...
s, mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
s and pop stars wearing star-shaped sunglasses) are also parodied.
Gilbert is indeed good at DIY and engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
and can build highly complicated devices in a matter of minutes. The humour from the strip derives from the ludicrious nature of his inventions, the way they work with implausible efficiency and also the way they frequently go wrong in the most spectacular fashion.
For example, the head of an orphanage
Orphanage
An orphanage is a residential institution devoted to the care of orphans – children whose parents are deceased or otherwise unable or unwilling to care for them...
worries the children in her care are not getting a good upbringing because they are starved of parental attention. Gilbert swiftly constructs a device in which the children travel along on a conveyor belt whilst two dummies - with wigs and clothes to make them look like mum and dad - say pleasant and encouraging things to the children through speakers. When the children get off at the end of the conveyor belt they are well-turned out, playing the violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
and carrying schoolbooks. However, Gilbert accidentally hits the switch that puts the device into Dysfunctional Mode. The dummy parents start shouting at the children, telling them they are worthless and even making lewd sexual advances towards them. The children then emerge from the machine horribly messed up, taking heroin and listening to Marilyn Manson
Marilyn Manson (band)
Marilyn Manson is an American metal band from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Formed in 1989 by Brian Warner and Scott Putesky, the group was originally named Marilyn Manson & the Spooky Kids with their uniquely theatrical performances gathering a local cult following in the early '90s. This attention...
. The orphanage owner clips Gilbert round the ear for screwing up her charges and, naturally, refuses to give him a reward.
In fact it is quite common for Gilbert to inexplicably give his devices a harmful mode, and almost without fail the control lever is accidentally switched.
Gilbert is so happy to assist people he never actually considers whether it is morally right or wrong to help people achieve their aims. For example, he does not hesitate to help a supermodel with bulimia achieve her aim of vomiting
Vomiting
Vomiting is the forceful expulsion of the contents of one's stomach through the mouth and sometimes the nose...
by building a terrifying contraption he cheerfully dubs "The Vomit-O-Matic".
Invariably, all of his devices go wrong, but by accident he does something right at the end of the strip that results in a reward. However, the thing he was after all along usually results in a surreal misunderstanding. He was once excited when he went to spend his reward money on a "forty-inch surround sound
Surround sound
Surround sound encompasses a range of techniques such as for enriching the sound reproduction quality of an audio source with audio channels reproduced via additional, discrete speakers. Surround sound is characterized by a listener location or sweet spot where the audio effects work best, and...
TV" - he believed he would be getting a television, but after handing over his cash Gilbert was given several forty-inch tall Eddie Izzard
Eddie Izzard
Edward John "Eddie" Izzard is a British stand-up comedian and actor. His comedy style takes the form of rambling, whimsical monologue and self-referential pantomime...
s who promptly stood round him making a lot of noise (Eddie Izzard is a transvestite
Transvestism
Transvestism is the practice of cross-dressing, which is wearing clothing traditionally associated with the opposite sex. Transvestite refers to a person who cross-dresses; however, the word often has additional connotations. -History:Although the word transvestism was coined as late as the 1910s,...
, which is sometimes abbreviated to TV) "Oh no, it's that kind of forty-inch surround sound TV!" Gilbert sighs.
Ratchett was once so annoyed with frequent misunderstandings like this (specifically the fact that "a bag of nails" turned out to be Jimmy Nail
Jimmy Nail
James Bradford "Jimmy" Nail is an English singer-songwriter, actor, musician, film producer, film score composer and television writer....
's scrotum) that in a final frame he once wrote a letter resigning his position as a comic character, although he soon reappeared in Viz.
Religion
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
is often poked fun at in Gilbert Ratchet (and Viz as a whole), usually Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
. In a 2005 Gilbert Ratchet strip, he was on his way to a mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
, saying the he hoped to make some light-hearted fun at the expense of Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
s. At the last minute he changed his mind and instead went to the Christian church
Christian Church
The Christian Church is the assembly or association of followers of Jesus Christ. The Greek term ἐκκλησία that in its appearances in the New Testament is usually translated as "church" basically means "assembly"...
across the road; the rest of the storyline was about him helping a vicar
Vicar
In the broadest sense, a vicar is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior . In this sense, the title is comparable to lieutenant...
find Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
's collection of pornographic magazines
Pornography
Pornography or porn is the explicit portrayal of sexual subject matter for the purposes of sexual arousal and erotic satisfaction.Pornography may use any of a variety of media, ranging from books, magazines, postcards, photos, sculpture, drawing, painting, animation, sound recording, film, video,...
.