Extinct Boids

Ralph Steadman was born in 1936. He began his career as a cartoonist, and through the years has diversified into many creative fields. Ralph collaborated with Dr Hunter S. Thompson in the birth of 'gonzo' journalism, with Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas; he has illustrated classics such as Alice in Wonderland, Treasure Island and Animal Farm, and written and illustrated his own books, which include Sigmund Freud, I Leonardo and The Big I Am. Steadman is also a printmaker, and has travelled the world's vineyards, culminating in his books The Grapes of Ralph, Untrodden Grapes and Still Life with Bottle.Ceri Levy is a film-maker, who started out making music videos before moving into the world of documentaries. His works include Bananaz, a film about the inner machinations of the group Gorillaz, and the forthcoming The Bird Effect; he is also co-curator of Ghosts of Gone Birds, and therefore a crucial cog in the boids' creation myth.

Cartoonist and national treasure Ralph Steadman's unique take on a variety of extinct birds.When Ceri Levy asked Ralph Steadman to produce one piece of art representing an extinct bird for a recent exhibition, Ghosts of Gone Birds, Ralph said 'yes'. Then 'yes' again...and again...and again. An astonishing 100 paintings later, Extinct Boids was born.Ralph got carried away by the birds, taking Ceri with him. This book details the discoveries they made on their travels through the savage seas of extinction. After stumbling on the previously hidden Toadstool Island, where the extinct birds of the world live on in secretive harmony, the duo spent nearly a year in close proximity to a host of fantastical avian creatures.Ralph documents them all in this series of remarkable paintings, featuring unique interpretations of well-known birds such as the Great Auk, Passenger Pigeon and Dodo, along with less familiar members of the feathersome firmament - Snail-eating Coua, for example, or the Red-moustached Fruit Dove - and a variety of bizarre beasts including the Gob Swallow, the Long-legged Shortwing and the Needless Smut. All are captured in a riot of expression and colour, with a slice of trademark Steadman humour.Based on emails, diary entries and phone conversations, Ceri's accompanying text provides a running commentary, detailing the unfolding madness behind the creation of each piece in Ralph's extraordinary work. Things got tough as the pair discovered just how many amazing birds have been lost from our world forever.'But,' as Ralph said 'it did, after all, make a nice change from drawing politicians.'

Accompanying text by Ceri Levy charts the course of the creation of the boids and their weird world

His Nibship in the MidshipHMS SteadmanitaniaGhosts of Gone BirdsSo I said, then he said, then.Japanese EgretGreat AukNorth Island Giant MoaChoiseul Crested PigeonBlack MamoGuadalupe CaracaraMauritius OwlRodrigues SolitaireOahu 'O'oJamaican Red MacawLiverpool PigeonPurple GallinuleSouth Telly ChatChatham RailNorth Island TakahePallas's CormorantDodoBlue SlutRodrigues Blue-black ThrostleLesser-blotted BitwingMauritius Night HeronMechanical Botanical SpuntImperial WoodpeckerMartinique Amazon ParrotKing Island ShtumOrange-beaked MwitHuiaRed-footed BoobyBonin Wood PigeonSt Helena Giant HoopoeRed-moustached Fruit DoveSnail-eating CouaUla-'ai-HawaneGreater AmakihiBiship's 'O'oHonduras Banana 'O'oHow a Bird is BornPale Blue PiddleCarolina ParakeetNorth Island PiopioSouth Island PiopioRed RailMoor PenNeedless SmutRéunion Sacred IbisQuinkSpundwick's FretCuban MacawLabrador DuckMauritius Blue PigeonDusky Seaside SparrowLord Howe SwamphenBar-winged RailNorfolk Island KakaEx-Stink BoidBlue LidwinkBlackened ThrontGould's EmeraldAldabra Brush WarblerStephens Island WrenGrand Cayman ThrushRobust White-eyeSplindwilfOrange-beaked One-wing JurassicAtitlán GrebeLaughing OwlDouble-banded ArgusLanai HookbillHumpbacked Blue MultYork Island FrightChatham Island BellbirdDieffenbach's RailLord Howe GerygoneRobust White-eyeGuam FlycatcherAldabra Brush WarblerBlue-winded GaspNew Zealand QuailWizened TwitWhite-winged SandpiperAuckland Island MerganserNasty TernGob SwallowOnce BitternLousy GrudgianMauritian ShelduckNew Zealand Little BitternColombian GrebeMascarene ParrotChannel-beaked Murdoch CuckooBroad-billed ParrotSpotted Wingless StrutMottled SplatwinkAngered Maggot SleetCrested HoneycreeperPueo'ApapaneMaui CreeperOmaoCommon 'AmakihiPalilaHawaiian I'iwiHawaiian Ariapola'auLanai Oloma'oGreater Koa FinchKona GrosbeakLanai HookbillKioeaLaysan RailHawaiian RailBishop's 'O'oHawaiian CrowCanary Islands OystercatcherThe White-winged GonnerTanna Ground-doveSpittle's YerkNorthern Bald IbisLesser Peruvian Blue-beaked BlotswerveWhite-winged Feathered DinosaurTristan MoorhenHawaii MamoThe man who hated birdshitTahiti RailRéunion GallinuleWhite GallinuleGuadalupe PonceOceanic Eclectus ParrotKakawahieLesser-blotted KamaoGuadeloupe Amazon ParrotOahu Nukupu'uLesser 'AkialoaPurple SwamphenWhite GallinuleTahiti SandpiperYooo-eeee BluebreastDickie BirdNested Lemon TweetJail BirdYuleiptopede Nativitaurus Willychick TweetLong-legged ShortwingPassenger PigeonOrange ThronkPink Twisted ThrispBranch Fling SchwingPink Rotten ScrawlRandom Blotted SlumleySplattered ShagDesert BluebeakPink-headed DuckGiant Elephant BirdGreen TwotYellow TwetPink Twit'Smy EggAcknowledgements