Thursday, January 4, 2007

Bearhuggers Fine Wine


While I was putting the finishing touches on the previous label Ralph was sitting on the couch composing ideas for the label. We sourced the image of the bear on the internet, cut it out of its background and superimposed it over another image of the mountain on the back, snowfield deleted.

What I didn’t realize was the significance of the name. Ralph kinda’ snuck it by me. The name Bearhugger was borrowed from one of our favourite authors, Terry Pratchett. This had been the name of the drink of choice for, again, one of my favourite characters from the Discworld novels.

I should pay more attention.

Here's what it says:

THOSE INFAMOUS AND INFECTIOUS CAMPBELL BROTHERS, A COLLECTION OF BAD HABITS MARINATED IN ALCOHOL PRESENT...

BEARHUGGERS FINE WINE

After their last episode, the brothers have been sentenced by the Intergalactic Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Semi Intelligent Life Forms and sent back in time to help mankind progress. They arrive back as Alf and Clong, two stoned men aged.
And how do they help?
What gift do they bestow on Mankind?
Before fire, before the wheel, before even time itself, they invent hooch.
Starting from scratch (not saying what they were scratching) they gather nuts, berries, twigs and the odd rock and ferment their new concoction, the world's first oral anasthetic.
With a skin of their new brew (half consumed) they wander looking for a suitable place to get paralized in. Not paying attention they bump into the amerous claws of Ursidae Carnivora Maximus (BFB) in heat.
Much screaming, grunting and guzzling follows. After affectionate bear hugs are exchanged all agree that it is indeed a great vintage.

2 comments:

Sid Plested said...

I agree, you should pay more attention!!! Looking at the list of posts and spotting Bearhuggers, my first thought was that it would be an affectionate homage to Samuel Vime's favourite poison. Was Ralph surprised that he got that one past you?

Cloin said...

Yes, he was.