Seen This Sticker? Here’s Why

If you watched British comedy television in the mid-2000s (“The Mighty Boosh,” specifically), you’ll probably never forget your first time seeing Old Gregg.

The Mighty Boosh was an eccentric and surreal show that mixed absurdity, striking imagery, and musical lunacy. Old Gregg No character encapsulated its peculiar charm more than Old Gregg.

Who Is Old Gregg?

In Season 2, Episode 5 of The Mighty Boosh (2005), “The Legend of Old Gregg,” Old Gregg (Noel Fielding). He’s a loch-dwelling beast with bright eyes, matted hair and a curious affinity for love and Baileys liqueur.

He meets Howard Moon (Julian Barratt) while fishing one night. The meeting goes from whimsical to creepy in a matter of seconds. Old Gregg professes his love, reveals his “mangina,” and sings the synth-heavy ballad “Love Games.”

A Cult Icon Is Born

Old Gregg became a cult icon. His catchphrases — “I’m Old Gregg! and “Could you learn to love me? —swiftly disseminated by college dorms, early YouTube clips and on-line forums.

Fans made remixes and mashups. Images of him were posted on MySpace pages and the early memes. In bumper stickers and street art, even as late as now, his face endures.

Why It Still Resonates

Rickman brings levity, discomfort and absurdity in equal amounts from a hammer-wielding artist in Old Gregg. He’s surreal yet strangely sympathetic. And that tension is what defines The Mighty Boosh.

For fans, Old Gregg represents those comedy shows that leaned into the weird without any justification. It was raw, inventive and unpredictable.

The Mighty Boosh: Tiny Tasters of the First Set of Tasty Morsels

The Mighty Boosh, cowritten by Julian Barratt and Noel Fielding, ran from 2004 to 2007. It followed the adventures of Vince Noir and Howard Moon through surreal exploits involving musical numbers, outlandish costumes and bizarre visuals.

Although it was not a smash, it found its audience and led to the popularity of surrealist internet humor. It gave Fielding his break, and influenced a quirky corner of comedy.

Still Playing Love Games

More than 20 years later, Old Gregg still periodically materializes in memes, quotes and stickers. And his quirky charm endures in the hearts of devotees to odd, idiosyncratic storytelling.

The next time you’re confronted with that weirdo blue face — those glowing eyes, that wild hair — you’ll know you’ve stumbled across a piece of cult comedy you can live with for a good, long while.