Thousands log on for Blyth man's tales

Posted by The Journal on Nov 29, 08 11:43 AM in News

A Northumberland author has become an internet sensation after his YouTube video notched up more than 4,685 viewers in only five months.

Gary Hogg, from Blyth, has whipped up an internet frenzy with his renditions of comedy monologues with a North East twist.

One of Gary Hogg's cartoons

In a video that is attracting thousands of hits on the video-sharing website, the 55-year-old is seen reading prose in a strong Newcastle dialect while his illustrations appear on screen.

The performance, which was posted online in June, is peppered with Mr Hogg's illustrations and hits have rocketed into the thousands.

Last night Mr Hogg said: "It was actually based on a true story because my dad was hard of hearing. When the gas man came round to turn-off the gas, my dad thought he said he was there to cut the grass.

"All my monologues are based on true stories that have been exaggerated. They are stories that come from my childhood."

In another more recently recorded video, Mr Hogg is seen reading a comedy monologue based on the well-known children's story the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, by C. S. Lewis. Entitled the Lion, the Witch and the Warburtons, the video entry has already accumulated more than 950 viewers.

Mr Hogg said: "It's a spoof of the children's book. It's about a family who realise there's 6ft missing from their living room and they look through the wall and there's a witch living there. I think what makes them so entertaining is the Geordie dialect."

The videos have triggered a flood of comments from online viewers. One, posted by someone calling themselves stanleybrown90, wrote: "Hey I'm dead chuffin' chuffed, near laughed 'til I bust."

Mr Hogg, who previously worked as a motor mechanic, has already penned a book about the regional dialect.

The history of the North East tones are catalogued in the book, called the Fairly Truthful Guide To Geordie, which covers everything from words and sayings to jokes and recipes.

Mr Hogg said: "It's a fun and light-hearted look at everything Geordie. I say it's a 'fairly truthful' guide, because I discovered differing opinions about the history and dialect, so I don't think there'll ever be a totally truthful guide."

The book includes a glossary of modern Newcastle terms, including 'geet manka', (a big, horrible thing); 'cooncil telly', (terrestrial television); and 'charva cava', (cheap sparkling wine).

For more information about Gary Hogg's work, visit www.garyhogg.co.uk.

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