As soon as the ‘Clint Eastwood’ video came out in 2001, I was impressed by the Gorillaz– in my mind, they really are the pioneers of the visual integration of digital arts into the musical landscape. The Gorillaz are, to me, one of the more enigmatic musical groups out there. Until I took a look at their new biography ‘Rise of the Ogre‘ — and was exposed to the human personalities behind 2D, Murdoc Niccals, Noodle, and Russel Hobbs — I thought of the group as a mere bunch of cartoon characters, frequently backed-up by the likes of Del Tha Funkee Homosapien. Now that I have an understanding of the ‘guts’ behind the animation, I have a deeper and more appreciative regard for the Gorillaz. If you have a Gorillaz fan on your holiday gift list, pick them up a copy of this book online.