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Weak Messages Create Bad Situations: A Manifesto
A personal message from the of individuals in society today are feeble-minded. They don't know what the HELL is going on. Unfortunately many of these people are responsible for running THE COUNTRY. They don't know the difference between a PRECIOUS JEWEL and a piece of animal turd. Their ideas are MEANINGLESS, illustrated using RUBBISH imagery (often made by a computer). The stupid words they write are always in BAD FONTS.Yet still people HEED this nonsense. Maybe YOU are one of these people?It's alright. I am here to HELP you. I have a FULLY-COMPOSED WORLD VIEW. I have STRONG opinions about EVERYTHING. And my ideas are HAND-ILLUSTRATED and use REAL HANDWRITING that you can trust. I know exactly what's going on and am WILLING to share my thoughts with you. If you LISTEN to what I say then things will quickly improve. No more weak messages. No more bad situations. Shall we proceed?
- GenresArtNonfictionHumorComics
376 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 23, 2014
10 people are currently reading
510 people want to read
About the author
David Shrigley
73 books125 followersDavid Shrigley is a Glasgow-based artist. He attended City of Leicester Polytechnic's Art and Design course in 1987-1988, and subsequently studied Environmental Art at the Glasgow School of Art from 1988-1991. Shrigley is a lifelong supporter of Nottingham Forest FC.
Although he works in various media, he is best known for his mordantly humorous cartoons released in softcover books or postcard packs.
Like the poet Ivor Cutler, Shrigley finds humour in flat depictions of the inconsequential, the unavailing and the bizarre - although he is far fonder of violent or otherwise disquieting subject matter. Shrigley's work has two of the characteristics often encountered in outsider art - an odd viewpoint, and (in some of his work) a deliberately limited technique. His freehand line is often weak, which jars with his frequent use of a ruler; his forms are often very crude; and annotations in his drawings are poorly executed and frequently contain crossings-out (In authentic outsider art, the artist has no choice but to produce work in his or her own way, even if that work is unconventional in content and inept in execution. In contrast, it is likely that Shrigley has chosen his style and range of subject matter for comic effect).
As well as authoring several books, he directed the video for Blur's 'Good Song' and also for Bonnie 'Prince' Billy's 'Agnes Queen of Sorrow'. From 2005 he has contributed a cartoon for The Guardian's Weekend magazine every Saturday. He is represented in Paris by the by Yvon Lambert Gallery, and in 2005 designed a London Underground leaflet cover.
David Shrigley co-directed an animate!-commissioned film with award-winning director Chris Shepherd called Who I Am And What I Want, based on Shrigley's book of the same title. Kevin Eldon voiced its main character, Pete. He also produced a series of drawings and t-shirt designs for the 2006 Triptych festival, a Scottish music festival lasting for three to four days in three cities. He has also designed twelve different covers for Deerhoof's 2007 record, Friend Opportunity.
The name of Jason Mraz's third studio album We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. is a reference to a piece of art by Shrigley which caught Mraz's attention while he was travelling through Scotland
Although he works in various media, he is best known for his mordantly humorous cartoons released in softcover books or postcard packs.
Like the poet Ivor Cutler, Shrigley finds humour in flat depictions of the inconsequential, the unavailing and the bizarre - although he is far fonder of violent or otherwise disquieting subject matter. Shrigley's work has two of the characteristics often encountered in outsider art - an odd viewpoint, and (in some of his work) a deliberately limited technique. His freehand line is often weak, which jars with his frequent use of a ruler; his forms are often very crude; and annotations in his drawings are poorly executed and frequently contain crossings-out (In authentic outsider art, the artist has no choice but to produce work in his or her own way, even if that work is unconventional in content and inept in execution. In contrast, it is likely that Shrigley has chosen his style and range of subject matter for comic effect).
As well as authoring several books, he directed the video for Blur's 'Good Song' and also for Bonnie 'Prince' Billy's 'Agnes Queen of Sorrow'. From 2005 he has contributed a cartoon for The Guardian's Weekend magazine every Saturday. He is represented in Paris by the by Yvon Lambert Gallery, and in 2005 designed a London Underground leaflet cover.
David Shrigley co-directed an animate!-commissioned film with award-winning director Chris Shepherd called Who I Am And What I Want, based on Shrigley's book of the same title. Kevin Eldon voiced its main character, Pete. He also produced a series of drawings and t-shirt designs for the 2006 Triptych festival, a Scottish music festival lasting for three to four days in three cities. He has also designed twelve different covers for Deerhoof's 2007 record, Friend Opportunity.
The name of Jason Mraz's third studio album We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. is a reference to a piece of art by Shrigley which caught Mraz's attention while he was travelling through Scotland
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
May 7, 2023
I discovered the title of this book on the arm of a singer and i have to say i don't regret buying it at all. It's funny and thought provoking.
September 16, 2022
I liked it for its graphical content fuelled with Shrigley's manifesto.
2nd read:
I am already in bed when I see it on my shelf and decide to read it before dozing off. It is a combination of ambiguity, complexity, confusion, insult, ignorance, and contradiction. A perfect book for a bedtime book. It is so hilarious and you can finish it in one reading.
2nd read:
I am already in bed when I see it on my shelf and decide to read it before dozing off. It is a combination of ambiguity, complexity, confusion, insult, ignorance, and contradiction. A perfect book for a bedtime book. It is so hilarious and you can finish it in one reading.
June 28, 2016
More beautiful/ugly truth/lies from one of our greatest living artists/imbeciles.
August 20, 2022
Very important message
July 17, 2021
Pure poetry! Hilarious, stupid, meaningless and eloquent. An absolute masterpiece in demonstrating the power and uselessness of imagery and of our world.
‘Honking is my greatest pleasure’
‘Don’t look at this. Don’t throw stones at it’
‘Drink more rain’
‘Enjoy sensual pleasure’
‘Make sure that you get your slice of cucumber’
‘I want to get catapulted’
‘I could not live without instant soup’
‘Kill your demons/ kiss my trotter’
‘One gallon every day (chocolate milk)’
‘Stand on my head/ run away from the nothingness’
‘God needs your boat to use as an ashtray. Mr rat, please stay in your hole today: it is my wedding day’
‘Everywhere: meaningless statements’
‘You will be happier without your brain’
‘It is inevitable that some of the arrows will hit you’
‘Image does not illustrate the text text does not describe the image/ please untie me so I can make more artwork’
‘I fell off my bike because you looked at me’
‘I take no pleasure in bursting your bubbles’
‘One moment you are happy then the next moment you are gravely injured’
‘Egg’
‘Now that you have torn out my heart you must wash your hands’
‘The mind/the mind is quite important’
‘I know that I am very ugly and I hope I don’t offend you but I feel compelled to tell you that you are the most beautiful creature that I have ever seen’
‘It may be freezing outside but inside my head it is incredibly hot’
‘Behind every peak another peak impossible to reach the top especially if you’re depressed’
‘Spaghetti is a drug’
‘After you have turned to dust I will sweep up the dust’
‘Honking is my greatest pleasure’
‘Don’t look at this. Don’t throw stones at it’
‘Drink more rain’
‘Enjoy sensual pleasure’
‘Make sure that you get your slice of cucumber’
‘I want to get catapulted’
‘I could not live without instant soup’
‘Kill your demons/ kiss my trotter’
‘One gallon every day (chocolate milk)’
‘Stand on my head/ run away from the nothingness’
‘God needs your boat to use as an ashtray. Mr rat, please stay in your hole today: it is my wedding day’
‘Everywhere: meaningless statements’
‘You will be happier without your brain’
‘It is inevitable that some of the arrows will hit you’
‘Image does not illustrate the text text does not describe the image/ please untie me so I can make more artwork’
‘I fell off my bike because you looked at me’
‘I take no pleasure in bursting your bubbles’
‘One moment you are happy then the next moment you are gravely injured’
‘Egg’
‘Now that you have torn out my heart you must wash your hands’
‘The mind/the mind is quite important’
‘I know that I am very ugly and I hope I don’t offend you but I feel compelled to tell you that you are the most beautiful creature that I have ever seen’
‘It may be freezing outside but inside my head it is incredibly hot’
‘Behind every peak another peak impossible to reach the top especially if you’re depressed’
‘Spaghetti is a drug’
‘After you have turned to dust I will sweep up the dust’
February 2, 2017
Quick read as the format permitted. I found the majority of the illustrations and words quite humorous, many in a dark way as I'm sure the artist intended. Will definitely be sharing a number of the pages with friends and family!
July 30, 2022
la verdad me gusto mucho,lo leí más que todo por Matty de the 1975 porque me gusta su tatu ,so la da :)
May 16, 2018
More silly and profound drawings from one of my favourite artists.
July 5, 2019
Deceptively simple and very funny.
October 20, 2019
I love Shrigley and his art and his worldview but I'm not sure that it translate into a satisfying book experience.
May 13, 2020
Wingdings for the
Jocular
Teenage malcontent
Jocular
Teenage malcontent
June 15, 2020
🤣 Great for anyone who barely survived the wounds from art school, etc.
October 25, 2020
Work of genius.
November 8, 2020
I really enjoy Shrigley's illustrations. They seem random and absurd then somehow on point. There's nothing extra in comparison to his instagram page, however always support your favourite artists.
December 13, 2021
well that was a trip
January 31, 2023
STRONG OPINIONS BORDERING ON TRUTH
February 18, 2023
Utterly ridiculous and outrageously truthful.
Read
January 20, 2024What a ride! Shrigley’s mind is a crazy place to be in. What’s crazier is that it’s all in your mind too.
July 27, 2024
Ironic
November 21, 2024
I open this up every single day and flip to a random page. Just purely insane and amazing.
December 25, 2024
I wasn’t planning on reading Weak Messages Create Bad Situations, but yet here we are.
I adore David Shrigley’s art, so this is a rare five-star book for me. Highly recommend it.
I adore David Shrigley’s art, so this is a rare five-star book for me. Highly recommend it.
June 5, 2025
This book could have been a meme
Actually its a bunch of memes packaged as a book
Is that cool? Idk 🤷
Actually its a bunch of memes packaged as a book
Is that cool? Idk 🤷
June 23, 2025
Gelezen door Matty Healy haha maar crazy en grappig plaatjes boek waardoor je ook gaat nadenken over bepaalde dingen en situaties.
July 13, 2025
”Inside me there is another me and inside that me there is another me and inside that me there is another me and inside that me there is another me.”
March 7, 2021
I like the illustrations and the messages behind each poem. The simplicity, stupidity and complexity of humanity is expressed brilliantly.
March 24, 2020
I was surprised but not disappointed. I though this would be more direct in him explaining/exploring the title, but no. It's much more deep than that. Has a lot of illustrations with strong messages and strong meanings. Makes you think.
July 16, 2017
My kind of book, more images, less words, lots of common sense!
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews