A Terry Jones Tribute

On January 21st 2020 Terry Graham Parry-Jones, one of the members of the British comedy group 'Monty Python' (as well as one of the two Terrys of the group) passed away after a battle with dementia. I've talked about my artistic influences before, but when it comes to my writing and storytelling influences; Terry Jones was one of them. Everyone has a member of a team that they like the best, someone who we can point to as the glue that holds the team's efforts together. Many regard Monty Python as one of the biggest staples in British comedy, not just that but people's senses of humour as well. Many of us have quoted a line from one of their sketches or movies at some point in our lives, that we owe that to Jones. It was Jones that brought a sense of wit and cleverness to what are seemingly farcical and absurdist routines, there was more to it than cross-dressing or putting on a silly voice. Whether he was playing the straight man of the looney character, Jones could pull off such a great performance that convinced us, even we leant to tell it was him. But its not one man that makes a project work, sometimes it can work as a collaborate effort. The Pythons could work off each other with their ideas to form a joke. If the other pythons were the vital organs, then Jones was the brain.

But Jones also branched out his writing prowess to all age groups, what do I mean by this? Not only was he the foundation of Monty Python, but he also wrote fantasy stories for children. With the help of Michael Foreman's illustrations, these children's books paid homage to the fairy tales and myths that were passed down through generations while also adding his own spin on them to make them feel brand new. These are stories that deserve more recognition, because looking back on them, they were really innovative. They probably ushered in a renaissance in children's literature. I don't know how many are aware how significant he was with the fantasy genre at the time. You can tell both Foreman and Jones worked in tandem, as Foreman would bring Jones' wild ideas to life. While Foreman's lush pictures drew me into these stories as a child, its the writing that would be one of the building blocks of my storytelling sensibilities. And it was only when I got older that I realised this. When I was younger, my main priority was to be a visual storyteller, but it was Jones that showed me that I can implement my sense of humour into my writing. I saw him as guidance for how I can add sprinklings of comic relief when its appropriate. Even with the Monty Python movies, he was able to capture the weight and feel of their respective genres and playfully made jokes about how funny the source material would be. Something spoof movies nowadays need to take note of. He showed me that comedy can be just as important as any other factor.

It saddens me that such genius has deteriorated, as someone who had a family member who went through a similar hardship, its hard to swallow. It's also sad when the laughter dies, and we lose another comic pioneer. It's Jones that showed us that in times of sorrow, all we need is a good laugh to cheer us up. He and the crew told us to always look on the bright side of life, they showed that humour can really be a defence mechanism. He never would have wanted us to be sad that he was gone, but to be glad what he made existed. He and his characters provoked many feelings of wonder, shock, intrigue and joy, he knew how to make fun of legends, but he made legends fun. I know he and Graham will be spending this Christmas in Heaven. Terry Jones not only left an impact on British humour but many of us as well. He knew when to face the curtain with a bow, gave the audience a grin. He saw it was all a show and kept us laughing as he would go. And for that we thank you for it, Terry, we really do.

RIP 

Terry Jones

1942-2020