London: M. & J. Hobbs/Michael Joseph, 1976

8vo, pp. 144. Original black boards, lettered in gilt to spine. Yellow illustrated endpapers. Illustrated dustwrapper. A fine copy in a near fine dustwrapper, the spine a little faded and with a single 3mm scuff to its centre.

First edition. PETER SELLERS' COPY, LENGTHILY INSCRIBED TO HIM BY CO-AUTHOR JACK HOBBS: 'To Peter, with much affection from the co-writer, co-publisher and (sometimes) co-interrupter which he didn't mean to be and this copy is the first off the press -- and long may you sail in her! Jack Hobbs April 1976 (see page 6) [inscription continues on p.6] and I was only marginally over the limit -- and I'd had a hard day -- and let's face it -- who hasn't! AND!!! "Can we have dinner before you go to Munich???" [doodled self-portrait with speech bubble] PHONE Walton-on-Thames either 21267 or 21126 J.' (Sellers was due to fly to Bavaria to film the castle sequences for The Pink Panther Strikes Again.)

Milligan and Sellers had appeared together in The Great McGonagall [1974], with Milligan in the title role and Sellers as Queen Victoria. Milligan and Hobbs co-authored The Great McGonagall Scrapbookwhich was published the following year. This title followed in 1976, with two further McGonagall-related titles appearing in 1988 and 1992.

Illustrating duties on this volume are shared roughly equally between Sellers and Milligan, with Sellers the distinctively heavier hand (though no less funny), helpfully accompanied by a (printed) signature.

A lovely association, and a lovely copy too.