The Evangelist is an ancient oceanic entity and embodiment of everything great in life, the counterpart to the Boogieman. During Phase 3, a contest was held on the Gorillaz website (Gorillaz.com) to decide a design for the mysterious Evangelist. Although a winning design for the Evangelist was picked she ended up not having a big role in the story (most likely due to the budget issues).
While initially addressed as female, the Evangelist was also later described as being genderfluid, likely as a pun on its oceanic origins.
Appearance
She has scaled, orange skin, with a fishbowl head. She wears white shoes and white socks, with water spritzing out, as well as a white shirt and blue jeans. She has two of the One-Eyed Octopuses on her arms, and several superfast jellyfishes in the fishbowl she has for a head. Inside the fishbowl, she also has four eyes, as well as teeth. In her original design (as seen in the Sweepstakes picture) she looks exactly like the Boogieman, the difference being that she has teal gloves and white eyes.
Background
Murdoc first read about the Evangelist on The Book Of M.A.N., an old and dirty manual with a stone-carved cover which he found washed up on the shore of Plastic Beach when he first arrived there. The book described her as an oceanic creature and ancient being, protector of human history, "sent over by a higher force that neither you nor me could possibly comprehend". Murdoc became aware of the Evangelist's power and how it could be used against the Boogieman and The Black Clouds, an underground network of mercenary pirates, who were after him following a series of deceptions and rogue deals.
| “ | 'The Evangelist' is the opposite of 'The Boogieman'; the light to his awful shade. 'The Boogieman' has appeared in several images from the Gorillaz world, and is now featured in several videos. 'The Boogieman' is believed to be a dark and hideous figure, composed of all the evil in the world, all wrapped up inside his black swirling cloak. He has a gas mask for a face. He may have reappeared throughout history, an ominous figure accompanying the re-emergence of Murdoc through all of time. 'The Boogieman' ate the soul of the Policeman in the 'Stylo' video, appears to gas 2-D to bring him to the Plastic Beach island in a Gorillaz ident and most recently was seen dragging the Manatee down in the 'On Melancholy Hill' video. Who or what The Boogieman is largely still unknown but it looks like he's here to collect on Murdoc's long outstanding debts, perhaps to drag him down for good. 'The Evangelist' is a similar entity, but the flip side of 'The Boogieman'. He/she may even be revealed as 'The Boogieman's' avenger. His/her outer appearance is yet to be defined. Many rumours fly around of their description. Some say that they are dressed head to toe in white rhinestoned leather. Some say they ride a glowing white Unicorn. Some say the Unicorn likes other Unicorns… One report has stated that the Evangelist looks like 'a knackered cowboy on a drunken horse'". Maybe all or none of this is true. Who knows? Their true appearance will be decided in this competition. All ideas, styles and imagery will be considered. Who is 'The Evangelist'? Is this some new and godly shining angel spirit? Or just someone freshly ejected from a late-night 'disco bar'? Have they come to save Murdoc from himself, or is the last remnants of the few and paltry 'good parts' of Murdoc's damaged psyche, now made flesh? It's up to you, the competition entrant, to design this character; the look, feel, and the attributes of the mysterious 'Evangelist' character. So get drawing kids, the world awaits your vision! |
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| ~ Extract from Gorillaz.com |
The Evangelist drawing competition was won by a Gorillaz.com member named 'Jirouta'. Jirouta received a Gorillaz gift pack, as well as a signed copy of Jamie Hewlett's version of the contributor's design.
The winning Evangelist was an illustration of a woman. She has a fishbowl for a head, with orange, nearly transparent skin. She carries a water pistol, and is wearing shorts, rain boots, and a T-shirt sporting the letter 'E'. She is also pictured to have squids hanging off her arms as if she has just emerged from the sea, a fitting design to the ambience of Plastic Beach.
The Evangelist arrived on Plastic Beach in April 2011, after the band had just returned from the Escape To Plastic Beach World Tour. She was dressed as a postman and delivered a package Murdoc had ordered a few months prior containing the necessary equipment for him to host his fifth and final transmission from the Pirate Radio series in order to attract the Black Clouds to the island so that they could be taken down once and for all. The broadcast alerted the Black Clouds, leading to a second attack on the island, this time on a much larger scale than the previous attack (shown during the Rhinestone Eyes storyboard film).
This attack ended up destroying the island, taking with it the Black Clouds who were sucked into a giant swirl towards the bottom of the ocean. While the island was collapsing, however, the Evangelist stumbled across the Boogieman after he took the soul of the Impostor Murdoc and "started kicking the living shit out of him" before grabbing The Book of M.A.N. and taking it with her as she left the island as well.
The Evangelist made no other public appearances after this occasion. Later on however, during a Reddit Q&A session in 2017, Murdoc stated that both she and the Boogieman were in Shepton Mallet, without further elaboration.
Trivia
- On the Gorillaz Plastic Beach Interactive game, when you go to the overview of the island, the first time you go over the spot, the Evangelist can be seen in her original costume. She is gone by the next time you go over there.