Brush with glory - new book puts you at the art of roller derby
An inspirational new book celebrating the world of roller derby has been published – shining a light on the amazing artwork which has helped to immortalise its skaters and leagues.
From the birth of modern-day roller derby in Texas in the early years of the third millennium right through to the modern day, Bout Book is packed full of glorious artwork from all over the globe.
From movie-inspired posters to surreal art, it's a highly-collectible, cult classic in the making - and it's supporting two terrific causes.
Bout Book has been created by roller derby skaters and fans to celebrate the sport and raise funds for the charities Regain Sports and Womankind.
The book traces the transition of the sport – from 2002 to the present day – and features more than 150 leagues, with posters from Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Colombia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK and the USA.
It includes posters promoting tournaments hosted by Glasgow Roller Derby and Granite City Roller Girls.
One of the unique character traits of derby wherever it's played in the world is the strong sense of community which surrounds it.
That is beautifully illustrated in Bout Book – which shows the ingenuity, expansion and global progression of revival roller derby through its bout artwork.
Co-author Marie Danielle, a former Steam Roller with London Roller Girls, said: “The popularity of roller derby continues to roll on – with record numbers of people playing across the world – so this is a great time to celebrate its highs and history.
“We show the expansion of roller derby through its bout artwork and feature over 150 leagues’ artwork, across 20 countries, including the very first modern roller derby poster from ‘Bad Girl Good Women’ and the very first tournament artwork.
“It’s a collector’s item for anyone who plays derby, loves the sport and supports the derby community – all in aid of two superb charities.
“Bout Book has been created by roller derby skaters and fans. Pivotal to the success of this book are the leagues and designers who kindly allowed us to include their bout artwork.
“One of the book's aims is to get people discovering who created their favourite artworks - who, where and when.
“What better way of demonstrating the DIY ethic of roller derby as being for the skaters and by the skaters? This book simply couldn’t have happened without the support shown from the derby community.”
Regain Sports is a registered charity which aims to improve the independence of all British men and women who have become tetraplegic as a result of a sports or leisure injury.
Meanwhile, Womankind Worldwide is an international charity working to support women and girls to improve the lives and communities in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
For more information visit www.regainsportscharity.com and www.womankind.org.uk
To find out how to get the book or discover more about it, click here or go to www.boutbook.org
There’s also a promo video to enjoy - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBn3VbGa2tk