In the 1980s, the Traffic Authority of New South Wales released a number of booklets on cycle safety named "The Bike Book". These were serious books about what kids needed to be aware of when riding bikes in public spaces such as parks, paths, and roads.

No, that's not actually true at all.

They released a series of books under the pretence that they were serious booklets on cycle safety, but British comedian Spike Milligan had scrawled all over them with jokes, funny insights, and surreal additions to the text. The basic in for action in the book was carefully laid out and typeset, and Spike's handwriting and crudely drawn sketches were scrawled across the pages. Sometimes chunks of text were scribbled out, sometimes he'd make comments about how certain aspects of the text were fine in theory but didn't work that way in reality, often he'd underline bits and agree with it.

There were three levels of book. One for "small" kids, which had innocent and naive scribblings, jokes and helpful hints. One for "medium" kids, where the jokes were a bit more mature and the safety advice reflected kids with a bit more independence. One for "big" kids, where the elements were more risque again, and even adult oriented.

These books always stuck in my mind as a fun and informative element of my childhood, and I've long wanted to produce a game book that worked like them. Formal rules typed, and a scrawl from one or more people through the pages, highlighting how the typed text only goes so far but the real world is a lot messier.

I'm suspecting that one of the future supplements for "The Law" will fit this mould. 

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