Created by the men behind Gorillaz - Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett - Monkey and his friends will be the faces of the BBC's Beijing Olympics coverage in the next few months

Hatched from a stone egg, the immortal Monkey King is as highly skilled in the art of magic as he is in speed, strength and agility

Sandy, the Sand Monk, was banished to a river of sand many centuries ago as punishment for past wrongs

Exiled from heaven and the result of an accidental re-incarnation, Pigsy is the strongest of the three

With a keen mind, a steely nerve and an irreverent spirit, Monkey is the cloud-riding leader of the group, unafraid of any obstacle in his path

When not passing the time devouring humans Sandy can be found honing his considerable martial arts skills and using intellect as well as strength to defeat his enemies

A true glutton, Pigsy enjoys the pleasures of life to excess, often getting himself and his companions into trouble along the way

Monkey, Pigsy and Sandy will use Olympic sports on their Journey to the East, to Beijing and the Bird's Nest stadium