Let's get Vizical - 25 years at the comic coalface

[Bostonmess]

Viz comic has become a national institution and, after 25 years, is taking to the stage at the Edinburgh festival. Is it finally respectable?

With a pint in one hand, a half-smoked "tab" lolling from the corner of his mouth and an arsenal of clumsy chat-up lines, Sid the Sexist is an anti-hero of the lad mag generation.

In the 25 years since Viz comic first appeared, Sid, one of its most enduring characters, has spectacularly failed in the pursuit to which he has single-mindedly committed himself: having sex.

Yet it almost didn't happen like that, says Simon Donald, who started the comic with his brother Chris.

When they set out to find a serious publishing deal, Sid's crass exploits did not raise a smile with the suits at one of Britain's magazine publishing giants.

"They wanted Sid the Sexist to be Sid the Smooth Talker. They were offended by the fact he was politically incorrect," says Simon Donald précising a letter from one of the big publishers.

It was 1985... (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/3590456.stm)

[MisterBishi]

The Viz is hilarious, I remember once having to get a train from Stoke, that wasnt coming for about another hour, I bought New Scientist and Viz, some of the looks I got were absolute gold.

[Bostonmess]

I remember reading these when I was about twelve? My brother used to go to Newcastle University and he brought the first ones home with him. Fucking hell, to a young lad they were the coolest thing and along with the Alien graphic novel, they made me a bit of a hero in the playground. :D

Skinheed was my favourite character. He was so fucking 'ard they had to call the SAS in to sort him out. He'd walk down the street and kick the head off a baby with his Dockers boots. The violence, swearing, graphic nature all added to the hilarity.

Fucking cool comics.

[MisterBishi]

How cool was the letters page? Top tips was a piss take of the stupid practical/money saving tips in Woman's Weekly that was hilarious. One of them said instead of washing your clothes at a laundry, you should give them all to a charity shop and then buy them back washed and ironed for 50p, genius.

Edit, found some:

Save a fortune on laundry bills. Give your dirty shirts to Oxfam. They
will wash and iron them and you can buy them back for fifty pence.
J B Cartland, Brighton.

Suck the eyes from attacking zombies using a Black & Decker
"Dustbuster." The zombies will then wander aimlessly and can be
dispatched by the more usual methods at a more leisurely pace.
J. T., Thropton.

Create instant designer stubble by sucking a magnet and dipping your
chin into a bowl of iron filings.
B Villbens, Birmingham.

Minor skin grafts can be performed on pigs by covering any cuts and
grazes with thin strips of bacon.
Phil Wasey, Liverpool.

A hedgehog trained to scuttle up and down the table from guest to
guest makes an unusual mobile cheese and pineapple cube nibble
dispenser at cocktail parties.
L Traintu, Clarkesville

Make cheap but effective baby rattles by gluing a lollipop stick to an
empty matchbox, then filling it with ten woodlice.
Ms. G. M. Dowd, Wigan.

Foil pick pockets by placing a freshly toasted "Pop Tart" in each
pocket. Would-be thieves will quickly rupture the fragile pastry and
receive nasty finger burns from the steaming hot jam inside.
P.Turner, Liverpool L17.

Confuse shopkeepers by buying a sheet of wrapping paper and asking
them to wrap it.
D. Treloar, Wandsworth.

A length of plastic drainpipe with a roller skate at each end makes an
ideal "car" for snakes.
G. Dorson, Skipton.

[Bostonmess]

hahhah. Top Tips. :D

When crossing a one way street, to save time only look in the direction of the oncomming traffic.

John Smith, Leeds.

Then the next one:

When crossing a one way street, always look in both directions, just in case a large, blue, furniture removal van is reversing up the street.

John Smith, Ward 10, St James Hospital, Leeds.

:D

[spurr]

I love Viz, nothing like some juvenile toilet humour to get you laughing. I've been buying the mag for years and I'm still not sick of it. Here's a recent fave.....

[Gruff Nutz]

I havn't read Viz for years. I've never seen it here in Australia, the last time I read it was about 6 years ago when I was in the UK.

Anyone remember the crappy Viz amiga game?

[Buffy]

hehe Viz
does it still have the two fat slags? :p

[spurr]

I havn't read Viz for years. I've never seen it here in Australia, the last time I read it was about 6 years ago when I was in the UK.

Anyone remember the crappy Viz amiga game?

It's available from all good newsagents, normally kept on the shelf with the porno mags which makes it easy to find :cool:

I remember the Viz game :barf:

You can re-live the experience through the crappy flash games available on www.viz.co.uk


hehe Viz
does it still have the two fat slags? :p

But of course, Viz wouldn't be the same without them. I even heard a rumour they are making a fat slags movie :eek:

[DumHed]

I'm pretty sure there already is a movie.. Someone here has it.. I shall try to find!