VIZ is 40 years old today!

Yes, it's the cover of VIZ No.1.

It was 40 years ago today that Simon and Chris Donald launched their little home made (or rather shed made) comic called Viz with a print run of (I believe) just 200 copies. They sold it in pubs in their home city of Newcastle and to say it caught on would be an understatement. By the 1990s it was selling over a million copies an issue (and read by even more, as it was shared around universities and classrooms) and became a national institution. The independent comic that outsold the established mainstream. 

Chris and Simon retired from the comics biz years ago but Viz is still going strong, published every five weeks, ten issues a year, and edited by long-term contributors Graham Dury and Simon Thorp. It doesn't sell a million copies a month any more but it's still the top selling comic in the UK. 

And, yes, it is as funny as it used to be. It was an honour to contribute to the comic on and off for about 20 years and I hope to do so again next year.

In the past, there have been parties and celebrations for the various anniversaries of Viz. I was at some of them. A bloke called Boris Johnson was at one too, wearing his bike clips over his suit trousers, putting a rolled up copy of Viz in his pocket. I wonder what happened to him? Screaming Lord Such, a much nicer politician, was at one event too. I liked him. 

No party this time, but if you're in Newcastle next week you might like to visit The Stand Comedy Club where Simon and Chris will be performing their Donald Trumps comedy act. More details here:
https://www.thestand.co.uk/performances/772-8033-donald-trumps-20191217-newcastle/

Not many comics reach 40 years so it's an achievement to be proud of. The latest issue of Viz is No.291 and, like issue 1, is the Christmas edition. Out now!

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ORIGINAL Viz artwork for sale

I'm selling a piece of my original artwork on eBay this week. It's a large 460mm square illustration of The Pathetic Sharks that I did for the 1992 Viz Calendar. Drawn on Bristol board with black ink, water colours, and Caran D'Ache colour pencils. 

The auction runs until Sunday 1st December. Good luck if you're bidding! More info at this link:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ORIGINAL-VIZ-ART-PATHETIC-SHARKS-CALENDAR-PAGE-1992-Lew-Stringer/202830311004

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Happy VIZ-mas!

It must be November if the Christmas issue of Viz is on the stands. Yes, the king of the top-shelf has snow on its logo and seasonal goodwill in its heart from characters such as The Fat Slags, Eight Ace, The Real Ale Twats, Johnny Fartpants and more. PLUS their traditional pull-out calendar, which this time features art from past covers by the brilliant Simon Thorp. 

Simon also provides the cover for this issue too of course, and it's another "cracker", eh, chums? 

This issue will also be the 40th anniversary edition but I didn't notice any mention of the occasion. Well, congratulations to them anyway. Not many comics reach that landmark!

Contributors include Davey Jones, Tom Paterson, Paul Palmer, Simon Ecob, Alex Collier and many more. 

That's Viz No.291, 52 pages plus calendar for £3.70. Out now! 

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Preview: VIZ No.284

The new issue of Viz is out now, with another 52 pages packed with fun for all ages, - as long as you're over 18 and don't mind a bit of swearing and smut. 

Viz has always been more than just sweary humour of course. It's the nation's premier satirical comic, - a tradition that dates back to the Victorian comics such as Funny Folks and Ally Sloper's Half Holiday. That's why a lot of Viz's imitators failed. They copied the rudeness, but not the clever social satire. 

This issue sees regular favourites Sid the Sexist, Drunken Bakers, Fat Slags and more, plus many other strips and parodies. Here's a little sample...

GILBERT RATCHET by Davey Jones.

NASH GORDON by Tom Paterson.

ROBIN HOOD by Simon Ecob.

I'm very pleased to say that I'm back in this issue, with an all-new Felix and his Amazing Underpants page. Plot and artwork by me, script by Graham Dury and Simon Thorp, in which Felix gets involved in Brexit-related shenanigans. 

I first worked for Viz about 30 years ago, and became a regular in the 1990s until a few years ago, so it's great to be back. I don't know how regularly I'll be contributing as each idea is judged on a case by case basis, but I'm working on another script right now so fingers crossed! 

Later this year, Viz notches up its 40th anniversary, so give one of Britain's longest-running comics your support and buy the latest edition this week! £3.70 for 52 pages, available from newsagents and supermarkets across the UK.

It's full of festive cheer, the Christmas VIZ is here!

Yes, you know it's November when the Christmas issue of Viz hits the shops, and 52 pages of festive frolics await you from today! 

You'll have seasonal fun with Roger Mellie, The Fat Slags, Johnny Fartpants, 8 Ace, The Drunken Bakers and all your regular rude chums in jolly adventures with snow on the logos and that. 

Plus you get a free full-colour calendar too! Not bad eh? 

Viz No.281, out now, £3.50. 

New issue of VIZ is out now!

I haven't given much attention to Viz on this blog recently, and other sites tend to ignore it so here's a plug for the latest issue. 

One can't underestimate the achievements of Viz comic. It'll be celebrating its 40th anniversary next year, and not many titles have reached that milestone. In the 1990s it influenced far too many imitators to remember, and saw off every one of them. Viz became so popular it was selling over a million copies an issue, and being passed around at universities and in the pubs so that it was being read by many more. 

Some may dislike its vulgarity, missing the point of its sharp satire, but its longevity has to be admired. Published every five weeks, Viz remains the top selling comic in the UK outside of a few nursery titles.

The latest issue kicks off with another superb cover by Simon Thorp and includes 8 Ace, Gilbert Ratchett, The Real Ale Twats, The Bacons, and much more from creators such as Davey Jones, Tom Paterson, Alex Collier and others. 

Let's keep supporting this national institution, and spread the word that, yes, Viz is still being published, and is still worth every penny. 

Viz No.279, 52 pages, £3.50. In shops now. 
Official website: http://viz.co.uk

New issue of VIZ out now - with free gift!

There's a new issue of Viz comic in the shops now, and it comes with a free cover-mounted Johnny Fartpants Car Air Freshener! (Don't worry. It smells of pine... I think.)

With another fab cover by Simon Thorp, the contents of the latest issue include Fruit 'T' Bunn the Master Baker, Roger Mellie, Tinribs, 8 Ace, loads of satirical features and much more. 

Still on top form, and on the top shelf, Viz No.272 is out now, £3.50. 

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I haven't contributed to Viz for ages (must remedy that) but if you want to read a Felix and his Amazing Underpants page I did years ago, there's one currently on the Viz website that you can read for freeee:
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2102/5703/products/Viz117_p04-Felix_1024x1024.jpg?v=1511971139

Be of good cheer, the Christmas VIZ is here!

You know the festive season is definitely here when the snow-capped Christmas issue of Viz is to be found on the top shelves of all good newsagents and supermarkets across the land. Viz No.271 came out yesterday and its sweary, satirical fun is now as traditional as mince pies and undercooked turkey. The 52 page issue comes with a free Rude Kid Calendar for 2018 packed with Not Safe For Work jocularities in stunning full colour.

All your Viz favourites, apart from the ones I used to do, are up to their seasonal pranks, with stories decorated with snow and holly and that. Here you'll find 8 Ace, The Fat Slags, Drunken Bakers, Meddlesome Ratbag, Spawny Get and more, plus new favourites such as Conker Hospital, Victoria's Plumbers, and a fantastic Broon Windsors strip drawn by Stephen White...

All this plus a load of satirical features will keep you warm in the glow of your own laughter on those solitary winter nights. Viz 271, out now, £3.50.

Christmas frolics on the top shelf

Cover art by the brilliant Simon Thorp.

You know it's November when the Christmas issue of Viz hits the shops, and the festive edition is indeed on the top shelves of all respectable newsagents from this week. The 52 page comic has its traditional free gift too, in the form of a 2017 Top Tips Calendar! This remarkable 28 page magazine can be pulled out of Viz in the same way that children across the land used to roughly pull out Chips from Whizzer thus diminishing any anticipated future resale value when those readers reached their twilight years.  

You can then hang your free calendar on your wall, although you'll first need to use a hole punch to make that possible, as Fulchester Industries haven't included a free hole with the publication. It does have its own staples though, so at least it won't fall to bits.

But enough about the free gift. "Tell us what's in the bloomin' comic, Mr.Blimey!" you all cry. Well, there's all your Viz favourites, if your favourites include The Fat Slags, Drunken Bakers, Ivan Jellical, Spawny Get, and not The Pathetic Sharks, Suicidal Syd, or Felix and his Amazing Underpants. (Note to self: Send new script ideas to Viz in 2017, you've been promising to do it for months!)

Seriously though, the strips are all brilliant, as are the satirical features. For 37 years, Viz has been one of the best, and certainly the funniest, British comics on the market and deserves your support. Don't be one of those grumpy "I've never read a copy and I never will but I'll prejudge it anyway" types. Reach up to the top shelf, plonk down your £3.20, and treat yourself for Christmas. 

As long as you're over 18, naturally. 

Just arrived in newsagents...

Here's a quick look at some of the British comics that were published this week. There are of course more titles than this, but in this post I'm only focusing on the ones available in newsagents and supermarkets, not the numerous independent comics available in comic shops or at conventions...

We start with Count Duckula (cover above), in which... hang on! There's a Count Duckula comic now? No, it's just a trick flip cover to the latest issue of Danger Mouse (see below). Issue 4 contains an all-new Danger Mouse strip written by Alex Collier, plus loads of fun features. Well worth any kid's £3.99.

Danger Mouse is published every four weeks by D.C. Thomson, who also publish Thunderbirds Are Go! which is up to No.13 this week. It contains a comic strip adaptation of the episode Legacy drawn by Martin Baines. All good stuff, although 8 pages is too cramped for adapting a full episode and I'd prefer to either see more pages of strip or each episode split across two issues (ie: 16 pages) to give the story more breathing space.  

This issue of Thunderbirds Are Go! comes with a free mask of The Hood. It could be said that some of us don't need it...

Also from D.C. Thomson this week is Beano No.3856 which leads with an extra-length Roger the Dodger story, and is packed with comic strips. All new material too! Don't miss it!

The Beano Christmas Special is also out now, with 68 full colour pages of all-new material and a free set of stickers inside. I'm very proud to say I drew the four page Bash Street Kids story in this issue, which was written by Andy Fanton. 

For older readers there's 2000AD No.2002, which continues the new stories that began in the previous issue. 2000AD has consistently been a great comic for nearly 40 years now and shows no sign of weakening. A must-buy!

Marvel Legends No.3, from Panini UK, has 76 pages reprinting recent Marvel material of Thor, Iron Man, and Captain America. Big changes have happened to the Marvel Universe over the last few years and this is the place to keep up with it. 

Last but not least, Viz No.260 is another 52 pages of adult satire with loads of strips from top UK cartoonists. You'll find it on the top shelves of the finest newsagents in the country. 

Also out now, although you might struggle to find it in newsagents, is Comic Heroes No.29, with 132 pages of comics news and views. I bought mine from Nostalgia and Comics in Birmingham yesterday, as WH Smiths still don't have it in stock. 

That's just the comics that have arrived in newsagents this week. They join the titles from previous weeks that are still on display such as Toxic, Doctor Who Adventures, Commando, and more of course. Support UK comics, and Never Be Without A Beano - or any of the others!

New British comics out now

I still see comments in the media and online saying that UK comics are dead. In fact I can remember some cynics even saying it back in the 1990s. A simple bit of research proves otherwise. Here's a quick selection of just a few of the British comics that are in the shops now. Today saw the publication of 2000AD Prog 1972 which wraps up all the current strips ready for a Spring revamp with all new stories next week.

Also out today is Judge Dredd Megazine No.370. A great issue with five lengthy strips including the brilliant Goldtiger 2000 by Louis Schaeffer and Antonio Barreti, the classic 1970s strip you never knew you'd forgotten! 

Viz No.254 arrived on the shelves today too. Another 52 pages of mirth and filth for adults of all ages.

Comics aren't just for adults these days of course, and The Beano is still going strong on this, the 65th anniversary week of Dennis the Menace! 

The Phoenix No.219 is still on sale, with the next issue due in WH Smith and selected Waitrose shops on Saturday. Another good issue of light adventure serials and humour.

Tales from the TARDIS: Doctor Who Comic No.4 is a rather long-winded title but a great value for money package of three Titan Doctor Who comics in one 76 page publication. 

The UK edition of Batman No.49 is a 100 page bumper edition with a cover that reflects the upcoming Batman v Superman movie. 

All of the above are available in newsagents (albeit only WH Smith in the case of The Phoenix). However, if you visit a comics speciality shop this week you can pick up a copy of Rivers of London: Night Witch No.1, the start of the second series of the comic based on the Ben Aaronovitch books. Good stuff by Aaronovitch and Andrew Cartmel with artwork by Lee Sullivan.

Also still available from comic shops is Johnny Red No.5 by Garth Ennis and Keith Burns. This revival of the classic Battle character in new adventures has proved to be a cracking comic.

There are numerous other comics around of course, such as Commando, Doctor Who Adventures, and loads of titles from Titan, not to mention some strip pages in magazines such as Toxic, Epic, and Doctor Who Magazine. While it's undeniable that what some might dub "traditional" British comics have mostly faded away (your Eagles and your Funny Wonders) there is still a UK comics industry. Ignore those who claim otherwise. The proof is out there on the shelves, as evidenced by the cover images above! Misinformed nonsense vs the evidence of your own eyes. What are you going to believe? 

British comics have always changed and evolved. The comics of the 1960s bore little resemblance to those of the early 1900s, and the comics of today are considerably different to those of 50 years ago. Such is life. Nothing stays static. It's saddening that each new generation has less interest in comics (and seemingly has less inclination to buy comics on a frequent basis) but comics are not dead yet! Make sure you support the titles that interest you to keep the industry alive. In the words of Radio Fun's Arthur Askey, "I thenk yow!"

Facebook reinstate VIZ page

Tuesday 16th February 2016 will go down in history as The Day Facebook Blocked the Viz Comic Facebook Page For a Bit, and everyone will remember where they were on The Day Facebook Blocked the Viz Comic Facebook Page For a Bit. They were online, Tweeting and Facebooking about it. "Facebook blocked the Viz Comic Facebook page for a bit" they said, or words to that effect. At least the ones who weren't posting about fluffy kittens or Kayne West anyway. 

Yes, after several hours that seemed like a lifetime for fans of Viz Comic, Facebook reinstated the Viz Facebook page later the same day. Facebook apologised to Viz, saying it was a "mistake". Hooray for Facebook! Let's give them the benefit of the doubt and assume it was a genuine mistake and not the sort of mistake used as an excuse by a teenager filmed by security cameras shoving a DVD up his jumper or a flasher caught in the headlamps of a police car. 

A victory for common sense and rude cartoons. You can visit the Viz Comic Facebook page at this link. Unless it's been removed again:
https://www.facebook.com/VizComic

Facebook suspends official Viz Comic page (Updated)

UPDATE 17:19. Facebook have now reinstated the page.
https://www.facebook.com/VizComic

Original story: 
Facebook, the multi-million dollar social network site that happily allows everything from photos of fluffy kittens and snapshots of people's dinners to pouting pubescent selfies, images of roadkill, far right groups such as Britain First and the English Defence League, and worse, have today suspended the official page of Viz Comic. 

Viz, the most successful and longest-running adult comic in the UK, posted the news on their Twitter page this morning. (See screen grab above.) It included the statement from Facebook that the Viz Page did not follow the "Facebook Terms and Community Standards". While the statement said Viz could appeal, it also warned that if the appeal was denied they'd be permanently banned.

Presumably Facebook must have received complaints about the page for them to take such censorious action. But what sort of ninny would complain about a comic when there are so many horrors happening in the world to rail against? (Yeah, sadly people like that do exist, I know.)

Until Facebook comes to its senses you can still follow Viz on Twitter (https://twitter.com/vizcomic) and their official website: 
http://viz.co.uk/

Support Viz by buying the latest issue, available from the top shelves of shops now.

Out now in newsagents...

Another stack of titles have arrived in UK newsagents. Here's a quick rundown of the British comics out this week starting with Viz No.253. Another 52 pages of fun for adults of all ages and still the funniest comic on the top shelf. 

2000AD Prog 1967 came out on Wednesday with a cover by Patrick Goddard. Inside, strips continue by some of the best creators in the UK. Not to be missed!

On to comics for all ages, The Beano No.3821 comes bagged with gifts to keep kids occupied during the school break. The comic itself is again packed with great material by some of Britain's best cartoonists.

Toxic No.267 is also bagged, with a toy crossbow and more. Inside the mag is my Team Toxic strip plus Captain Gross by Russ Carvell and another Ruined Ronaldo strip.

There are also four issues of Commando out this week. I covered the details the other day and you'll find that post here:
http://lewstringer.blogspot.co.uk/2016/02/this-weeks-commando-comics.html 

From Titan Comics there's Tales From the TARDIS: Doctor Who No.3, with a cover by Lee Sullivan and 100 pages of strips featuring the Ninth and Tenth Doctors. Creators include Nick Abadzis, Elena Casagrande, Cavan Scott, Rachael Stott, Neil Slorance, Rachael Smith and more.

A new issue of The Phoenix will be in WH Smith this Saturday and I'll add a scan of the cover here then.

On to British comics reprinting American material and there's quite a few on sale this week. From Panini UK there's The Mighty World of Marvel No.22 continues the adventures of Daredevil, Agents of SHIELD, and the Silver Surfer...

The Astonishing Spider-Man No.29 features Spider-Man plus new sagas begin for Silk and Spider-Woman...

Essential X-Men No.21 guest stars Miles Morales Spider-Man...

...and from Titan Comics there's Batman No.48, reprinting recent DC Comics stories, and Supergirl No.3 featuring Supergirl, Black Canary, and Batgirl.

This of course just covers comics on sale in newsagents and doesn't include ones only available in comic shops or digital comics. (Speaking of the latter, don't forget Aces Weekly! http://www.acesweekly.co.uk/)