Viz

[HG]

Viz is 30 years old this month.

Characters such as Sid The Sexist, The Fat Slags, Roger Mellie, Buster Gonad etc as well as the letters pages and top tips made Viz essential reading for me in my late teens and early twenties.

Did anyone esle use to read it or still do? I've just bought the last couple of magazines and the letters and top tips still have me howling.

There was then the videos that were released, and having had many a night out in Newcastle some of the Sid the Sexist scenes I have witnessed over and over in real life

[Palazzo]

Re: Viz

At one point I worked for WHSmiths on the news and magazines section and when the new Viz would come through I would always take a copy up to the stockroom and kill a good few minutes reading the letters section. I can honestly say that some of the stuff printed in the letters section alone would have me in tears of laughter. I was actually looking through the latest Viz annual the other day and am tempted to pick it up just for the letters section. I also remember Viz releasing a book a few years ago which was the best of the letters section, absolutely brilliant it was too.

I remember one particular advertisement for an obviously false product that appeared in a copy of Viz once which had me in tears laughing at the sheer daftness of the whole thing. It was a colour advertisement for a modelling kit called 'Frank Muir Modeller - craft your very own Frank Muir'. There was a picture of a crude plasticine bust of Frank Muir's head and next to it the line 'Don't let your wife find out you've been making models of Frank Muir'.

I also remember a character called Peeping Tom or something similar who featured in a small story over four or five panels of artwork. This one particular story starts with him walking up to a toilet cubicle and noticing a hole in the door. The bloke peers through it and then the last panel reveals that he's staring at a loaf of bread on the toilet seat inside the cubicle. Totally, totally bizarre but brilliantly funny at the same time.

[HG]

Re: Viz

I can remember one of the front page headlines that had me in stitches, "Morrissey, Pop Genius or Twit?", with twit spelt slightly different

[ann22]

Re: Viz

I still buy an odd copy of 'Viz' and the annual at Christmas letting on it's for my son. The letters page is the best.
I remember a Jimmy Nail interview headed 'I was a right f***in' tearaway me'...then it goes on to talk about him nailing someone's head to the floor or something like that, it was written in his accent - class. I remember laughing at 'Man disappears up own ****' headline then it continues like a newspaper report about witness reports to this 'event'.

[Gothic]

Re: Viz

I have got a load of old copies but generally just buy the odd copy now and again when I see it on the shelf. The letters page always has me in tears and the Profanisaurus is highly recommended!!

[stuckinthe80's]

Re: Viz

I was brought uo in a small town near Durham and I think I knew a person who most of the Viz characters could have been based on! Viz was and still is brilliant!

[Richard1978]

Re: Viz

I know Mr Logic is based on Chris Donald's brother Steve.

[Flash Gordon]

Re: Viz

I still love Viz and still buy it from time to time,
But it's interesting to read how many like the letters pages.
It's hard to tell if they're real, but there's a great tradition of comedy letters, that maybe began with Henry Root and his masterpiece,"The Day of Reckoning".
But recently, "The Timewaster Letters" by Robin Cooper had me chuckling alot.

[frame]

Re: Viz

I always enjoy reading Viz.Very original,I may get one tomorrow.
Frame.

[ClaudineJones]

Re: Viz

I've still got dozens of old copies of Viz. Loved the letters page! I rescued one from a dustbin a few months back and "it's not as funny as it used to be..." but still had me chuckling in places. Does Andrew Tait still get mentioned?

[patrickblue]

Re: Viz

Anyone remember Roger Irrelevant in the Viz. Sheer class.

[FLYING SAUCER]

Re: Viz

OK - We still read VIZ! every month we buy a copy! We have most of the Annuals and I have the 2 videos of the Fat Slags! I think the Profanisaurus is very funny, I really dont know how they manage to keep finding copy for it!

One thing for sure, I bet they have a good laugh in the Editors office reading what folk have sent in! My mum who is 77 will sometimes laugh at it too! Shameful!

[Paulos]

Re: Viz

I have a load of old viz from the late 80's and use to love top tips. I remember them being along the lines of "Impress your friends with your brand new video recorder by simply laying your toaster on it's side underneath your telly!"
I also remember when it went up to £1 a copy which they brushed aside by just writing in big letters on the front cover "STILL only £1".

[Gothic]

Re: Viz

Anyone remember Roger Irrelevant in the Viz. Sheer class.

He's completely hatstand