Comics UK

Glad to be of service

TwoHeadedBoy wrote:Glad to be of service

I bought the latest copy of Viz. I must admit, I enjoyed it a lot better than I did the last time.

Just finished looking through much of the VIZ back-catalogue: a shocking state of neglect on my part, especially considering issue one came out way back in 1979.


I have looked through VIZ lots of times since the mid-80s, but usually only fleetingly---only now, here in 2016, can I actually spend as much time as I want to savour a decent chunk of the material, instead of just speed-reading the basics in the newsagents.


It's really good, well written and witty in the main, with some jet-black comedy in bits, and one strip I especially enjoyed is called Spawny G*t, a surrealist plot device which starts off with our hero encountering some devastating bad luck---but which turns out to lead to very fortunate encounters for him, often in the shape of a bevvy of beauties for his own personal enlightenment, shall we say.

The final frame usually ends with a reader commenting [off-frame:]


'Spawny G*t!'

Great stuff I thought, and just the tip of the VIZ iceberg.


It's a lot nearer to MAD than I realized---especially the many advertising spoofs.

A worthy addition to the History of UK comics.

I'm envious, it'd be great to re-discover Viz all over again

There's a book called The Big Hard One (usually less than a fiver on Amazon) that collects the contents of most of the first 12 issues, the REALLY early stuff is unlike anything else out there...

i have every viz annual so may have to read them

The very first issue of VIZ is crude in more ways than one, but the comic clearly had to start somewhere------ it picks up within a few short issues, though.

Can anyone name the book with all the rough pencils of the characters etc, that came out about 15 years back? Gold cover, I think........

Yep...

25 Years of Viz: Silver-Plated Jubilee by William Cook, excellent book

Yes, I'm sure that's the one, THB!

Notes have been taken, that one is on my wants list---loved the unfinished artwork and scans of pencil roughs in that book.

Just picked the book up for 2 pounds 80 on e-bay. inc postage second-hand. That's cheaper than the current comic, which is 3 pounds 25, I think......


Fast worker, eh, readers!


Brilliant companion to the comics what I remember of it.


THB: your info helped me a lot to pinpoint that particular book.

Thank yew!!!

It's on Amazon for a penny---but the postage is 2 pounds 80!


Looks like I saved meself a penny .

whizzer and chips holiday special 1993,thank god for the cover gallery on this site as there was no date at all inside.i only have the forum bookmarked as i have not looked at rest of site in years.

ISPYSHHHGUY wrote:the postage is 2 pounds 80! Looks like I saved meself a penny .

As second class postage is now £2.85, Rab, you actually saved yourself 6p.

wow, I can break out the chilled beer in celebration, Phoenix---it is Friday night, after all!

ISPYSHHHGUY wrote:Just picked the book up for 2 pounds 80 on e-bay. inc postage second-hand. That's cheaper than the current comic, which is 3 pounds 25, I think......


Fast worker, eh, readers!


Brilliant companion to the comics what I remember of it.


THB: your info helped me a lot to pinpoint that particular book.

Thank yew!!!

You're welcome - that's better than the £9.99 Oxfam charged me for it eight years ago!
Fantastic book though, worth every penny

Second-hand books usually do me fine, THB: last year, I got a second-hand book on the Bamforth seaside postcards, and it would have passed for a split-new copy.........just the luck of the draw.