The Inside Story of Viz: Rude Kids

by Chris Donald

This is the straight-talking, fascinating story of Viz magazine, founded in 1979 by Chris Donald – editor until 1999. Chris tells the remarkable story of the magazine, from the tatty rag produced in his Newcastle bedroom to becoming one of the bestselling magazines in the UK.

Chris was the creator of many of the characters and was responsible for all the magazine’s written content. Characters from the magazine, such as Sid the Sexist and the Fat Slags, are now household names.

This is an engaging tale told in Chris’s unique, wry way. Chris takes us from his train-spotting childhood in the ’70s through to setting up the magazine with family and friends, and struggling to sell even a few copies of Viz in the local pub. The comic’s success swiftly grew, however, and remarkable events ensued, such as how Chris was invited to tea by Prince Charles, taken in for questioning by New Scotland Yard's Anti-Terrorist Branch and caught his wife up to no good with Keith Richards in Peter Cook's attic.

Chris includes many original drawings in this integrated book as well as some fascinating images of early Viz creations.

402 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 30, 2014

About the author

Chris Donald is the founder of, and one of the principal contributors to, the British comic magazine Viz. He attended West Jesmond Primary School, and then Heaton Comprehensive School, where he did not complete his A-levels, and in 1978 he began work as a clerical officer at the DHSS central office in Longbenton, Newcastle.

Chris, together with his brother Simon and a schoolfriend Jim Brownlow, set-up Viz in December 1979 from a bedroom in Newcastle. He was editor (or head of the "editorial cabinet") for many years but retired from day-to-day duties in 1999, and now only contributes occasional cartoons. He has since written a personal history of Viz magazine entitled Rude Kids.

Reviews

[Adrian Deans · Rating 4 out of 5]

Frankly I'm astounded there are only 107 ratings and 4 reviews (at my time of writing).

Viz was an absolute institution in the 80s and 90s - a really key part of the social infrastructure of Britain and that part of the British cultural diaspora that continues to this day, reaching even to dinky-di Aussies like me.

I used to love Viz (until it got crap and boring) but in its hay day it was amazing - irreverent, tasteless, hilarious. Chris Donald's book, like his magazine at its best, was brilliantly written, perceptive and evocative of its place in history.

It must have been deeply depressing to be finishing school and entering the world of adulthood / work etc around 1980 when Thatcher was just coming into full flight in her war on working class Britain and the Cold War seemed to be approaching a climax. Very dark days. There were few standard opportunities for those without connections so Chris Donald was forced to create his own opportunities in a world that seemed like it was on the brink of oblivion.

In this dark, dystopian mess, only one thing could save your sanity, and that was laughter - especially laughter at the source of the troubles. Viz, an adult comic, was political only in the most tangential sense - it rarely got into direct political assassination, and if it did, did it so outrageously as to seem unserious.

That's not where the true politics lay. The true politics lay in the total absence of politics conveyed within the mag. In such a difficult epoch, when everyone was moaning about the end of the earth, Viz rejoiced in the antics of Sid the Sexist, Bum-faced Goats or Topless Skateboarding Nun. It reminded me, in a way, of an extension of the work of Python - puncturing the dignity of the establishment (and the downright dangerous) with over-the-top existential silliness (and VERY non PC).

Chris Donald's book captures the spirit of the epoch perfectly, and then segues, through success, into the world of celebrity taking the reader on a fascinating ride through his own journey - annotated with his caustic observations on all he met.

It's a highly intelligent, absorbing and deeply immersive book for any fan of Viz or student of the zeitgeist of the 80s. It got a little bit long and self-indulgent towards the end (hence 4* rather than 5*) but still a wonderful book that showcases, once again, the extreme talent of Chris Donald.

I wonder what he's doing now.

[William Connelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Engaged, well paced, lots of good anecdotes and refreshingly honest about various celebrities. A great story of taking an amateur fanzine into a national phenomenon, becoming a millionaire in the process and then, inevitably, overexposed, commercialised.
The tale of a TV version of Top Tips, with Vic and Bob, is a great example of something you’ve created can be hijacked by other people (not Vic and Bob) who don’t get the joke, are just doing it for the money and you lose control over the whole project.

[Texi Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had me engaged right from the very beginning. Having been an avid reader way back in the early days, and boasting quite a collection of old copies, I knew exactly what Viz is all about. That's why I got the book. What I didn't know though was its humble beginnings, the real people behind the magazine and the inner workings of the publishing business. The story does jump around a great deal, you're never sure which period of time you're in, when suddenly it refers back to a particular year. There are Geordie-isms along the way, which I really enjoyed. There is little regard for paragraph length, and the font, in my copy anyway, was very small. That didn't detract though from a thoroughly absorbing read.

I guess being from the area and growing up around the same time did give me an advantage, and I could completely empathise with Chris Donald's opinions on a lot of matters. If you ever got into Viz back in the day, if you ever got a laugh from their completely offbeat toilet humour, you will absolutely love this. And you'll be on Youtube for hours looking for the videos.

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprisingly entertaining autobiography of a nerd who turned millionaire by writing sweary comics. It's not all rags to riches, it recounts the rise and relative fall of Viz!, from its early fanzine days selling a hundred copies, to the peak of late 80s/early 90s, when it had a print run of one and a quarter million, to Donald eventually walking away from it when it was around 200,000. Its quite a funny read, Donald hob knobbing with celebs, never really feeling comfortable with it and frittering away money on pipe dreams just for the hell of it. Donald also talks about the darker aspects of fame, how it impacted his mental health and well being.

I used to love Viz! but am one of the many hundreds of thousands who drifted away from it in the mid 90s. Whilst this book (written in the early part of the 20th century, the comic itself is still around) probably won't have me hunting down back issues, it was still a fun trip down memory lane and at times provided some proper laughs.

[Ed Briggs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this. It’s not as others have said a hilarious selection of Viz like jokes but it is a really intriguing read.
There are funny bits and some good stories behind some of the characters. What I really liked was how Chris opened his soul a bit and we saw the real often tortured mind of his genius. Felt so much empathy for him and his final words about dreaming the dream and not the full filling it that is important really struck home.
I guess you need to be a Viz fan and I’ve read it since the early 80s but never knew how big it got or where it came from.
Now I’d like to know what’s happened in the last 20 years.

At the end is a character bibliography, so it’s great to see who wrote my favourite characters. I still can’t decide but I think for some unknown reason The Pathetic sharks have always been my favourite...written by Chris.

[Own Timis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't usually have any interest in autobiographies, especially those written by someone I've never heard of and peppered with references to gone and forgotten 80s and 90s popular culture. However I'm big fan of Viz and it caught my eye when I noticed it on "take a free book" shelf at my local tube station.

It was a worthwhile read with quite a few laugh out loud lines. I knew very little - actually, nothing - about the history of Viz so it was all brand new to me and pretty interesting to learn about the meteoric rise and then fall of the magazine. At times Chris Donald's experience felt a bit Kafka-esque as he tried to maintain his original rebellious roots in the face of "the man".

The book is almost 20 years old now so it'd be good to see an updated version which charts Viz's continued decline since 2004.

[Peter Barritt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read of the evolution of one of the UK's funniest magazines, Viz. There are many laugh-out-loud anecdotes, but also an insight into the life of someone talented who becomes rich and famous beyond their wildest dreams. As the author notes, sometimes realising dreams is ultimately disappointing and not as much fun as dreaming itself can be. The world of celebrities in which the author is frequently thrown comes across as a rather cut-throat world of inflated egos. Chris Donald founded and set up Viz and has brought laughter to millions of folk. He should probably be as lauded as our other comedians who are widely admired, like John Cleese and Eric Morecambe. A great read for any fan of Viz.

[Ron · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was an early fan of Viz it was anarchic and filthy. It was a welcome distraction and alternative to the politically correct stuff that was appearing. I came across this book by accident and thought, well, it'll pass the time. But it turned out to be a bloody good read, telling the story of how Donald started out in his bedroom without any experience at all and having obstacles in the way all the way.
It was interesting too to learn of his depression as time went on and his efforts to alleviate it.

It's well written and full of facts and hilarious anecdotes. Not hatstand at all...

[Russell Buckley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny and instructive

Fascinating insight into the meteoric rise and slow decline of an iconic publishing sensation.

But it’s more than that.

Chris is very frank about his own weaknesses, poor decisions and even his eventual breakdown. Any entrepreneur will relate to this journey, whether their own ended in success or failure.

My only criticism really is that Chris is a little too modest about his successes.

[Michael Doherty · Rating 5 out of 5]

brilliant. enjoyable. insightful

Loved it. One of the best books I’ve ever read as Chris is honest, funny, engaging and gives a great insight into the lives of those working in the creative industries. One to read again.

[A G Hind · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even if you’re not a fan of the (in)famous UK adult comic Viz, this book penned by its creator is a must read. It’s an autobiography basically of Chris Donald - from his early years at school to Viz becoming a mass circulation magazine. Being roughly the same age as Chris I found it easy to identify with the direction he comes from - non university educated, a deep mistrust of bullshitters and a love of piss taking.

Now 20 years old (originally published in 2004) it’s as relevant today as it was then. Indeed I was surprised to learn that Chris stepped away from being editor many moons ago, and in fact it has continued longer without him than it did with him - although undoubtedly without the massive circulation figures of the 1980s/90s.

A real pleasurable read

[Terry · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book that not only brought back memories of my Viz buying youth, but also prompted me to go and buy a copy after I read the book. Not sure if it's age or the current content, but it wasn't as funny and outrageous as I remember. (I think it's age!)
Apart from that disappointment, this a was a good read that showed what you can do in your back bedroom back in the days as a pastime without the need for the internet or a computer but just a passion and a filthy, creative and artistic mind and talent!

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had read a few issues of Viz when at high school and i remember at the time thinking how original and unique it was. To me it feels that Chris has written a very honest account of how it was created, the highs, and the steady decline towards a reduced sales audience for the lows. The continual disaster of merchandising being another low. An enjoyable read throughout for anyone who has at some point read Viz and laughed at the humor.

[Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite frankly, Viz is not as funny as it used to be.