Still not buying it and relying on old stashes to keep me entertained. Trying to find my oldest copy which so far is a 1994 issue but the front cover is missing. I have a large box of them in storage so there are probably older ones. I'm always on the look out old issues in charity shops but never see them so maybe car booting is the way to go. Imagine my surprise if I go to the first carboot of the season and find shit loads of them for 10p each.
The Covid-19 Viz issues have been more hit than miss. I think having coronavirus as a new topic has stimulated the writers to come up with some new scenarios, rather than just retreading the same old predictable tropes. 'Eton Mess' in the current edition should have been much longer.
Good drawing of Chrissy.
The last issue had a strip called Frugal Sharkey.
There were several references to My Perfect Cousin which probably went over a lot of readers' heads.
Perfect Kevin with his sheepskin jacket and his mother getting the Human League in to advise her to buy him a synthesiser.
Great bit in the last edition of Viz entitled "Graze Expectations. Minister's call to bring back scabs." Government announced plans to bring back loose gravelled surfaces on playgrounds along with smooth, slippy soles on children's shoes in an attempt to halt softening of today's youth.
"Like every other boy in my class I had almost permanent scabs on my knees throughout my childhood. I spent many hours picking bits of gravel out of my ripped flesh. It was character building and made me the man I am today."
I used to subscribe but the various issues kept cluttering up Logic Towers; I now just buy the albums. I've given loads of my stash to my brother because despite being in a well-paid job, he's as tight as a gnat's chuff and doesn't buy his own.
The comic themselves us the strapline "Not as funny as it used to be" but now I most definitely agree.
I still love the silly, smutty stuff but now they're producing lots of really unfunny stuff and trying to be too smartarse. I mean for example The Drunken Bakers which I've always found a waste of space and I get the Jack Black and Tinribs political comments but The Mail Online and anything by that artist really bores me stiff.
Quote: Chappers @ 12th August 2023, 12:02 PMThe comic themselves us the strapline "Not as funny as it used to be" but now I most definitely agree.
I still love the silly, smutty stuff but now they're producing lots of really unfunny stuff and trying to be too smartarse. I mean for example The Drunken Bakers which I've always found a waste of space and I get the Jack Black and Tinribs political comments but The Mail Online and anything by that artist really bores me stiff.
I borrow the occasional ecopy from my library's online Libby app but it's impossible to read the comic strips on a smartphone, even on easy read mode. I agree with you about The Drunken Bakers, Tinribs and The Male Online - they're all substandard shite. I used to like the social commentary regarding the Scum Mothers - Who'd Have 'Em? strip, but found it desperately sad at times.
This is one of my favourites from October 2016. Something about it still tickles me.
Quote: Definitely Tarby @ 13th August 2023, 8:54 AMThis is one of my favourites from October 2016. Something about it still tickles me.
That is brilliantly surreal and a true example of when Viz was once relevant and funny. My parents' house is a pig sty so I sent my brother a link to the short Mary Shitehouse strip. There's also memorably Lord Shite and Nanny No Dumps.
Quote: Chappers @ 12th August 2023, 12:02 PMThe comic themselves us the strapline "Not as funny as it used to be" but now I most definitely agree.
I still love the silly, smutty stuff but now they're producing lots of really unfunny stuff and trying to be too smartarse. I mean for example The Drunken Bakers which I've always found a waste of space and I get the Jack Black and Tinribs political comments but The Mail Online and anything by that artist really bores me stiff.
Abso-bloody-exactly Chappers. I've never liked the Drunken Bakers either and nothing funny about mocking alcoholism. I've been in recovery for 13 months myself and I wish I could meet the bakers and help put them in touch with a counselling service that can help them find sobriety. I would love for Viz to conclude Drunken Bakers with a final story that shows how one or both of them got sober. Maybe how one of them re-unites with his family who left him because he chose the bottle over them. Those cartoons hit home too much for me to find them even remotely amusing.
Mail Online is ok but I mostly feel sorry for his long suffering wife. Maybe one day they will conclude that story with her finally leaving him to move to Spain with her sister and spend her days sunbathing 
I used to skip a lot of stories and jump to my favourites when I bought a new copy which means that now when I read old issues I usually find a few stories that I've not read before. I love the vicious humour of Jack Black especially the Christmas themed stories. I can understand how the comic has changed over the years with management and artists that come and go but I suspect it will be online only in a few years. When the Donald brothers were at the helm it was incredibly funny and well worth the price but not anymore.
When me n my mates discovered Viz when we were about 14 - we used to virtually piss ourselves laughing over it
We couldn't actually believe you could buy this stuff in the newsagents
All the swearing and the filth - it was unbelievable at the time
Viz was like a major step up from Oink which was a comic aimed at kids without any profanity or adult themes but with a very mean tone akin to Garbage Pail Kids. My brother read Oink more than I did but it had some good cartoons. I was surprised when I discovered Viz has been in publication since 1979 because I always assumed it was launched in the 90s. I've never seen a Viz cartoon pre-90s and imagine they are rare these days.
I started buying it in about 1987 I think
My faves would have been Johnny Fartpants, Finbar Saunders
And that dude with the "infeasibly large testicles"
Oh and Sid the sexist of course!
And Mr Logic was f**king hysterical
I used to draw pictures of him in my school books