Rude Kids The Unfeasible Story of Viz

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 its position as 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, and there will be a Fat Slags movie shortly.

This is an engaging tale told in Chris's unique, wry way. Both dry and wry this book will make you laugh - irrespective of whither you like Viz magazine or not. In fact, as Roger Mellie might say, it's the dog's balearic's. Roger was just one of the foul and malodorous characters that Chris created in his bedroom. Well, it was better than his previous hobby, trainspotting. Early distribution of the magazine was through pubs and clubs - an inspiration for yet more characters. Chris explains the origins of other quirky, dysfunctional and occasionally disturbing characters such as Billy the Fish who helped grow Viz into one of Britain's biggest magazines. The story follows Chris's sudden riches and his various ingenious schemes for losing that wealth, including legal battles with sportswear companies and doomed investments in railway heritage sites.

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