Viz is a popular British
comic magazine founded in 1979 by
Chris Donald. It parodies British comics of the post-war period, notably
The Beano and
The Dandy, but with vulgar language,
toilet humour,
black comedy,
surreal humour and generally sexual or violent storylines. It also sends up
tabloid newspapers, with mockeries of articles and letters pages. It features parody competitions and advertisements for overpriced 'limited edition' tat, as well as obsessions with half-forgotten kitsch celebrities from the 1960–80s, such as
Shakin' Stevens and
Rodney Bewes. Occasionally, it satirises
current events and
politicians, but has no particular political standpoint.