Big Vern - Official Viz Magazine Merchandise - Mens T Shirt

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It is not clear if Vern really is a gangster, or simply a man with severe delusions. He never seems to associate with real criminals, only Ernie, yet he does seem to know a lot about armed robberies, has no hesitation in killing people and has a seemingly endless supply of firearms. The punchline of nearly every strip is that Vern mistakes someone - such as a traffic warden, an old lady or even Prince Charles - for an armed policeman. He shouts "Get dahn Ernie, he's got a piece" or words to such effect, before shooting that person dead. He then kills himself to avoid jail ("No bastard copper's gonna take me alive!"), having just killed Ernie under the belief that Ernie would also want to be dead rather than go to prison (even though Ernie has done nothing wrong). The Intern - A strip telling the story of Tom Golightly, who dreams of being an advertising executive and in 1981 manages to get himself a one-year unpaid internship. The internship ends up lasting decades, as Tom waits to get a paid position at his firm even as he is constantly passed over for jobs (despite making the company a fortune with successful advertising campaigns, with his bosses taking all the credit) due to nepotism. Finally in March 2020 Tom's patience pays off and he is finally given a paid job at the firm, albeit as a mere teaboy. Unfortunately on the day Tom is due to begin his actual employment with the company at which he has worked at unpaid for almost 40 years (which is also his 61st birthday) he is told he is being furloughed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with the firm folding a couple of months later. Roger the Lodger – a parody of the Beano character Roger the Dodger. A young schoolboy who rings a landlady's doorbell, arranges to rent a room in her house, and then congratulates himself on his "great lodge."

Joe Robinson Crusoe – a thinly disguised parody of flamboyant Newcastle pub and nightclub operator Joe Robertson. Quentin Tarranteeny – a parody portraying Quentin Tarantino as an extremely foul-mouthed baby who speaks as if delivering a monologue in one of Tarantino's films. Even if the glory days are over for Viz, according to Mr Phillips, it has secured a place in the comic hall of fame to rival more traditional titles. Max Power – a breakdown mechanic who, instead of repairing cars, rebuilds them into hot-rods. His name is a parody of Max Power magazine, which is aimed at people who are into "pimping" up cars.

NEW ISSUE OUT 03/12/2023

Little Old Man – A young boy who acts like a stereotypical elderly man and at the end of the strip ends up being taken to a retirement home. He was introduced as the counterpart of Playtime Fontayne, but, unlike Playtime, he has so far only been a one-off strip.

Like Dennis the Menace, the Bash Street Kids and Roy of the Rovers before them, Viz's very own roll-call of stars - Billy the Fish, Buster Gonad, Roger Mellie and Biffa Bacon - were becoming household names. Graffiti Art - a young man desperately trying to offend others with obscene graffiti but only succeeds in being recognised as a talented street artist pushing boundaries. Rainbrow – a violent and adult-themed parody of Rainbow (minus Geoffrey) that sees an abusive Zippy and gullible Bungle meet with kidnappers to pay for George's ransom. During the exchange, Zippy upon learning how meager the ransom was, boasts how he and the gang are worth far more than what the kidnappers wanted, causing them to then kidnap and ransom him to a reluctant George and Bungle. Frugal Sharkey - a miser who goes to extreme lengths to cut costs. His name and appearance are based on the singer Feargal Sharkey.International Plywood Are Go - a parody of Thunderbirds where the Tracy family step in to help a construction company that doesn't have enough plywood to finish a housing project. Bob Mortified - One-off strip in which Bob Mortimer goes fishing with Paul Whitehouse. After failing to catch a single fish, Mortimer is so embarrassed he bursts into tears; while Whitehouse decides he'd rather fish with Harry Enfield instead. Mr Rudewords – a one-off strip about a man with coprolalia, who shouts allegedly rude words such as "toilet seats!" at socially inappropriate times. One Man and his God – A one off strip featuring a shepherd praying to God to round up the sheep by striking thunder and lightning at them. The brain-child of Chris Donald, who put the first edition together in 1979, with the help of his younger brother Simon, some friends and a Xerox machine.

Boyz R Uz - A stereotypical boy band who are constantly being ripped off by their handler. They do not sing or dance - only mime. Hugo Hall - He Makes Things Small - A strip about a kid who discovered a unique shrinking device with which he was able to reduce objects in size. Librarian Kay Easson said: “While this may be seen as a departure from our norm, Viz and The Lit and Phil are both great North-East institutions and we’re delighted to be working together.”Gilbert Ratchet – a boy who can invent anything, usually to solve people's bizarre "problems" as he comes across them. However, his inventions invariably cause far more problems of their own. Usually, the entire premise of the strip turns out to be a highly contrived misunderstanding. Gilbert's creator, Davey Jones, describes the character as "like (the Dandy's) Screwy Driver—only with more genital mutilation of vicars". Mrs Cedd, Her Anthony's Dead – a bereaved mother who constantly grieves for her dead son Anthony. When her husband points out that she herself murdered Anthony, she kills him too and then publicly bemoans being a widow. Hugh Phemism – He is unable to communicate in anything other than circumlocutory language, leading to predictable misunderstandings.