- Paperback: 228 pages
- Publisher: HarperCollins Entertainment (6 Jun 2005)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0007190972
- ISBN-13: 978-0007190973
- Product Dimensions: 19.4 x 12.8 x 2.8 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 634,080 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Plus, get an extra £5 Gift Certificate when you trade in books worth £10 or more before June 30, 2012. Visit the Books Trade-In Store for more details. |
Product details |
More About the Author
Product Description
AMAZON.CO.UK
Chris Donald is the founder and former editor of Viz, the tatty rag that began life in his bedroom and ultimately became Britain’s third best-selling magazine with a circulation of 1.2 million. Rude Kids is the story of the meteoric rise of the magazine but also Chris Donald’s story, including exciting episodes in his life such as being invited to dinner by Prince Charles, being questioned by New Scotland Yard’s Anti-Terrorist Branch, wining and dining Catherine Zeta Jones and catching his wife up to no good with Keith Richards in Peter Cook’s attic. In reality these episodes are merely the fluff sitting on the surface of Donald’s story of humble beginnings as the classroom creator of The Fat Crusader (the dour and boring schoolboy who could transform himself into a caped superhero) through the birth and development of classic Viz characters such as Roger Mellie, The Fat Slags, Millie-tant, Sid the Sexist, as well as lesser known but inspired pieces such as The Vibrating Bum-Faced Goats. The heart of the book is concerned with Donald and his fellow Viz collaborators, Jim, Graham, Simon and Thorpy in the day to day running of the magazine. It’s about the relationship with his money-hungry publisher, the magazines astonishing growth and the crap records, videos and documentaries that led to the decline in sales and a tarnished reputation. Interestingly, the man never did live the rock and roll lifestyle , didn’t do drugs, didn’t sleep around, never became an alcoholic and-- after the riches rolled in—still preferred to stay home and watch TV. Donald comes over as a sharp, self-deprecating bloke who hates naval-gazing, the advertising world and pretentious folk who use big words. Brutally honest about the things and people he dislikes as well as his own personal failures Donald tells a fast, entertaining and sometimes belly-laugh funny story about the years he lived and breathed Viz.--Larry Brown
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
‘Donald is lucid and engaging, and he’s affably disrespectful to the celebrities he meets when his life turns (relatively) showbiz.’ Q Magazine
‘Chris fires out jokes and anecdotes with the rapid-fire intensity and lewdness of Sid the Sexist downing seven like Newkie Broons.’ Front Magazine
'…a very good read. It is briskly executed in the Viz house style: a rude and brutally accurate tabloidese.' New Statesman
'….details his (Donald's) hilarious, bitter and often inspirational struggle to keep alive the spirit of something special as it moves towards the mainstream.'
The Observer
'…hugely enjoyable autobiography.' …'it's the irreverent portraits of the eccentrics he met along the way that make this book so amusing.' New Statesman
Suggested Tags from Similar Products(What's this?)Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)
|
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This book charts the story of Chris Donald, and how his love for cartoons resulted in the creation of the infamous ‘Viz’ magazine. If you’ve ever read Viz (and I’m assuming you have which is probably why you’re interested in this book) you’d expect a witty, acerbic account of how a comic haphazardly put together in a bedroom in Jesmond became the third biggest selling magazine in the country, and that is exactly what you get.
This book tells the tale of how Chris Donald coped (and sometimes didn’t cope) with the comic’s spectacular rise to fame. I was one of those stereotypical readers he mentions within the pages of this book; avidly read Viz at the height of its success and then dropped it like a hot potato a few years later. But it was wonderful to remember all those old and well loved characters, to discover how and why they were created and to also read of the behind the scenes bickering that often went on over their creation.
The author has a talent for making the entire story of the comic interesting; his memories are always juxtaposed with humour so that even the history of Viz’s publishing sales are both fascinating and funny. However I have to disagree with other readers’ comments about the book focusing on negative aspects like Chris’s depression; if anything, this was mentioned with Chris’s usual dry irony. And I think it was important that he did mention this, if only to prove the point that fame (kind of) and fortune isn’t always everything.
This book tells the tale of how Chris Donald coped (and sometimes didn’t cope) with the comic’s spectacular rise to fame. I was one of those stereotypical readers he mentions within the pages of this book; avidly read Viz at the height of its success and then dropped it like a hot potato a few years later. But it was wonderful to remember all those old and well loved characters, to discover how and why they were created and to also read of the behind the scenes bickering that often went on over their creation.
The author has a talent for making the entire story of the comic interesting; his memories are always juxtaposed with humour so that even the history of Viz’s publishing sales are both fascinating and funny. However I have to disagree with other readers’ comments about the book focusing on negative aspects like Chris’s depression; if anything, this was mentioned with Chris’s usual dry irony. And I think it was important that he did mention this, if only to prove the point that fame (kind of) and fortune isn’t always everything.
Having lived in Newcastle all my life definitely enhanced the enjoyment of this book too - reading Chris’s sharp and witty remarks about life in the toon made me literally laugh out loud in places, but even if you’re not a Geordie I’d still massively recommend this book. It’s a really funny, self-deprecating and honest tale of how a geeky trainspotter found his fortune, and then ultimately lost his passion for it.
Viz - it mightn’t be as funny as it used to be, but read this book and remember the good times.
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
To begin with, this book wasn't what I was expecting. Like another reviewer here, I anticipated an in-depth appraisal of the comic itself: the creation and development of its characters, the philosophy behind its subtly satirical editorial style, as well as background on the magazine's many contributors. And while the book touches on these subjects, the main star seems to be Chris Donald himself.
For the first half, he details the fairly interesting story of how a bunch of Geordie schoolboys came up with a humour magazine that would end up selling millions of copies. The characters are well-drawn, although Donald spends a disproportionate amount of time talking about his own input - justifiably, perhaps, as he created the comic, but really it wouldn't have hurt to hear a little more about the others involved, particularly minor but interesting contributors like John Fardell and Davey Jones.
Later, though, Chris Donald's writing style becomes rather wearing, and he's not nearly as funny as you'd think. His 'anecdotes' seem to swing between tiresome exercises in pointless name-dropping (often along the lines of 'I once received a cartoon from Arthur Matthews... who then went on to write Father Ted!' and 'I've met Catherine Zeta-Jones!') and some really quite bitter stories about his petty victories over rivals, friends and colleagues. This element of the book disappointed me the most, particularly as the whole angle of Viz has always been to ridicule such name-droppers and self-absorbed celebrities. 'Bouncing Back', anyone?
Despite this, it's not the worst autobiography I've read and fans of Viz should find something to enjoy here - but be warned that the book is far more about Chris than it is about Viz.
For the first half, he details the fairly interesting story of how a bunch of Geordie schoolboys came up with a humour magazine that would end up selling millions of copies. The characters are well-drawn, although Donald spends a disproportionate amount of time talking about his own input - justifiably, perhaps, as he created the comic, but really it wouldn't have hurt to hear a little more about the others involved, particularly minor but interesting contributors like John Fardell and Davey Jones.
Later, though, Chris Donald's writing style becomes rather wearing, and he's not nearly as funny as you'd think. His 'anecdotes' seem to swing between tiresome exercises in pointless name-dropping (often along the lines of 'I once received a cartoon from Arthur Matthews... who then went on to write Father Ted!' and 'I've met Catherine Zeta-Jones!') and some really quite bitter stories about his petty victories over rivals, friends and colleagues. This element of the book disappointed me the most, particularly as the whole angle of Viz has always been to ridicule such name-droppers and self-absorbed celebrities. 'Bouncing Back', anyone?
Despite this, it's not the worst autobiography I've read and fans of Viz should find something to enjoy here - but be warned that the book is far more about Chris than it is about Viz.
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
An incredibly engaging tale of a creative businessman who won't accept that he's a businessman and, of course, Viz comic, Chris Donald has written a corker of a book that I couldn't put down. Here's a guy who, with a lot of determination, got a comic about bums, willies and poo to become one of Britain's top selling magazines (the book, by the way, does not resort to toilet humour to get laughs). Most of how he did it is in here and some of it is laugh-out-loud hysterical.
The only thing that could be considered off-putting is the somewhat detached way he puts down almost everyone and anyone. For example: John Brown, his long-suffering publisher, is portrayed in a number of ways, most of them unflattering - which is ironic considering how much blood, sweat & tears Brown seemed to put into the job. It's sometimes hard to tell if Donald is being intentionally cruel or just joking. Other people get similar treatment (Harry Enfield anyone?) and when their only crime was trying to help it's difficult to reconcile Donald's overly harsh tone. It's far easier to forgive the self-described train spotter filling every few pages with innumerable sales figures detailing Viz's career which do get boring after a while.
Still, it's a great read and the desire to pull out all my old Viz collections and read them all again is only tempered by the fact that I can't be bothered.
Tee, as they say, hee.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Warts and all. But especially warts.
There is good and bad in this book. The good news is that it is always an interesting and page-turning read. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Glidd of Glood
Period piece
I never expected to be charmed by this, but charmed I am being. (We're now up to #3). Like Nick Park the self-effacing Donald is an English original. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Simon G. Barrett
An engaging memoir
An absorbing memoir, written remarkably well in a simple and appealing style. I admit to being biased about the subject matter, but Chris' prose is genuinely engaging. Read more
Published on 3 April 2010 by Jason
A cautionary tale of when dreams come true
Imagine - you draw rude and amusing cartoons in your bedroom because you love doing so, then find it becomes a cult and eventually ends up selling millions, earning you fame and... Read more
Published on 8 April 2007 by Jl Adcock
Very dry and hugely entertaining.
I admit to being a long-standing fan of Chris Donald's writing in Viz, so to get a book length portion is something of a treat. Read more
Published on 2 Oct 2005 by Mr Stephen J Beckett
viz fans only
not too bad, gets a bit dull later on. some good stories of donald's early life and work (particularly working for the DHSS). Read more
Published on 26 Sep 2005 by Mr. Malvern S. May
Probably Only For Viz Fans
I have to admit that I love Viz. I've subscribed for years despite the fact that it is not as funny as it used to be, so I looked forwards to Chris Donalds autobiography with some... Read more
Published on 1 Dec 2004 by Paul Johnson
The Feasible Story of Chris Donald
I've been reading Viz since issue 31 (about 1987?) and have always been fascinated by the sublime blend of stunning artwork social commentry and irreverant, self effacing, whacky... Read more
Published on 25 Nov 2004 by Mark G
Worth a look
Entertaining look at the rise and fall of that great British institution, Viz. However, the first half, which charts the rise of the comic, is much more enjoyable than the second. Read more
Published on 19 Oct 2004 by "sthompson136"
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
