Christmas frolics on the top shelf

Cover art by the brilliant Simon Thorp.

You know it's November when the Christmas issue of Viz hits the shops, and the festive edition is indeed on the top shelves of all respectable newsagents from this week. The 52 page comic has its traditional free gift too, in the form of a 2017 Top Tips Calendar! This remarkable 28 page magazine can be pulled out of Viz in the same way that children across the land used to roughly pull out Chips from Whizzer thus diminishing any anticipated future resale value when those readers reached their twilight years.  

You can then hang your free calendar on your wall, although you'll first need to use a hole punch to make that possible, as Fulchester Industries haven't included a free hole with the publication. It does have its own staples though, so at least it won't fall to bits.

But enough about the free gift. "Tell us what's in the bloomin' comic, Mr.Blimey!" you all cry. Well, there's all your Viz favourites, if your favourites include The Fat Slags, Drunken Bakers, Ivan Jellical, Spawny Get, and not The Pathetic Sharks, Suicidal Syd, or Felix and his Amazing Underpants. (Note to self: Send new script ideas to Viz in 2017, you've been promising to do it for months!)

Seriously though, the strips are all brilliant, as are the satirical features. For 37 years, Viz has been one of the best, and certainly the funniest, British comics on the market and deserves your support. Don't be one of those grumpy "I've never read a copy and I never will but I'll prejudge it anyway" types. Reach up to the top shelf, plonk down your £3.20, and treat yourself for Christmas. 

As long as you're over 18, naturally.