VIZ Annual 2011: The Five Knuckle Shuffle / Out now
5th October 2010
VIZ - the self-styled "third or fourth funniest magazine in Britain (possibly fifth)" - is firmly established as a national institution, just like Broadmoor Hospital for the Criminally Insane. The magazine's irreverent mix of bad language, childish cartoons and sharp satire has seen its creators hauled over the coals by the United Nations, questioned by Scotland Yard's anti-terrorist branch and exhibited in the Tate Gallery.
Each year Viz publishes a hardback annual of the best bits from recent issues, and 2010 is no exception. The Five Knuckle Shuffle (160pp, Dennis Publishing, £10.99 or thereabouts) features plenty of cartoon favourites such as the Fat Slags, Sid the Sexist, Biffa Bacon and Mrs Brady, as well as brand new adventures with The Children of the Priory Clinic, The Fabulous Furry Freak Chuckle Brothers, The Pubic Louse of St Hilda's and many more.
Add to this already overflowing mix a generous helping of Letters, Top Tips and free gifts, not to mention photo-stories, hilarious articles and spoof ads, and you've got a hardback volume that could easily chin any other book in the Humour section. Especially if they'd just spilled its pint. Indeed, The Five Knuckle Shuffle has this message for its competitors: "Come and have a go if you think you're hard enough."
Hot on the heels of other successful Viz books, including Roger's Profanisaurus: Das Krapital and Top of the Tips, this latest collection of sweary, lairy filth has been handpicked fresh from the bowl by Simon Thorp, Graham Dury and Davey Jones, the legendary Newcastle-based cartoonists who have been keeping the chuckles chuckling for the last 25 years.
The VIZ Annual 2011: The Five Knuckle Shuffle is out now - Click here to buy from Amazon
For excerpts, images, features, interviews and further information, please contact daniel.freeman@midaspr.co.uk
