Oink! (comic)
Encyclopedia
Oink! was a British comic for children which was published from 3 May 1986-22 October 1988. It set out to be deliberately anarchic, reminiscent of Viz but for children.
Part of its difference in the marketplace was that it attracted writers and cartoonists from a wide range of previous disciplines. It was devised, launched and edited by Patrick Gallagher, Private Eye
regular contributor Tony Husband and Mark Rodgers; although within the fiction of the comic it was "edited" by a character called Uncle Pigg (similar to 2000 AD
s Tharg the Mighty
). Other featured artists and writers were Husband's Private Eye colleague Haldane
, ex-The Fall member and future BBC Radio 1
radio host Marc "Lard" Riley
, Malcolm Douglas
, future Viz
contributors Davy Thorp and Chris Donald
, future Beano
writer/artist Kev F Sutherland, future Marvel artist, writer and editor & current SpongeBob SquarePants Magazine editor David Leach and satirical media commentator-to-be Charlie Brooker
.
Oink! proved somewhat controversial, with various conservative groups and a chain of newsagents branding it offensive and unsuitable for children and succeeding in having it top-shelved in newsagents away from other comics, thus damaging its sales potential to its young target audience.
Originally a fortnightly publication, it became weekly and finally monthly and was finally wound up after 68 issues, merging with Buster
after the comic's founders, Patrick Gallagher, Tony Husband and Mark Rodgers, were offered a TV deal.
In 1987 Oink! was made into a computer game of the same name.
Aside from straightforward comic strips, the comic would also include spoof news items, adverts and so forth. There were also regular photo stories, with photography by James Gallagher, often starring Snatcher Sam, who was 'played' by Mark Riley.
For most of the comic's run, each issue had a theme (e.g., Christmas
, holidays, family etc.) which often allowed the comic to experiment. One issue (dubbed "Oink! goes Peculiar") showed everything going wrong in the Oink! offices, leading to strips being printed upside down or being drawn by the wrong artist etc., as well as the whole issue being printed on a smaller size of paper than usual. In another issue, Uncle Pigg and the Plops all went on holiday, leaving a skeleton staff to produce the comic.
Real-life personalities often appeared or were parodied, such as Radio 1 DJs Steve Wright and Janice Long
. Russell Grant
and his horoscopes were also parodied as "Russell Grunt's Hogoscopes". An item on how the poll tax
meant people owning parrots had to pay tax unless they were members of the Conservative Party
was read out in the House of Commons
.
Some items aimed slightly over their target audience's heads - in one strip, Weedy Willy wandered around moaning whilst being followed by a shadowy stranger who was writing down everything he said - for example, "Oh, I would go out tonight but I haven't got a stitch to wear," and "Heaven knows, I'm miserable now." At the end of the strip, the figure was revealed as Steven Morrissey
, getting ideas.
The first issue came with a free flexi-disk single - Poo Poo Tinkle Tinkle Parp Parp Oink Tiddly Widdly Widdly Widdly Plop.
Part of its difference in the marketplace was that it attracted writers and cartoonists from a wide range of previous disciplines. It was devised, launched and edited by Patrick Gallagher, Private Eye
Private Eye
Private Eye is a fortnightly British satirical and current affairs magazine, edited by Ian Hislop.Since its first publication in 1961, Private Eye has been a prominent critic and lampooner of public figures and entities that it deemed guilty of any of the sins of incompetence, inefficiency,...
regular contributor Tony Husband and Mark Rodgers; although within the fiction of the comic it was "edited" by a character called Uncle Pigg (similar to 2000 AD
2000 AD (comic)
2000 AD is a weekly British science fiction-oriented comic. As a comics anthology it serialises a number of separate stories each issue and was first published by IPC Magazines in 1977, the first issue dated 26 February. IPC then shifted the title to its Fleetway comics subsidiary which was sold...
s Tharg the Mighty
Tharg the Mighty
The Mighty Tharg is a recurrent character in science fiction comic 2000 AD, one of only two characters to appear in nearly every issue of the comic...
). Other featured artists and writers were Husband's Private Eye colleague Haldane
Haldane
-People:* A. R. B. Haldane, social historian and author* Charlotte Haldane, British feminist writer* Daniel Rutherford Haldane, Scottish physician* Elizabeth Haldane, first female Justice of the Peace in Scotland...
, ex-The Fall member and future BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
radio host Marc "Lard" Riley
Marc Riley
Marc Riley is a British musician, alternative rock critic and radio DJ on BBC 6 Music. Formerly a member of The Fall, he had his own record label, In-Tape, and also worked as a record plugger...
, Malcolm Douglas
Malcolm Douglas (illustrator)
Malcolm Douglas was an illustrator and an avid fan of folk music. He died aged 54 in March 2009.-Biography:He was educated at Trinity School of John Whitgift and Sheffield University where he volunteered to illustrate a student union newspaper, a decision which sparked his career as an illustrator...
, future Viz
Viz
Viz. and the adverb videlicet are used as synonyms for "namely", "that is to say", and "as follows".-Etymology:...
contributors Davy Thorp and Chris Donald
Chris Donald
Chris Donald is the founder of, and one of the principal contributors to, the British comic magazine Viz...
, future Beano
Beano
Beano can refer to:* The Beano, a British children's comic* Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton, a 1966 John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers album nicknamed The Beano Album as the cover shows Clapton reading a Beano comic...
writer/artist Kev F Sutherland, future Marvel artist, writer and editor & current SpongeBob SquarePants Magazine editor David Leach and satirical media commentator-to-be Charlie Brooker
Charlie Brooker
Charlton "Charlie" Brooker is a British journalist, comic writer and broadcaster. His style of humour is savage and profane, with surreal elements and a consistent satirical pessimism...
.
Oink! proved somewhat controversial, with various conservative groups and a chain of newsagents branding it offensive and unsuitable for children and succeeding in having it top-shelved in newsagents away from other comics, thus damaging its sales potential to its young target audience.
Originally a fortnightly publication, it became weekly and finally monthly and was finally wound up after 68 issues, merging with Buster
Buster (comic)
Buster was a long-running British comic which carried a mixture of humour and adventure strips, although the former increasingly replaced the latter...
after the comic's founders, Patrick Gallagher, Tony Husband and Mark Rodgers, were offered a TV deal.
In 1987 Oink! was made into a computer game of the same name.
Notable strips
Some of the most popular recurring characters in the comic were:- Uncle Pigg, whose staff were known as the Plops (apparently, sentient mounds of faeces) and who had an ongoing battle with conservative critic Mary Lighthouse (an obvious parodyParodyA parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
of Mary WhitehouseMary WhitehouseMary Whitehouse, CBE was a British campaigner against the permissive society particularly as the media portrayed and reflected it...
) - The Streethogs
- Harry the Head (he was only a head)
- Billy's Brain (he was only a brain)
- Horace "Ugly Face" Watkins
- Weedy Willy
- Pete and his Pimple (the Pimple was on Pete's nose and was bigger than he was)
- The Secret Diary of Hadrian Vile (an obvious parody of Adrian MoleAdrian MoleAdrian Albert Mole is the fictional protagonist in a series of books by English author Sue Townsend. The character first appeared in a BBC Radio 4 play in 1982. The books are written in the form of a diary, with some additional content such as correspondence...
) - Tom ThugTom ThugTom Thug was the title of a long running comic strip in the British comic Buster. However, it first began in Oink! in May 1986. Created by cartoonist Lew Stringer, Tom was encouraged by his skinhead father to be a school bully like he used to be. However, Tom was so incompetent he couldn't even tie...
(who spent most of the first six months of publication attempting to tie his shoelaces) - Mr Bignose
- Burp The Smelly Alien (who could talk to his internal organs, many of which could talk back)
- Rubbishman (a superheroSuperheroA superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
) - Hugo the Hungry Hippo
- Cowpat County
- Frank SidebottomFrank SidebottomChristopher Mark Sievey was an English musician and comedian known for fronting the band The Freshies in the late 1970s and early 1980s and for his comic persona Frank Sidebottom from 1984 onwards....
- Psycho Gran
Aside from straightforward comic strips, the comic would also include spoof news items, adverts and so forth. There were also regular photo stories, with photography by James Gallagher, often starring Snatcher Sam, who was 'played' by Mark Riley.
For most of the comic's run, each issue had a theme (e.g., Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
, holidays, family etc.) which often allowed the comic to experiment. One issue (dubbed "Oink! goes Peculiar") showed everything going wrong in the Oink! offices, leading to strips being printed upside down or being drawn by the wrong artist etc., as well as the whole issue being printed on a smaller size of paper than usual. In another issue, Uncle Pigg and the Plops all went on holiday, leaving a skeleton staff to produce the comic.
Real-life personalities often appeared or were parodied, such as Radio 1 DJs Steve Wright and Janice Long
Janice Long
Janice Long is an English radio broadcaster currently working on BBC Radio 2. Her show is on Sunday to Thursday nights from midnight to 02:00. She is the older sister of TV and radio personality Keith Chegwin.-Early career:...
. Russell Grant
Russell Grant
Russell John Dammerall Grant is a British astrologer and media personality. He has written several books on Astrology, provides syndicated newspaper horoscopes and operates premium rate astrology phone lines. In March 2010, he began offering a "Pet Psychic" service...
and his horoscopes were also parodied as "Russell Grunt's Hogoscopes". An item on how the poll tax
Community Charge
The Community Charge, popularly known as the "poll tax", was a system of taxation introduced in replacement of the rates to part fund local government in Scotland from 1989, and England and Wales from 1990. It provided for a single flat-rate per-capita tax on every adult, at a rate set by the...
meant people owning parrots had to pay tax unless they were members of the Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
was read out in the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
.
Some items aimed slightly over their target audience's heads - in one strip, Weedy Willy wandered around moaning whilst being followed by a shadowy stranger who was writing down everything he said - for example, "Oh, I would go out tonight but I haven't got a stitch to wear," and "Heaven knows, I'm miserable now." At the end of the strip, the figure was revealed as Steven Morrissey
Morrissey
Steven Patrick Morrissey , known as Morrissey, is an English singer and lyricist. He rose to prominence in the 1980s as the lyricist and vocalist of the alternative rock band The Smiths. The band was highly successful in the United Kingdom but broke up in 1987, and Morrissey began a solo career,...
, getting ideas.
The first issue came with a free flexi-disk single - Poo Poo Tinkle Tinkle Parp Parp Oink Tiddly Widdly Widdly Widdly Plop.
External links
- Tony Husband - One of the three 'Oink!' editors and award winning cartoonist
- Malcolm Douglas - sensational 'Oink!' artist
- Lew Stringer - prolific 'Oink!' artist
- 'Oink!' Facebook group - The new 'Oink!' Facebook group, set up by fans and has many of the comic's contributors as members
- 'Oink!' Online - many scans of 'Oink!' issues
- 'Oink!' - the Controversial Children's Comic, h2g2H2g2h2g2 is a British-based collaborative online encyclopedia project engaged in the construction of, in its own words, "an unconventional guide to life, the universe, and everything", in the spirit of the fictional publication The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy from the science fiction comedy series...
- Oink! The Computer Game