Oink! (comic)

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Oink! was the title of a British comic for children which was published from 3 May 1986-22 October 1988. It set out to be deliberately anarchic, a sort of version of Viz for children, being "edited" by a character called Uncle Pigg (similar to 2000 AD's Tharg the Mighty).

Part of Oink!'s difference in the marketplace was that it attracted a higher calibre of writers and cartoonists, from a wider range of previous disciplines. Among those featured were Private Eye regular contributors Tony Husband and Haldane, ex-The Fall member and future radio host Marc Riley, and satirical media commentator-to be Charlie Brooker.

Oink! proved somewhat controversial, with various conservative groups branding it offensive and unsuitable for children and succeeding in having it pulled from newsagents' shelves on several occasions.

Although popular with its core readership, its notoriety led to dwindling sales. Originally a fortnightly publication, it became weekly and finally monthly and was finally wound up after 68 issues, merging with Buster, after being sold to the newspaper tycoon Robert Maxwell.

[edit] Notable strips

Some of the most popular recurring characters in the comic were:

Uncle Pigg, whose staff were known as the Plops (apperently, sentient mounds of faeces) and who had an ongoing battle with conservative critic Mary Lighthouse (an obvious parody of Mary Whitehouse)
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 Mole)
Tom Thug (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)
Rubbishman (a superhero)
Hugo the Hungry Hippo
Cowpat County
Frank Sidebottom

Aside from straightforward comic strips, the comic would also include spoof news items, adverts and so forth. There were also regular photo stories, often starring Snatcher Sam.

[edit] Trivia

Each issue had a theme (e.g., Christmas, holidays, family etc.) allowing the comic to experiment. Notably, 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.
In one issue, Uncle Pigg and the Plops all went on holiday, leaving a literal skeleton staff to staff the comic.
Radio 1 DJ Steve Wright was often lampooned in the comic, which had an irreverent attitude to many public figures.
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.
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 Morrissey, getting ideas.
Poo Poo Tinkle Tinkle Parp Parp Oink Tiddly Widdly Widdly Widdly Plop - taken from the flexi-disk single that came with the first issue - was a playground cry in 1986.