Toxic magazine was launched in September 2002 by London-based Egmont Publishing UK. The intention was to address the elusive boys' magazine market. By including reviews of DVDs, video games, movies, sport features and the like, combined with irreverent toilet humour and original comic strips, the magazine proved to be extremely successful and continues to be published.
Toxic is "edited" by Team Toxic, a group of creatures under the supervision of Doc Shock. Designed by the cartoonist Jon Rushby, Team Toxic also appear in a regular two-page comic strip in the magazine, written and drawn by Lew Stringer. Other comic strips include Count Von Poo by Jamie Smart, Rex written by John A. Short and drawn by Alex Paterson and starting in issue 116 Robin Hoodie by John A. Short and artist Laura Howell. Former editor Matt Yeo has stated, in an interview with John Freeman, "I've always said from day one that the comic content of TOXIC is essential to its success". [1]
The current comic strips are Busted Bieber, Team Toxic, Captain Gross, Bro Vs Bro and Luke's Spooks, as of August 2011.
Initially launched as a monthly title, Toxic increased frequency to every three weeks with issue 14, then to fortnightly with issue 34.
Since January 2011, Toxic has been edited by former Shoot editor and Nuts journalist Frank Tennyson.
Despite its title, it has no connection with the comic Toxic! which appeared in the 1990s.
Another magazine by the same name was launched in January 2005 with a focus on content for men. That Toxic magazine is currently being published as an online publication since February 2006.