Comedy mag (what was it called?) Posted Fri May 26 11:25:19 BST 2000 by Jon

One of you must remeber that there was a monthly magazine about comedy, called "Gag" or "Punchline" or something, in the early/mid 90s. I looked at a copy once, the only thing I can remember is a column by Stewart Lee, which had a very funny piss-take of 'The End' by The Doors: "The killer arose before dawn... went to the garage to buy a pint of milk and some fags..." - something like that.

Anyone remember the mag?

Subject: Re: Comedy mag (what was it called?) [ Previous Message ]
Posted By jason hazeley on Fri May 26 14:58:56 BST 2000:

was it comedy review, ca 1996? had a regular column by peter baynham and lots of l&h leanings. also keen on (though fucked around by) morris.

j xxx

Subject: Re: Comedy mag (what was it called?) [ Previous Message ]
Posted By Alan on Fri May 26 15:06:02 BST 2000:

'The Heckler' was early nineties - might have been that.

Subject: Re: Comedy mag (what was it called?) [ Previous Message ]
Posted By Jon on Fri May 26 16:00:44 BST 2000:

It might be either, but I'm sure it was called 'Gagtime', something like that. It was defunct by about '96, no later.

Subject: Re: Comedy mag (what was it called?) [ Previous Message ]
Posted By Mel on Fri May 26 16:18:33 BST 2000:

There was one called DeadPan, one called Comedy Review and then there was Scallywag, which wasn't strictly a comedy mag, (it was more like a snarling, highly libellous bastard son of Private Eye) but it did have The Heckler as a pull-out section in the middle, I think. Incidentally John Major tried to sue Scallywag after it alleged he had an extra-marital affair.

Subject: Re: Comedy mag (what was it called?) [ Previous Message ]
Posted By The Corpses on Fri May 26 17:16:12 BST 2000:

Deadpan (1994-95) came from the 'don't talk to us about comedy, we're too pissed ha ha' perspective and had a really horrid typeface. Comedy Review (1996), despite being edited by Danny Wallace, was very well-written in comparison.

There was also a magazine called Comedy which ran for one issue in 1994. Its cover, featuring a photo of innocent non-rapist Craig Charles about a week before his arrest, may have contributed to its downfall...

Why don't comedy magazine survive, we wonder?



Subject: Re: Comedy mag (what was it called?) [ Previous Message ]
Posted By Anonymous on Fri May 26 19:04:18 BST 2000:

Comedy magazine was given the option of running with Rob Newman as the cover story (they had already penned a piece on him for the cover of issue 2), as CC was arrested just a couple of days before Comedy went to press, but chose instead to run with the more controversial cover.

Issue 2 never made it to the newsstands.

Incidentally, Comedy Review, towards the end of their short tenure, ran a cover with Steve Coogan. Anyone who bought the magazine would have been upset (like I was) to discover that it didn't actually contain an
interview with him.

Subject: Re: Comedy mag (what was it called?) [ Previous Message ]
Posted By Jon on Fri May 26 19:12:32 BST 2000:

It was definitely 'Deadpan' that I have the memories of. Thankyou for supplying the name. For confirmation, Rob S will have to check with S.Lee about the material I mentioned. Anyway, what do people remember about 'Deadpan'? Was it any good?

Subject: Re: Comedy mag (what was it called?) [ Previous Message ]
Posted By Hamburger3 on Mon May 29 23:37:05 BST 2000:

I did read Deadpan, but I have just been looking at some old comedy stuff in a drawer, and I have got the first two cover tapes from Comedy Review.

They have got on them:

Tape 1


1. Sean Hughes - Parents
2. Stephen Fry - The letter
3. Eddie Izzard - Advertising/Are you happy with your wash ?
4. Peter Cook - The end of the world bit


Tape 2

1. Billy Connoly - Drinking
2. Arnold Brown - Pubs and Patisseries
3. Mark Steel - Pub Piano Song
4. Michael Bentine - The bishop of sydney
5. Matt Welcome - What you CAN do ...
6. Larry Miller - The five levels of drinking



Subject: Re: Comedy mag (what was it called?) [ Previous Message ]
Posted By Jon on Tue May 30 11:19:14 BST 2000:

How could a mag that was giving away free Mark Steel and Arnold Brown routines have possibly failed? What do readers want - pictures of semi-naked women or something?

Subject: Re: Comedy mag (what was it called?) [ Previous Message ]
Posted By Hamburger3 on Wed May 31 20:21:01 BST 2000:

I agree completly. I guess that the market for a specialist comedy mag is very small, and most people are not into comedy in a big way and get their info from tv progs and mags like heat.

I would buy any new well written comedy mags that come out, but I dont think another one will come out for a long time.

Subject: Re: Comedy mag (what was it called?) [ Previous Message ]
Posted By Justin on Fri Jun 2 23:59:04 BST 2000:

>I agree completly. I guess that the market for a specialist comedy mag is very small, and most people are not into comedy in a big way and get their info from tv progs and mags like heat.
>
Incredible, though in a way - you'd think that the obsession with niche marketing would make these things successful. How is it that there's no real humour magazine anymore - apart from Viz, which still has its moments, but usually in the news items rather than the strips? (I'm not even counting Private Eye.)


>I would buy any new well written comedy mags that come out, but I dont think another one will come out for a long time.

Think you're right, unfortunately. Could The Corpses oblige - mind you, on second thoughts, they've already offended some of the more occasional visitors to the site, so God knows what would happen to the circulation of a magazine.

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