Suicidal Syd
Encyclopedia
Suicidal Syd is a character in the British adult comic Viz. Strips featuring Syd are usually drawn by Lew Stringer
, an artist and regular contributor to the comic.
Syd is an extreme manic depressive, who becomes suicidal over minor occurrences and then attempts to commit suicide
in various ways that are often surreal, topical and farcical; e.g. in one strip he draws what he thinks is a cartoon of Muhammad
and shows it to a group of fanatical Islamists
, hoping they will murder him, but he then realises he has actually drawn a picture of Muhammad Ali
. All of his attempts fail. He then recovers from his depression, only to be killed in some other way afterwards, which is often related to the reason why he became depressed in the first place.
For example, in one story he becomes depressed at the lack of moral standards in the world after being invited to take part in a threesome with a man and his girlfriend. Eventually he gets a toy car lodged in his throat, and a passer-by performs the Heimlich manoeuvre to dislodge the car. Syd then regains his faith in humanity... and then a pair of Neo-Nazis club him to death believing that he is gay. Another darkly amusing strip sees him walking into a local overspill estate
dressed up as a paedophile, but then the baying mob does not kill him as a coach load of trainspotters getting off confuses them. Later on in the strip he goes into a pub in the East End of London
and threatens the local gangsters. Characters who bear uncanny resemblances to Dave Courtney
and the late Lenny McLean
say they would love to kill him but they are too busy signing copies of their biographies.
Occasionally, Syd's demise refers to a recent topical event or celebrity scandal. Examples include winning a flight to New York only for the flight to be hijacked by terrorists, getting to sleep with an attractive rich woman whose husband turns out to be O.J. Simpson, getting to go to a private pool party organised by Michael Barrymore
and getting to present Top Gear
with his first assignment to try and break the land speed record in the same car driven by Richard Hammond
.
Lew Stringer
-Biography:Stringer began his career from the late 1970s with a series of fanzines, many featuring his popular Brickman character; these were read by several pro creators who encouraged Stringer to try comics as a profession and Stringer recalls that "Alan Moore actually introduced me to one of...
, an artist and regular contributor to the comic.
Syd is an extreme manic depressive, who becomes suicidal over minor occurrences and then attempts to commit suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
in various ways that are often surreal, topical and farcical; e.g. in one strip he draws what he thinks is a cartoon of Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
and shows it to a group of fanatical Islamists
Islamism
Islamism also , lit., "Political Islam" is set of ideologies holding that Islam is not only a religion but also a political system. Islamism is a controversial term, and definitions of it sometimes vary...
, hoping they will murder him, but he then realises he has actually drawn a picture of Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali is an American former professional boxer, philanthropist and social activist...
. All of his attempts fail. He then recovers from his depression, only to be killed in some other way afterwards, which is often related to the reason why he became depressed in the first place.
For example, in one story he becomes depressed at the lack of moral standards in the world after being invited to take part in a threesome with a man and his girlfriend. Eventually he gets a toy car lodged in his throat, and a passer-by performs the Heimlich manoeuvre to dislodge the car. Syd then regains his faith in humanity... and then a pair of Neo-Nazis club him to death believing that he is gay. Another darkly amusing strip sees him walking into a local overspill estate
Overspill estate
An overspill estate is a housing estate planned and built for the rehousing of people from decaying inner city areas usually as part of the process of slum clearance....
dressed up as a paedophile, but then the baying mob does not kill him as a coach load of trainspotters getting off confuses them. Later on in the strip he goes into a pub in the East End of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and threatens the local gangsters. Characters who bear uncanny resemblances to Dave Courtney
Dave Courtney
Dave Courtney is a self-proclaimed British former gangster who has become both an author and celebrity-gangster figure...
and the late Lenny McLean
Lenny McLean
Leonard John "Lenny" McLean , also known as "The Guv'nor," was an East End of London bareknuckle fighter, bouncer, criminal and prisoner, author, businessman, bodyguard, enforcer, weightlifter, television presenter and actor, and has been referred to as "the hardest man in Britain".McLean's...
say they would love to kill him but they are too busy signing copies of their biographies.
Occasionally, Syd's demise refers to a recent topical event or celebrity scandal. Examples include winning a flight to New York only for the flight to be hijacked by terrorists, getting to sleep with an attractive rich woman whose husband turns out to be O.J. Simpson, getting to go to a private pool party organised by Michael Barrymore
Michael Barrymore
Michael Kieron Parker , better known by his stage name Michael Barrymore, is a British comedian who appeared as a presenter of game shows and light entertainment programmes on British television in the 1980s and 1990s. These included Strike It Lucky, My Kind of People, My Kind of Music and Kids Say...
and getting to present Top Gear
Top Gear (current format)
Top Gear is a British television series about motor vehicles, primarily cars. It began in 1977 as a conventional motoring magazine show. Over time, and especially since a relaunch in 2002, it has developed a quirky, humorous style...
with his first assignment to try and break the land speed record in the same car driven by Richard Hammond
Richard Hammond
Richard Mark Hammond is an English broadcaster, writer, and journalist most noted for co-hosting car programme Top Gear with Jeremy Clarkson and James May, as well as presenting Brainiac: Science Abuse on Sky 1.-Early life:...
.