UT (comic)
Encyclopedia
UT was a British
adult comic that was published monthly in the mid-1990s.
The title began as a weekly pop music parody strip by Kev F Sutherland and Russ Carvell in the music paper Sounds
, running from 1987 until Sounds final issue in 1991. When Sutherland got the chance to create a new humour magazine in September 1991 he revived the strip's name, with Carvell drawing the covers and lead movie parody strips.
Edited by Sutherland, UT was one of many comics emulating the success of Viz
; however it attempted to engage the quality end of the market, with a variety of strips by talented and established cartoon
ists, TV
satire
s, and supposedly intelligent (for the genre
) subject matter.
However, in order to obtain financial backing, it required to be published by Sport Newspapers
, who also publish the semi-pornographical tabloid Sunday Sport
- as a result, UT featured a large number of pornographic adverts and Sport branding in some contrast to its content. A recurring theme throughout the comic was a fictionalised version of Sutherland battling with a stereotypical pornographer, a fat, balding lech constantly trying to add salacious content to the strips.
UT was published from late 1991 to early 1993, and included two reprint specials. Its sister titles Gag, Kack and Bloody Hell ran for only a few more months.
The name UT, chosen by Sutherland for the musical parody strip, came from the original first word of the tonic scale as taught to Victorian schoolchildren, i.e. "Ut-re-me-fa-so-la-te-do" which later became "Do-re-mi". UT Productions Ltd is the name of the company of which Sutherland is a director.
Strips included:
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
adult comic that was published monthly in the mid-1990s.
The title began as a weekly pop music parody strip by Kev F Sutherland and Russ Carvell in the music paper Sounds
Sounds (magazine)
Sounds was a long-term British music paper, published weekly from 10 October 1970 – 6 April 1991. It was produced by Spotlight Publications , which was set up by Jack Hutton and Peter Wilkinson, who left "Melody Maker" to start their own company...
, running from 1987 until Sounds final issue in 1991. When Sutherland got the chance to create a new humour magazine in September 1991 he revived the strip's name, with Carvell drawing the covers and lead movie parody strips.
Edited by Sutherland, UT was one of many comics emulating the success of Viz
Viz (comic)
Viz is a popular British comic magazine which has been running since 1979.The comic's style parodies British comics of the post-war period, notably The Beano and The Dandy, but with incongruous language, crude toilet humour, black comedy, surreal humour and either sexual or violent storylines...
; however it attempted to engage the quality end of the market, with a variety of strips by talented and established cartoon
Cartoon
A cartoon is a form of two-dimensional illustrated visual art. While the specific definition has changed over time, modern usage refers to a typically non-realistic or semi-realistic drawing or painting intended for satire, caricature, or humor, or to the artistic style of such works...
ists, TV
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
satire
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
s, and supposedly intelligent (for the genre
Genre
Genre , Greek: genos, γένος) is the term for any category of literature or other forms of art or culture, e.g. music, and in general, any type of discourse, whether written or spoken, audial or visual, based on some set of stylistic criteria. Genres are formed by conventions that change over time...
) subject matter.
However, in order to obtain financial backing, it required to be published by Sport Newspapers
Sport Newspapers
Sport Newspapers is the English publishing firm responsible for The Daily Sport, Sunday Sport and a number of mid-shelf and top shelf magazine titles such as Adult Sport, Sport Babes, Sport Reader's Wives and Ladsmag....
, who also publish the semi-pornographical tabloid Sunday Sport
Sunday Sport
Sunday Sport is a British tabloid newspaper, published by Sport Newspapers, which was established in 1986. It prints plainly ludicrous stories, such as a double-decker London bus being found frozen in the Antarctic ice, or a World War II bomber found on the moon. Defenders of the paper pointed out...
- as a result, UT featured a large number of pornographic adverts and Sport branding in some contrast to its content. A recurring theme throughout the comic was a fictionalised version of Sutherland battling with a stereotypical pornographer, a fat, balding lech constantly trying to add salacious content to the strips.
UT was published from late 1991 to early 1993, and included two reprint specials. Its sister titles Gag, Kack and Bloody Hell ran for only a few more months.
The name UT, chosen by Sutherland for the musical parody strip, came from the original first word of the tonic scale as taught to Victorian schoolchildren, i.e. "Ut-re-me-fa-so-la-te-do" which later became "Do-re-mi". UT Productions Ltd is the name of the company of which Sutherland is a director.
Strips included:
- Arthur Pilkington - a Conan the BarbarianConan the BarbarianConan the Barbarian is a fictional sword and sorcery hero that originated in pulp fiction magazines and has since been adapted to books, comics, several films , television programs, video games, roleplaying games and other media...
lampoon involving accountants - Blunderbirds - a satire of ThunderBirds
- Fat Frank (of the Taxi Rank) - a taxiTaxicabA taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice...
driver - Rainbro - Rainbow with Zippy as a foul-mouthed bully.
- Special Agent Smegg - one of an interlocking set of strips involving the pupils in a public schoolPublic School (UK)A public school, in common British usage, is a school that is neither administered nor financed by the state or from taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of endowments, tuition fees and charitable contributions, usually existing as a non profit-making charitable trust...
in the 1960s through to modern times. Described as "a James BondJames BondJames Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
parody with knob gags." - Thud and Bud - a pair of ineffectual nightclubNightclubA nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
bouncerBouncer (doorman)A bouncer is an informal term for a type of security guard employed at venues such as bars, nightclubs or concerts to provide security, check legal age, and refuse entry to a venue based on criteria such as intoxication, aggressive behavior, or attractiveness...
s