View source for Chris Donald

{{Short description|Cartoonist}}
{{About|the cartoonist|the guitar player from rock band Sha Na Na|Vincent Taylor (musician)}}
{{Distinguish|Kriss Donald}}
{{BLP sources|date=November 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

'''Chris Donald''' (born 25 April 1960) is the founder of, and one of the principal contributors to, the [[United Kingdom|British]] [[British comic|comic magazine]] ''[[Viz (comic)|Viz]]''.

==Biography==
Donald was born in [[Newcastle upon Tyne|Newcastle]], England. He attended West Jesmond Primary School,<ref>[http://www.communitychannel.org/content/view/2666 communitychannel.org]{{dead link|date=November 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> and then Heaton Comprehensive School, where he failed his [[Advanced Level (UK)|A-levels]]. The forerunner of ''Viz'' was a series of small comic booklets, titled "The Fat Crusader", drawn on the back of Esso Blue invoice pads and secretly circulated around classrooms at Heaton School – first amongst pupils, and later penetrating the staff room – between 1976 and 1978. In October 1978, having failed to achieve sufficient qualifications to continue his education, Donald began work as a clerical officer at the [[Department of Health and Social Security|DHSS]] central office in [[Longbenton]], [[Newcastle upon Tyne|Newcastle]].

Donald, together with his brother [[Simon Donald|Simon]] and a schoolfriend Jim Brownlow, set up ''Viz'' in December 1979 from a bedroom in [[Jesmond]], Newcastle.<ref name="GuardianHodgson">{{cite web |last1=Hodgson |first1=Jessica |title=Brown bids for Viz |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2001/may/25/pressandpublishing.citynews |website=the Guardian |language=en |date=25 May 2001}}</ref> He was editor (or head of the "editorial cabinet") for many years but retired from day-to-day duties in 1999, and now only contributes occasional cartoons. He has since written a personal history of ''Viz'' magazine entitled ''Rude Kids''.

In an interview on [[Channel 4 News]], Donald paid tribute to [[Spike Milligan]] on his death and cited him and [[Monty Python]] as the two major influences on ''Viz''.

During the latter years of his tenure as the editor of ''Viz'', Donald opened a restaurant at a former railway station at Ilderton in Northumberland. It opened in 1994 and closed in 1997.

Between 2002 and 2008, Donald worked as a shop assistant, and later shop manager, at Barter Books in Alnwick, Northumberland. At around this time he was also Fixtures Secretary of the Belford & District Pool League, as well as editor of the annual Powburn Agricultural Show programme.

In 2016 he became a top soul DJ on BBC Radio Newcastle and BBC Radio Tees, presenting a weekly show, "Chris Donald’s Soul Club". In 2020, the show was taken off air during the pandemic. Since late 2020 he has presented "Chris Donald’s Imaginary Soul Club" on [[Nova Radio North East]].

==Publications==
* ''Rude Kids'', Chris Donald, 2004 ({{ISBN|0-00-719096-4}})

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Viz (comics)}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Donald, Chris}}
[[Category:1960 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Artists from Newcastle upon Tyne]]
{{UK-comics-creator-stub}}