I think it's a work of genius

James Brown

James Brown says he is a long-term fan of the adult comic, which features characters such as Sid The Sexist and The Fat Slags.

In the 1980s, Viz was one of the UK's best-selling magazines, regularly selling more than half a million copies every two months.

Its circulation has declined to about 200,000 copies. According to its website 79% of its readers are male.

Mr Brown, who also edited GQ magazine, says he does not plan to make any major changes to the title.

'Brilliant'

The deal also includes the John Brown Publishing (JBP) titles Bizarre, a magazine aimed at young men which specialises in weird and shocking photographs, and The Fortean Times, the cult publication for UFO enthusiasts.

Mr Brown said: "I'm chuffed to bits. I used to sell Viz on the streets of Leeds and I worked as a consultant on it two years ago and loved it.

"Who wouldn't be chuffed to get to work with the likes of Big Vern and the Fat Slags?

"I think it's a work of genius. The team who write it are brilliant so I won't be changing anything, although we may look to go monthly rather than bi-monthly."

Viz, set up by brothers Chris and Simon Donald in a Newcastle bedroom 22 years ago, has been part of JBP for the past 18 years.

Mr Brown's I Feel Good (IFG) company, which publishes Hotdog and the official Leeds United monthly magazine, Leeds, Leeds, Leeds, was floated on the stock market last year.

In March he was listed as one of Britain's most influential media moguls in Business Age magazine.

'Good deal'

John Brown, boss of JBP, said he was sad to let Viz go but confident it was in good hands.

He said: "James is a big fan of Viz and he is one of the few publishers I'd agree to sell it to.

"Viz, Bizarre and The Fortean Times mean a lot to me, but this deal is good for the company."

Mr Brown plans to use the proceeds of the sale to fund the expansion of his contract publishing business, which is already among the biggest of its kind in the UK.

Felix Dennis, chairman of IFG whose backers include Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood and footballer-turned-actor Vinnie Jones, also welcomed the deal.

He said: "Our key objective is the successful integration of Viz, Bizarre and Fortean Times in the IFG infrastructure.

"Revenues and profits generated from the new titles will give the company a basis from which to launch magazine titles and websites and acquire further businesses."