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.
Donald, together with his brother Simon and a schoolfriend Jim Brownlow, set up Viz in December 1979 from a bedroom in Jesmond, Newcastle.
[2] 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.
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.
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.