The controversial issue of Oz

VIVIAN Berger made the most of an invitation to take part in the infamous “school kids issue” of the counterculture magazine Oz in 1970: he made a collage of the cosy national treasure Rupert Bear on an X-rated ­comic-strip by US illustrator Robert Crumb.

But in an Old Bailey case still talked about today, the editors – including the late Soho raconteur and publisher Felix Dennis – were hauled up in court on obscenity charges and Vivian, still a teen, was asked to explain to a jury what he had done.

“I think that I subconsciously wanted to shock your generation,” he told the silks.

“Also it seemed to me very funny… this is the kind of drawing that goes around every classroom, every day in every school. Maybe I was portraying obscenity, but I don’t think I was being obscene myself… if the news shows pictures of war then, for me, they are portraying obscenity – the war. But they are not themselves creating that obscenity.”

That’s the kind of news story that stays with you for the rest of your life and it was being recalled by friends and family after Vivian’s recent death from cancer.

Vivian Berger

Oz had flung open its pages to 30 teenagers who tipped their minds into the task, creating something that simply wouldn’t be published elsewhere.

In fact, who would hand over the same control today?

The graphics and the subsequent trial sparked responses from artists including John Lennon and David Hockney.

But the editors were found guilty of some charges, although not conspiracy, and the ones that they were convicted of were overturned on appeal.

Vivian’s version of Rupert became a visual icon of its time, his sister Mandy suggested this week, like the labour fist and nuclear disarmament sign. It’s probably better we do not publish it here – Harrington does not want to end up in chokey – but what a fascinating chapter in legal history.

The campaign materials from the campaign to defend Dennis and his colleagues are archived at the V&A.

Vivian, described as an “archetypal hippie”, went on to join demonstrations against the Vietnam war and nuclear weapons, and was an influential voice as editorial adviser to the Children’s Rights magazine.

He died aged 67 in December.