The magazine was founded in 1992 by
Richard Ingrams, previously editor of
Private Eye, together with
Alexander Chancellor. The magazine aimed to contrast with youth culture.
The Independent on Sunday described it as "The most original magazine in the country".
The Oldie magazine is owned by Oldie Publications Ltd. It carries articles of general interest, humour and cartoons. Its contributors have included
Gyles Brandreth,
Craig Brown,
Virginia Ironside,
Stephen Glover,
Barry Humphries,
David Horspool and
Melanie McFadyean. It is sometimes regarded as a haven for "grumpy old men and women", an image it has played up to over the years with such slogans as "
The Oldie: Buy it before you snuff it", its lampooning of
youth subculture, and what it sees as the absurdities of modern life. It was the first mainstream publication to break the
Jimmy Savile sexual abuse scandal. Despite being called
The Oldie, the magazine often stresses that it is not an age-specific publication, and has many readers in their twenties, thirties and forties. It has similarities to
Punch,
Viz,
The Spectator,
Private Eye, and
The New Yorker. ==Oldie of the Year Awards==