UBC’s student newspaper the Ubyssey has long prided itself on being the vilest rag west of Blanca, a claim proudly made on its masthead. Despite that boast, it is without doubt one of the best student newspapers in the country, publishing stories of a consistently high quality, and providing many a budding journalist with their first real experience of investigative and in-depth reporting. It’s not always been able to meet its own high standards, on occasion descending into the pit of bad taste and adolescent crudity; at one point in its history, it ran foul of the AMS and found itself shut down for a time. For most of its century-long history, however, it has been an invaluable source of information about campus politics, social and sporting events, and the changing features of life at a large Canadian university.
Among the Ubyssey’s most popular issues are its parodies, issues usually published at the end of term. These take many different forms, but the goal is usually to puncture the egos of campus politicians and celebrities and undermine the status quo.
Listed below are the Ubyssey’s parody issues held in the Legacy collection, together with some other satirical publications. Where possible, the entries are accompanied by their web addresses.
Some parody issues of the Ubyssey
The Abyssey: UBC’s Official Newspaper Fighting The Saunder Regime
Volume 1, Issue 1; December 9, 2014
The Ubyssey end-of-term parody issue, published December 9, 2014.
https://open.library.ubc.ca/collections/ubcpublications/ubysseynews/items/1.0127639?o=5
Gorgeous Graight: Vancouver Freek Press, Vol. 4, No. 94. Price: 3 flowers.
An outside sheet of 4 pp. enclosing the Ubyssey for March 26, 1970. The Library’s digital copy of the Ubyssey does not include this parody of the Georgia Straight, Vancouver’s hippy newspaper, founded in 1967.
https://open.library.ubc.ca/viewer/ubysseynews/1.0304595#p0z-3r0f:
The Glib and Male, Toronto’s National Newspaper; Irrational Edition, Wednesday, April 3, 1985
An outside sheet of 4 pp. enclosing the Ubyssey for April 3, 1985.
The Provincial Enquirer: Wednesday, April 3, 1991
Inserted as part of the Ubyssey for April 3, 1991.
https://open.library.ubc.ca/collections/ubcpublications/ubysseynews/items/1.0127501
The Vancouver Sump, British Columbia’s Paper o’ Fun, Fluffy Edition; Friday, April 3, 1992
End of term parody published as part of the Ubyssey for April 3, 1992.
https://open.library.ubc.ca/viewer/ubysseynews/1.0127992#p7z-8r0f:The%20Vancouver%20Sump
Weekly World Nubyssey, April 3, 1996.
An outside sheet of 4 pp. enclosing the Ubyssey for April 3, 1996.
https://open.library.ubc.ca/viewer/ubysseynews/1.0126225#p18z-4r0f:April%201996
The Province, Friday, March 30, 2001
A parody of the Vancouver Province, issued by the Ubyssey Publications Society
https://open.library.ubc.ca/collections/ubcpublications/ubysseynews/items/1.0127361
The Vancouver Spun, Wednesday, March 27, 2002
A parody of the Vancouver Sun, issued by the Ubyssey Publications Society.
https://open.library.ubc.ca/collections/ubcpublications/ubysseynews/items/1.0128575
The Ubersexy, Someday, Decembruary 32, 2003
Volume 85, Issue 25; December 2, 2003..
https://open.library.ubc.ca/collections/ubcpublications/ubysseynews/items/1.0128243
Maclame’s, Canada’s Weakly Noosemagazine, Speshul Addition, April 2, 2004
Parody of the Maclean’s Universities issue.
Issued by the Ubyssey, April 2, 2004
https://open.library.ubc.ca/collections/ubcpublications/ubysseynews/items/1.0128213
The Ubystylin’, Volume 86, Issue 24: Friday, December 3, 2004.
The Ubyssey’s end-of-term parody issue.
https://open.library.ubc.ca/collections/ubcpublications/ubysseynews/items/1.0127622?o=1
The Ubicee: The Yearly Satire Issue Brought to you by the Publications Board of the University of British Columbia.
Vol. XCII, No. 27; December 9, XXXX {Issued 9 December 2010]
https://open.library.ubc.ca/viewer/ubysseynews/1.0126129#p0z-8r0f
The Ubyssey, Volume XCVII, Issue XIV: dated December 8, 1950
End-of-term parody issue, published December 8, 2015
https://open.library.ubc.ca/collections/ubcpublications/ubysseynews/items/1.0223392
Breitbarf, Campus Edition
The Ubyssey end-of-term parody edition, April 4, 2017
https://open.library.ubc.ca/collections/ubcpublications/ubysseynews/items/1.0347584
Other satirical publications
Tuum Est…and all that: An unofficial student guide to UBC; Special edition of The Ubyssey
Published September 1969.
Arts Perspective [satirical newspaper published by the AUS]
Vol. 2, no. 2, Wednesday, December 6, 1978.
Arts Perspective [satirical newspaper published by the AUS]
Vol. 2, no. 3, Thursday, March 1, 1979.
The Heressey, Vol. CDCXVII, No. 2: February 45, 1982.
Parody published by the AUS, February or March 1982.
The Underground, October 15, 1999 [satirical newspaper published by the AUS]
The Ubyssey Activity Book, volume 82, issue 24; January 5, 2001
“A special issue of games, contests, and shenanigans from the Folks at the Ubyssey”
https://open.library.ubc.ca/collections/ubcpublications/ubysseynews/items/1.0128761
UBC Resorts, Volume 63, Number 5; March 18, 2004
A parody of UBC Reports, issued by the UBC Graduate Society.
Selle, Volume XC, Number 49, No. 284: April 2009.
The Ubyssey’s parody of Elle magazine.
Last updated: August 20, 2022