I'm alright, Jack, says James Brown as he quits lad mag

James Brown, the magazine editor credited with launching the "lad" culture of the Nineties, has quit the magazine company he set up three years ago.

The departure was quiet for the man who caused a storm with Loaded magazine, which sparked a mini-social revolution, and who was later sacked as editor of GQ, after calling the Nazi Field Marshal Erwin Rommel a "style icon".

Mr Brown decided last month to sell the company, named I Feel Good (IFG), to Felix Dennis, formerly of Oz magazine, for £5.1m. Mr Dennis now publishes Maxim and The Week.

Under Mr Brown, IFG launched the film magazine Hotdog - later sold - and Jack, a men's title that mixed masculine interests with arresting photography. He also published Leeds, Leeds, Leeds, a fanzine. He bought the adult comic Viz and two other titles - Bizarre and Fortean Times - for £6.4m.

There were claims that Jack would challenge GQ but the magazine sales are said to be fewer than 50,000 a month. Mr Brown said the team working on it was "brilliant". He added: "It is a great magazine and I look forward to retaining some involvement with it." He also said he was setting up a company but gave no details.