Regan was inspired by the early years of "Private Eye", but he felt that the "Eye" had become too cautious of libel actions and determined not to fall into the same trap. At one difficult time he sold "Scallywag" to a friend, who had no assets, which allowed Regan greater freedom to pursue stories. "Scallywag" started to attract a loyal readership, although the major newspaper distributors refused to handle it (a situation Regan regarded as tantamount to censorship). Nevertheless, in 1991 "Scallywag" moved to London and became a national publication.