| 'I never intended to be a revolutionary. my intention was to create a mainstream men's magazine that included sex in it'................................................. | |||
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 hugh m. hefner way on chicago's magnificent mile 'I never intended to be a revolutionary. my intention was to create a mainstream men's magazine that included sex in it. that turned out to be a very revolutionary idea.' 
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hugh marston hefner was born on april 9th, 1926, in chicago, illinois. hef (a nickname that he's preferred since youth), possessed a genius IQ (152), ...in high school he'd written an essay criticizing the lack of frank discussion about sex in america..., he received his graduation in january 1944, joined the US army and started drawing cartoons for various army newspapers. after his discharge from the service in 1946, he began taking art classes (anatomy, of course) at the chicago art institute, hef received his bachelor's degree in two and a half years while drawing cartoons for the 'daily illinois' and editing the campus humor magazine 'shaft', where he initially introduced a new feature entitled 'coed of the month'. after leaving the university, hef worked as an assistant personnel manager for the 'chicago cartoon company' in 1949, and as an advertising copywriter for the 'carson, pirie, scott' department store in 1950. --- 'playboy' first issue after a job as promotion copywriter at 'esquire' in 1951 hefner, then 27, in 1953 decided to start a magazine of his own. hitting newsstands in december 1953, it carried no cover date because hefner was not sure when or if he would be able to produce another. never before had nude pictures been successfully sent through the mail as a mainstream commercial venture. indeed, the marilyn monroe photos, which appeared in playboy's first issue, had existed long before hefner got his hands on them, but nobody had dared challenge the powerful U.S. post office and its anti-obscenity regulations. hefner went ahead with his plans, visiting newsstands throughout chicago on the day the magazine went on sale, to monitor progress. fifty thousand issues sold nationwide -- more than he ever thought possible. --- more than porn 'playboy' quickly became far more than porn, hefner was bringing in america's best writers and pundits, in case anyone was reading it for the articles. lenny bruce, john updike, jack kerouac and others were nurtured. the first ian fleming short story, in which the writer introduced 'playboy' readers to his character 'james bond', appeared in the march 1960 issue. 'playboy' later serialized a new bond adventure annually. --- playmates a few of the notable women who have 'appeared' in the 'playboy' pages: ursula andress (1965), brigitte bardot (1958), drew barrymore (1995) kim basinger (1983), madonna (1985), joan collins (1969) cindy crawford (1988), bo derek (1980), farrah fawcett (1978) jane fonda (1966), zsa zsa gabor (1957), melanie griffith (1976) margaux hemingway (1978), mariel hemingway (1982), latoya jackson (1989) nastassja kinski (1979), sophia loren (1957), elle macpherson (1994) jayne mansfield (1956), marilyn monroe (1953), kim novak (1959) jane seymour (1973), elke sommer (1964), sharon stone (1990) elizabeth taylor (1963), raquel welch (1977)... --- the style icon: a round bed in 1960, hef first opened his 30-room, 7000-square-foot chicago manor house to visiting dignitaries, celebrities, playmates, bunnies and his coterie who routinely partied from about 1 a.m. until dawn. the adult playground, replete with fire poles, trap doors, spiral staircases, hef's spinning round bed and the infamous indoor swimming pool with the underground bar and an underwater viewing window. hef's house was exclusive and invitation-only, welcoming the likes of mick jagger, frank sinatra, bob hope, jack nicholson and warren beatty rub shoulders with frisky playmates and aspiring models. --- parties having a street named after you for the 'playboy' magnate hugh hefner, this is just one of the tamer experiences from this past year. his life wasn't just a series of personal appearances, autograph signings and honorary ceremonies -- there were outrageous parties, too. events that reaffirm hef as the ultimate playboy. 'life should be lived with a little style' hef explains. of particular interest to 'playboy' connoisseurs is footage of - the annual midsummer night's dream, where guests come attired in pajamas and lingerie, if anything at all, - the 1999 playmate reunion at which five decades of playmates gathered at the mansion to swap stories and lounge around the pool. - and hef's annual halloween party (where most of the playmates' costumes were painted on) --- today 'playboy' is the leading men's magazine in the world. 'playboy' is owned by 'playboy enterprises inc.', a global media and entertainment company. PEI also operates the 'playboy' catalog; creates and distributes programming for domestic pay television, worldwide home video and international television; and markets the 'playboy' trademarks on apparel, accessories and other products sold throughout the world. PEI's net revenues in 1999 were $348 million, and its stock is traded on the new york stock exchange. more --- http://www.eonline.com/Facts/People/Stories/0,127,46125,00.html http://www.playboy.com/live/hefchat/hefchat1.htm --- |
 the young hugh hefner  first issue of 'playboy', december 1953 cover: marilyn monroe  'playboy', march 1999 sex & music issue  the underground bar with the pool and its underwater viewing window  mick jagger with two playmates, 1972  a painted lady at the halloween party all images courtesy playboy http://www.playboy.com |
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