Playboy

This article is about the magazine. For the lifestyle that inspired the magazine's name, see Playboy lifestyle. For other uses, see Playboy (disambiguation).

Playboy
CEOBen Kohn
CategoriesMen's magazines
FrequencyMonthly (1953–2016)
Bimonthly (2017–2018)
Quarterly (2019–2020)
Online (since 2020)
PublisherPLBY Group
Total circulation
(2017)		400,000[1]
FounderHugh Hefner
Founded1953[2]
First issueDecember 1, 1953
Final issueMarch 17, 2020 (print)
CountryUnited States
Based inBeverly Hills, California
LanguageEnglish
WebsiteOfficial website Edit this at Wikidata
ISSN0032-1478

Playboy (stylized in all caps) is an American men's lifestyle and entertainment magazine, formerly in print and online since 2020. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother.[3]

Known for its centerfolds of nude and semi-nude[4] models (Playmates), Playboy played an important role in the sexual revolution[5] and remains one of the world's best-known brands, with a presence in nearly every medium.[6] In addition to the flagship magazine in the United States, special nation-specific versions of Playboy are published worldwide, including those by licensees, such as Dirk Steenekamp's DHS Media Group.[7][8][9][10][11]

The magazine has a long history of publishing short stories by novelists such as Arthur C. Clarke,[12] Ian Fleming,[12] Vladimir Nabokov,[13] Saul Bellow, Chuck Palahniuk, P. G. Wodehouse,[12] Roald Dahl,[14] Haruki Murakami, and Margaret Atwood.[12] With a regular display of full-page color cartoons, it became a showcase for cartoonists such as Jack Cole,[15] Eldon Dedini,[16] Jules Feiffer,[17] Harvey Kurtzman, Shel Silverstein,[18] Doug Sneyd, Erich Sokol,[12] Roy Raymonde,[19] Gahan Wilson, and Rowland B. Wilson.[20] Art Paul designed the bunny logo. Leroy Neiman drew the Femlin characters for Playboy jokes. Patrick Nagel painted the headers for Playboy Forum and other sections.

Playboy features monthly interviews of public figures, such as artists, architects, economists, composers, conductors, film directors, journalists, novelists, playwrights, religious figures, politicians, athletes, and race car drivers. The magazine generally reflects a liberal editorial stance, although it often interviews conservative celebrities.[21]

After a year-long removal of most nude photos in Playboy magazine, the March–April 2017 issue brought back nudity.[22]

  1. ^ Bennett, Jessica (August 2, 2019). "Will the Millennials Save Playboy?". The New York Times. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
  2. ^ "Playboy Enterprises, Inc". Playboyenterprises.com. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved February 14, 2016.
  3. ^ Seib, Christine (December 9, 2008). "Hefner's Daughter Christie Walks Away from Playboy Enterprises". The Times. London. Archived from the original on May 15, 2011. Retrieved May 22, 2010.
  4. ^ "Playboy 'to drop' naked women images". BBC News. Retrieved February 14, 2016.
  5. ^ "Why America loved Playboy". BBC News. October 14, 2015. Retrieved February 14, 2016.
  6. ^ Wray, Richard (November 13, 2009). "Iconix 'makes offer for Playboy'". The Guardian. London. Retrieved October 7, 2011.
  7. ^ "Playboy – South Africa". Retrieved October 3, 2021. © Copyright © 2020 DHS Media Group (Pty) Ltd, Licensed from Playboy Enterprises.
  8. ^ Hauswirth, Heather; Kelly, Keith J. (August 11, 2021). "The pay-for-play scandal behind many sexy Maxim, Playboy 'covers'". New York Post. Retrieved October 3, 2021.
  9. ^ "Dirk Steenekamp, CEO – DHS Media Group". Beyond Grit with Robert Young. podbean. September 8, 2021. Retrieved October 3, 2021.
  10. ^ "DHS Media obtains publishing rights to BBC Top Gear Magazine South Africa". Publishing News South Africa. bizcommunity.com. Retrieved October 3, 2021. DHS Media Publisher and CEO Dirk Steenekamp
  11. ^ "DHS Media Group – K2016212484 – South Africa". b2bhint.com. Retrieved October 3, 2021.
  12. ^ a b c d e Steven Watts (August 24, 2009). Mr Playboy: Hugh Hefner and the American Dream. Wiley. pp. 80, 91, 111, 144, 152, 190. ISBN 978-0-470-52167-0.
  13. ^ Samuel Schuman (1979). Vladimir Nabokov, A Reference Guide. G. K. Hall. p. 61. ISBN 9780816181346.
  14. ^ "11 great authors who wrote for Hugh Hefner's Playboy". BBC. September 28, 2017.
  15. ^ Art Spiegelman (2001). Jack Cole and Plastic Man: Forms Stretched to Their Limits. Chronicle Books. p. 126. ISBN 0-8118-3179-5.
  16. ^ Eldon Dedini (2006). An Orgy of Playboy's Eldon Dedini. Fantagraphics Books. p. 8. ISBN 1-56097-727-2.
  17. ^ Stephen E. Kercher (2006). Revel with a Cause: Liberal Satire in Postwar America. University Of Chicago Press. p. 480. ISBN 0-226-43164-9.
  18. ^ Shel Silverstein (2007). Playboy's Silverstein Around the World. Fireside. ISBN 978-0-7432-9024-1.
  19. ^ Bryant, Mark (October 19, 2009). "Roy Raymonde: Cartoonist noted for his work in 'Punch' and 'Playboy'". The Independent. Archived from the original on September 25, 2015. Retrieved March 10, 2015.
  20. ^ "Blog Archive » "We All Have To Start Somewhere" Department. Case in Point No.11". EliSteinCartoons.com. February 3, 2009. Retrieved December 7, 2011.
  21. ^ "Film Review: Hugh Hefner: Playboy, Activist and Rebel". Filmjournal.com. July 20, 2010. Archived from the original on March 5, 2012. Retrieved December 7, 2011.
  22. ^ Bennett, Jessica (August 2, 2019). "Will the Millennials Save Playboy? – The Hefners are gone, and so is the magazine's short-lived ban on nudity – as well as virtually anyone on the staff over 35". The New York Times. Retrieved August 2, 2019.