Playboy. The History of a Magazine Entertaining... Everyone

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Eight years after the end of the war, few knew the term sexual revolution, although it had been used as early as the 1920s. Its precursor was Austrian psychoanalyst Wilhelm Reich. In 1945, one of his works was translated into English, titled The Sexual Revolution. It was not until the 1960s that this social movement gained great popularity. However, nearly a decade earlier, journalist Hugh Hefner began openly discussing and showcasing eroticism and sex.

Hefner, who was trained as a sociologist, worked at the men`s magazine Esquire as a copywriter from 1950. When he was denied a raise of $5 two years later, he quit. He was 26 years old and had a grand vision of himself.


In 1953, he took out a $600 mortgage loan and convinced 45 investors to finance his idea for a new erotic magazine, Stag Party (Stag Party). However, when representatives of STAG publishing threatened legal action for trademark infringement, Hefner changed the name to PLAYBOY.

Marylin Monroe and the Bunny Icon

The first issue of the magazine was published in December 1953, featuring Marylin Monroe on the cover. With this new position, her trademark—the bunny head with a bow tie—was born. The bunny is the playboy of the animal world, said the designer Arthur Paul. Today, it is the most recognizable trademark in the world.

The first issue of Playboy was not dated and had no number. Hefner was unsure if the magazine would succeed in the market. He created it himself in his kitchen. It was somewhat of a pirate job, and the photos of Marylin came from a calendar where the star appeared under a pseudonym. However, marketing and nudity did their part. The magazine was a success. Its circulation reached nearly 54,000 copies and sold out within weeks.

Alongside a black-and-white photo of Monroe on the cover, the author noted that everything inside was in color, that it was a magazine for men, and recommended cartoon jokes about sex. The first humor appeared on the second page, next to a message to readers. Of course, it was a bunny, though not in the form we know today.

In his first article, Hefner outlined the editorial plan and explained the magazine`s publication principles:

• Position exclusively for men aged 18 to 80
• Playboy will include: articles, fiction, illustrated stories, cartoons, humor, and special threads taken from many sources
• There will be fashion and adventure
• The content will primarily be entertainment served with humor, sophistication, and spiciness
• There will be no politics or economic problems of the contemporary world
• Playboy will be a monthly magazine

As promised by the creator, this is how the subsequent 43 pages of the magazine looked. The reader could familiarize himself with the latest trends in furnishing a man`s apartment and daily life. This was served by the column The Men’s Shop. He could read spicy excerpts from Boccaccio`s “Decameron,” laugh at a soldier`s joke in Ambrose Bierce`s novel “A Horeman in the sky,” and get to know the esteemed English detective Sherlock Holmes.


The 1950s woman was introduced in his article Gold-Digger of 1953, by Bob Norman, and Arthur Silver talked about jazz and the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra. There was also a section for gourmets—Food and Drink. Here, Bob Roderick described his delicious journeys, starting with the Cuban city of Matanzas. Comfortable furniture for male seating was discussed by Margaret S. Miller, while the editor-in-chief reported on the advantages of summer in California. All texts were adorned with photographs of naked women and erotic drawings by artists Arvy Miller, Al Stine, and Julian Dedman. The cherry on top was a visual instruction on how to play Strip Quiz.

Sports, Comics, and the Spread

Playboy`s second issue, from January 1954, was already a more refined edition, featuring sections, artistic photos, and spreads. The magazine continued printing three novels, two new ones + the Decameron, sales of men`s gadgets, satirical columns, and the Playboy’s Party Jokes section. A new sports section (Scoring a TV Fight), the first comics by Milton Caniff in the Lace section, and a letter section for Playboy were also introduced.

Subsequent issues featured bolder texts and images. What was not accepted in other magazines, Hefner published in Playboy. This was the case in 1955 when Charles Beaumont`s story “The Crooked Man,” rejected by Esquire due to its homosexual content, was published in the magazine.

The magazine quickly gained a foothold in the American press market. In 1959, on Playboy`s fifth birthday, a funny situation occurred. Hefner received a $5 bill from the publisher of Esquire with the note "the biggest mistake I ever made."

Had it not been for the refusal of that raise, the world would never have heard of Playboy, which was not just a promotion of nudity but contained content that men discussed among themselves. The photographs of naked women, which were only in the middle of the magazine, were closer to art and eroticism than to pornography. The covers, while they contained topics of sex, were graphics. It wasn`t until September 1960 that a topless female figure appeared on the cover, which became a regular feature by the end of the 1960s. Spreads and articles were different.

The completely naked female body in full glory, though drawn, was first admired by readers in March 1972. The illustration depicted a naked woman as a bottle of wine. Next to her lay a corkscrew with a handle shaped like a bunny`s head.

The Key to Success: Masterful Photos

Photos often regarded as artistic were the work of a skilled team of photographers. Hefner`s oldest collaborator in this field was Tom Kelly, the author of the photographs of Marilyn Monroe from the first issue. He was responsible for the spreads. He was a master who could evoke calm and relaxation in models and always took his wife to photo shoots.

Many photographers passed through the Playboy editorial office. Some only for a moment, others for several decades. Among the latter group were, in addition to Kelly, the following:

• Ken Marcus,
• Richard Fegley,
• Pompero Posar,
• Arny Freytag,
• Mario Casilli,
• Bunny Yeager, the first female photographer in the editorial office,
• Stephen Wayda, the most famous photographer of the magazine,
• Sam Wu,
• Dwight Hooker, a master of sensuality and eroticism

The photography department was led from the very beginning by Marilyn Grabowski. She was responsible for persuading stars to participate in photo shoots not only for Playmate of the Month (PMOTM) and covers but also for themed shoots. She was the best at it. She promoted many well-known names not only from the film industry but also from sports and even politics. She worked in the editorial office for 40 years.


Playmate was immensely popular not only among readers but also among the models themselves. From the 12 Misses of the Month, the one deemed the most beautiful was selected. Although the fun had been ongoing from the beginning (taking various names), it was not until 1960 that an official vote was conducted. The first Playmate of the Year was December (1959) model Ellen Stratton.

With this game came a legend circulating among readers. In March 1960, two small stars appeared beside the letter P in the headline. In subsequent issues, there were one, three, or more. The scale ranged from 0 to 12 and continued until 1979. Maliciously, it was said that it represented Hefner`s opinion about the girls in the spread—how many times he had slept with them and how he rated their attractiveness and sexuality. The reality was less sensational. The stars were a distribution code used to designate advertising areas.

Playboy Interview: Interviews that Set Trends

Another curiosity of 1960 was the drawings of naked women by illustrator Alberto Vargas. The series was called Vargas Girl, and each drawing was accompanied by a commentary from the author. The first illustrated beauty appeared in the August issue.

The year 1962 brought another novelty to the magazine. The September issue featured an interview by Alex Haley with jazz trumpeter Miles Davis, and the main topic alongside music was racism. Both interviewees were black. This interview marked the beginning of candid conversations and a significant chapter in the history of Playboy: Playboy Interview.

In 1966, Haley was sent by Hefner, in defense of human rights, to interview George Lincoln Rockwell, the head of the American Nazi Party. The shocked leader agreed to the interview only after confirming that the journalist was not Jewish, and throughout the conversation, he kept a gun on the table.

Over the years, nearly 500 significant figures became subjects of these interviews. Among them were politicians, actors, athletes, and even princesses and murderers. Tough questions were posed alongside Haley`s by prominent journalists such as Nat Hentoff, Kenneth Tynan, Tom Wicker, Alvin Toffler, and Mike Wallace.

In December 1962, Hefner created and personally led the column The Playboy Philosophy. The forum discussed the rights of the LGBT community and women. Issues of censorship, abortion, and the First Amendment were raised. The topics were so heated that the volume of letters pouring into the editorial office prompted it to launch a special section, The Playboy Forum, in July 1963, where questions from readers were answered. Not only men wrote in but also women… veterans, homosexuals, and even priests. The magazine became a place for social dialogue and quickly proved to be too small for all these issues.

Playboy Clubs and Big Money

As early as 1960, Hefner came up with the idea of creating his own clubs. The first Playboy Club opened on February 29 in Chicago. It featured a bar, lounge, dining room, and club room. Guests were served by waitresses dressed in bunny-themed costumes, earning them the title Playboy Bunnies. Over time, this name also came to refer to the centerfold girls. After Chicago, there were locations in Miami, New Orleans, and other cities. Clubs also sprang up outside the USA, with the first in London, followed by several in Montreal and Japan.

Access to such a night club was granted by a Playboy key featuring the bunny head, indicating membership. The annual fee was $25. In a short time, the magazine earned nearly $25 million, even though only 21% of members used their key.


In the clubs, in addition to alcohol and food, high-level entertainment was provided. Concerts, meetings with magazine celebrities, discussions, and talks were just some of the club`s offerings. Employees were reimbursed for tuition if they pursued studies. The first account of a night gathering of Playboy enthusiasts was published in the August 1960 issue.

The 1960s was a time of heightened protests against the Vietnam War. The magazine played a significant role in these actions. It can be said that it supported and protected young soldiers. Starting with catalogs from which one could order everything from socks to stereo sets, through articles about their daily lives on the front lines, which boosted morale, to visits by centerfold girls in bases and studies on post-traumatic stress disorder and projects for veterans. Issues of the war and its consequences were among the reasons for Hefner founding the Playboy Foundation in 1965. The second reason was the defense of those accused of fighting for freedom of speech.

First Legal Troubles

Although the magazine enjoyed immense popularity, it also had its opponents. The sexual revolution, which was gaining momentum in the 1960s, was not to everyone`s liking, and when a photo report from the film set of Promises, Promises appeared in June 1963, along with a photo session featuring the lead actress titled The Nudest Jayne Mansfield by Bill Kobrin, Hugh Hefner found himself arrested and brought to trial for immoral content. Ultimately, the journalist was released and deemed innocent, as the jury could not agree on a unanimous verdict (7-5). This was the first but not the last trial of Hefner.

Playboy dominated men in every aspect of their lives. It was unthinkable not to own it. In many matters, it was an oracle. Not only entertainment but also education found a home within its pages. The literary section thrived, publishing excerpts from works not only by classics but also contemporary authors, regardless of their origins (Samuel Bellow, Irwin Shaw, John Irving). Poems by Yevgeny Yevtushenko enjoyed great popularity and recognition. The main head of this department was Robie Macauley. Competitors wrote about him:

In the years when he was the fiction editor, Playboy ranked second only to the prestige of The New Yorker as a place where serious writers could showcase their talents.

The 1960s brought success, money, and, despite everything, prestige to Playboy. It became a brand in itself. It was spoken of worldwide, reaching even behind the Iron Curtain, though it was only published in the USA. The first international edition occurred only in 1972 in Germany and Italy, followed by France a year later. These years brought many changes to the magazine, which grew significantly, and in September 1962, it had 200 pages for the first time. Two years later, dark-skinned bunnies appeared in the spreads, and the first man appeared on the cover. In November 1965, a gun appeared on the cover, and in 1966, a special ultraviolet image (the first of three) of naked breasts was commissioned from Andy Warhol (Double Torso.)

The 1970s was a string of further successes. Playboy began entering European markets (1972) and then:

• Japan 1975
• Brazil 1975
• Mexico 1976
• Spain 1978
• Australia 1979

However, before that happened, the magazine faced off against competition. The first issue of the British erotic magazine Penthouse, which had already been published in Great Britain for several years, hit the American market in September 1969.

"Pubic Wars" with Penthouse and Hustler

The photos published in it were bolder than those in Playboy, showing the pubic hair of models. Hefner accepted the challenge thrown down by Bob Guccione, the owner of the British magazine, and in June 1970, he also published such a photo in his magazine. It must be admitted that this was not a groundbreaking approach, as the first photo of a woman below the navel, though not fully shown, appeared as early as 1968, featuring Miss July. Then, a few more times, this part of the body was presented, albeit concealed by some decorative element. But June 1970 unleashed the so-called pubic wars, a term coined by Hefner himself. In 1974, another men`s magazine Hustler joined the competition in this category.


The wars continued throughout the 1970s. Eventually, however, Playboy backed off and remained in the realm of softcore (subtle elements of pornography), while the other two magazines delved into hardcore pornography.

Riding the wave of success, Hefner for the first time featured a completely naked woman on the cover of the March 1972 issue. The artwork by Martin Hoffman depicted a woman as a bottle of wine. The muse for the author was French actress and model Dominique Sanda, and the cover, complete with a corkscrew shaped like a bunny head, was designed and created by David Chan.

The popularity of the magazine was so great that in 1970, a Braille version was put on sale for the blind. Of course, photos were not available, but all the content was. In 1985, Congress cut funding for this version of the magazine, but U.S. District Judge Thomas Hogan overturned the decision based on the First Amendment. Interestingly, the Braille version of Playboy is not published by Playboy Enterprises (the publishing house founded by Hefner in 1953) but by the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped) at the Library of Congress. The editor of this edition is Frank Cylke. In 2000, the Braille magazine had 500 subscribers.

The September 1971 issue introduced a new section called Playboy Potpourri, where interesting people, places, and objects, as well as cultural and entertainment events, were presented. That same issue featured the hundredth Playboy interview. The interviewee, conducted by Larry DuBois, was comic book author (also from Playboy) Jules Feiffer.

The Most Popular Magazine in the USA

A year later, the magazine achieved another success. The November issue (1972) sold 7,161,561 copies. Playboy became a leading title in the country among newspapers and magazines. That same year, Playboy’s Book of Forbidden Words was published. The subtitle of the book read: An Uncensored Dictionary of Improper English, containing over 700 unrestrained definitions of erotic and scatological terms. The publication was not what the author intended. The magazine`s editorial team intervened heavily and censored the work. Only the next edition in 1988 presented Playboy`s vocabulary along with the removed definitions.

Although circulation dropped to 5.6 million copies in the following years, Playboy still ranked among the top American press for decades to come. January 1974 marked a milestone as Playboy celebrated its 20th birthday. The cover of this issue was very demure. On a black background, a female hand adjusted the bow tie on the bunny`s head, the symbol of the entire publication. Hugh Hefner gave an interview on this occasion to Larry DuBois, and on the spread was a peer of the magazine, model and advertising agency employee Nancy Cameron.

In September 1976, the first Playboy On The Scene cover appeared. It consisted of eight pages forming one section with information: about what’s happening, where it’s happening, and who’s doing it...

The following years brought several curiosities that broadened the magazine`s topics:

• A series of articles The Year in Sex began in February 1977
• An interview with Gary Gilmore, a murderer from Utah, reignited the debate over the death penalty. The interview was conducted by Lawrence Schiller and Barry Farrell just days before the execution and appeared in April 1977.
• The World of Playboy a new column about events and nightlife in Playboy Mansion, Hefner`s private villa (July 1977)
• 20Qs, a new format of interviews that included only 20 questions. The first interview was conducted by John Heges with model Cheryl Tiegs in the October 1978 issue
• In September 1979, Margaret Thatcher appeared on page 282, and as noted, …she is dressed… conservatively

The magazine`s success, which not only promoted nudity but also served as a popular bedtime read and subway material, was due to a vibrant and professional editorial team. In addition to Hefner, the top tier included:

• Robie Macauley, head of the literary department
• Nat Lehrman, editor, expert in human sexuality and social activism
• Richard M. Koff, editorial administrator, later publisher and president of the publishing house
• Murray Fischer, number 2 in the interview department
• Arthur Kretchmer, editorial director
• Sheldon Wax, deputy editor-in-chief, who died in a plane crash in 1972.
• Auguste Comte Spectorsky, publisher, who passed away in 1972
• Jack Kassie

In 1975, Hefner`s daughter, Christie, joined the magazine`s editorial team, and from 1988 she took over the entire publishing house. She also participated in the preparation of the collector`s issue celebrating the magazine`s 25th anniversary, which was published in January 1979. The anniversary cover featuring the Playboy symbol promised many attractions. Among them were:

• A review of the most beautiful women who had appeared over the past 25 years
• Photos of the most attractive men, some of whom, like Pat Paulsen, were naked
• Reluctant interview with Marlon Brando
• A contest for the prettiest Playmate
• A special letter from Hugh Hefner
• A review of original excerpts from The Playboy Philosophy
• An illustrated history of Playboy by David Standish, a special 19-page section dedicated to the most interesting moments from 25 years, adorned with photos of centerfold girls and covers

The entire issue had 410 pages.

The Playboy Channel: Television with a Bunny

Over nearly three decades, the magazine significantly expanded its horizons. Its volume increased as content grew. However, it remained faithful to its core principles, consistently printing the same columns, such as world literature, interviews, sex promotion and orientations, cultural events, entertainment, and fashion. Its appearance did not change much either. It was always perfectly prepared, featuring professional articles, artistic photographs, all in excellent technique, color, and price.


On December 9, 1980, the paid channel Escapade was launched. It was a joint venture of four companies, including Playboy. From August 1981, Playboy Enterprises became the owner of half the shares and introduced its programming production plan, which started on January 21, 1982. The block lasted four hours and included the most popular topics from the printed magazine. From November 18, the channel operated as The Playboy Channel. Its producer was Michael Trikilis, and the idea came from Hugh Hefner. The pair implemented many joint projects, including The Girls Next Door. In its first years, the channel broadcast for ten nighttime hours (8 PM - 6 AM), and from 1994, it transitioned to a 24-hour programming cycle.

This was not the magazine`s first adventure with television. Hefner had previously hosted television programs Playboy’s Penthouse (1959-1960) and Playboy After Dark (1969-1970). However, despite its great popularity for nearly three decades, the 1980s brought a decline in circulation. This was due to competition that emerged in the market, which was more aggressive in its imagery. In 1982, 4.9 million copies were sold, and that number continued to drop.

In those years, it was challenging to surprise and engage the younger generation of men. The Playboy editorial team sought to attract readers aged 18-35 by promoting more music stars. It was here that the famous interview with John Lennon and Yoko Ono appeared in January 1981, as well as naked photos of Madonna (August 1985).

Declining Circulation and Change in Leadership

In April 1982, a column titled Man was launched, with Asa Baber as its leading voice. The author had previously written columns and articles for the magazine, and when his piece about his divorce resonated strongly with readers, the editorial team decided to create a new column that proved to be a hit. Baber defended the rights and dignity of men and advised on dealing with divorce, business and personal rejection, and depression.

The following year, in August 1983, women received their own column for the first time in the history of men`s magazines. Women was led by satirical writer Cynthia Heimel.

The advice offered to Playboy readers is practical and ribald — refined through the sharply irreverent voice of a woman seeking a good man, a bad boy, or a great romance — wrote The New York Times about her.

May 1986 brought another innovation to the magazine - Playboy Gallery, a two-page, fold-out insert on glossy paper featuring naked models, of course. But even this did not help; circulation continued to decline.

When Hefner handed over the entire kingdom to his daughter in 1988, he did not withdraw from the magazine`s life. He remained its editor-in-chief and face. He participated in various charitable actions, television programs, and even acted in films. In 2010, a documentary about his life, Hugh Hefner: Playboy, Activist and Rebel, was directed by Brigitte Berman. It wasn`t until 2012 that he stepped back from the spotlight, and his youngest son Cooper Bradford Hefner became the face of the magazine. He continued to run the editorial team. In July 2015, Cory Jones took over the reins. The owner of Playboy lived to be 91 years old, passing away on September 27, 2017.

The 1980s forced the magazine`s editors to change their direction. As early as December 1983, The Washington Post wrote: this is a magazine that, on its 30th anniversary, was forced to re-evaluate its existence due to a dramatic drop in circulation, advertising difficulties, and what its editors call “the changing man” in a post-feminist era.


Christie Hefner somewhat limited aggressive nudity and introduced political and economic topics, although not in the form typically found in newspapers and other magazines. Stars from the stage and screen were invited, as well as scientists, politicians, and people from other professions. This group included:

• Chicago mayor Harold Washington (February 1988, the interview appeared after the politician`s death),
• Palestinian leader Yasir Arafat (September 1988),
• investigative reporter Bob Woodward (February 1989),
• IRA leaders Danny Morrison and Gerry Adams (April 1989)
• and Willy Horton, sentenced to life for murder.

The main topics were always related to sex, the body, or fashion, but a few questions always touched on everyday matters of the interviewee and their country. This method had actually been in place for a long time, though it wasn`t prominently featured. Attentive fans of the magazine are familiar with the article An end to all this from July 1971, when Richard Koff wrote about the future, climate change, and the lack of improvement in our lives. It seems the author was a prophet.

Playboy Enters the Internet

Another success for Christie came in the spring of 1987 when computer enthusiasts received a gift. In April, the digital version of the magazine Playboy Online was launched, created using a proprietary Microfilm program designed by Jerry Daniels. In 1994, the site was modernized and renamed Playboy.com. The following year, a paid site, Playboy Cyber Club, was launched, featuring materials not available in the printed magazine. In September 2005, the digital version of the entire magazine began publication.

The new leader focused on product and brand advertising. She built an empire of commerce, advertising, and gaming both online and on mobile platforms. The magazine appeared worldwide despite opposition from some governments and influential groups, and consumers recognized the Playboy brand on all continents, because while it was impossible to buy the magazine in Burma, India, or mainland China, perfumes, t-shirts, or deodorants with the bunny logo were available.

There were also supplements to the regular issues, the first of which appeared in 1989: 50 Beautiful Women and Midnight Playmates. The 1990s had 20 such issues, all to attract new readers. Special editions were published:

• Book of Lingerie (1984-2002),
• Celebrities (1987-1999),
• Girls/Women of the World (<1987-2012),
• Voluptuous Vixens/Vixens (1998-2012, meaning models with large busts),
• or Wet & Wild (<1987-2011).

There were many more regular issues. Occasional supplements also appeared, such as eight issues of Blondes, Brunettes and Redheads (Blondynki, brunetki i rude) or two issues of Nude Celebrities (Nagie gwiazdy) or Real Sex (Prawdziwy seks).

To enhance the magazine, crowd favorite Robert Scheer was invited for a permanent collaboration, a journalist known for his exceptional interviews, particularly with Jimmy Carter in 1976. He was an independent journalist, but readers of the magazine had already encountered his name in their favorite publication. From April 1990, Scheer ran the Reporter’s Notebook column in Playboy, where he expressed his opinions on provocative social issues. The first article in this series was A Fine Eye For Tyrants.


Another encouragement appeared in the September 1992 issue. This was the Mantrack supplement, or a guide for men in changing times, and in October the series Playboy’s History of Jazz and Rock.

Playboy in Polish

In the same year, a Polish version of Playboy was released in December. It included, among other things, an interview with Lech Wałęsa and a nude photo session of the first local Playmate, Malwina Rzeczkowska. It cost 29,500 zł (before denomination). The editor-in-chief was Tomasz Raczek. The magazine was published for 27 years, with the last issue hitting the shelves in December 2019.

In January 1994, the magazine celebrated its 40th anniversary. Traditionally, the cover featured only the company logo. This time, the bunny was a neon design by Eda Paschke, the magazine`s faithful graphic designer. The cover was made by photographer Richard Izui. The entire photographic composition was dedicated to reminiscing, starting from the first bunnies like Marilyn Monroe and Jayne Mansfield, through a competition for the beauty of the fortieth anniversary, to the selection of the most beautiful from the previous year. There was also Hefner`s article Golden Dreams with drawings by Leroy Neiman, where the author recalled the early days of Playboy.

Two years later, in December 1996, a new series of articles was presented to the readers: Playboy’s History of the Sexual Revolution. The first part covered the years 1900-1909 and was titled The City Electric. It was authored by James R. Peterson, and the article was illustrated by Kinuko Y. Craft and John Thomson. Subsequent installments prepared by various authors appeared irregularly but were anticipated and enjoyed considerable popularity. Similar to the literary section, as evidenced by the June 1999 issue. At that time, the Playboy Fiction section, which included excerpts from novels and short stories, was missing, which greatly displeased the magazine`s readers.

Despite loyal readers and considerable popularity, the magazine`s circulation continued to decline. Since 1999, revenues remained at the same level and sometimes even dropped. Americans loved Playboy, but outside the USA, the situation varied. Some countries discontinued the publication of the magazine, such as Mexico (1998), Argentina (1995), Norway (1999), or Turkey (1995). Sweden was also not favorable towards the erotic publication (1998-1999), despite being considered very liberal in this regard. The internet sites fared better, and the greatest profits came from merchandise sales. The company began to struggle.

Nonetheless, Playboy entered the new millennium with a bang. Parties at clubs, concerts, meetings, and the magazine itself, starting from the cover designed by Peter Max to the last holiday page, colorful and beautifully naked. On this occasion, a column Playboy Puzzle Challenge featuring crosswords, an interview with Hugh Hefner, a centenary spread, and a vision of the future according to David Shett.

Celebrating Fifty

The new century did not change the magazine much. The covers still featured topless and partially covered bodies, and the spreads showcased young and beautiful bunnies. No changes were made to the regular features such as Playboy After Hours or The Playboy Forum, as well as the last pages of Playboy On The Scene and Potpourri. New short story authors appeared, such as Terry Bisson and Chuck Palahniuk. Increasingly, technology and automobiles began to take up space, which had previously mostly appeared in the magazine as advertisements. Well-known figures spoke about diseases, drug use, alcoholism, and broadly understood discrimination in interviews. Alongside these serious issues, satirists continued to entertain in the Playboy’s Party Jokers section, and designers offered advice in the fashion world. Contests, polls, and sales were organized, and rankings were created.


In 2004, a grand celebration marked the magazine`s 50th anniversary. Jubilee events were held in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York, and Moscow. The magazine released limited collections designed by top names like Versace. The cosmetics company MAC Cosmetics launched two products bearing the bunny logo: a glitter cream and lipstick. There was also a commemorative skateboard. As part of the celebrations, the film Playboy: 50 Years of Playmates was produced, directed by Scott Allen, with a script by Nancy Goodell and Frank Martin. Anniversary collections were also released, including Playboy: 50 Years, The Photographs and Playboy: 50 Years, The Cartoons.

The holiday cover of the magazine was prepared by artistic directors Tom Staebler and Len Willis, and all sections revolved around the number 50. The star of this issue, chosen from 10,000 candidates, was psychology student Colleen Shannon from Alaska. Four years later, in December 2008, Christie Hefner announced her departure from the company.

Just as this country accepts changes in the form of new leadership (Barack Obama became the President of the USA), I decided it was time to make changes in my own life as well — she said.

As she said, so she did, and in January 2009, she handed over the reins of the company to Jerome H. Kern, but less than six months later, he also resigned. Scott Flanders took on the task of rescuing the company.

Before Christie left, she managed to implement her last project, Rock The Rabbit, where… 20 bands and stars personalized t-shirts as part of an aggressive marketing program. The campaign began in February 2007 with a photo report by Mick Rock. The photographer created portraits of David Bowie, Deborah Harry, Lou Reed, and Iggy Pop. The campaign aimed to sell t-shirts designed by stars with bunny head motifs, echoing fun, style, and good living.

Despite many efforts, the condition of the entire publication was not good. Playboy Enterprises lost $13.7 million in the first quarter of 2009, accounting for 21% of total revenue, and the magazine itself recorded a 16% decline. Clubs were closed, and some sections, such as the DVD section, were discontinued. Eighty people were laid off. However, this was just a drop in the bucket of needs.

Hefner... buying Playboy

The first steps taken by Flanders were to limit the number of issues published to 11. He announced that there would be only one summer issue, July/August. Six months later, a similar action was taken with the winter edition, January/February. At the same time, 30% of the shares were sold to the Indian-American firm Rizvi Traverse. In March 2011, with the help of the same company:

- Hugh Hefner finalized the acquisition of Playboy Enterprises for $207.3 million - reported The Wall Street Journal. - The owners of Playboy sold 84.4% of the "minority" shares, not owned by Hefner and others. In January, Icon Acquisition agreed to privately acquire Playboy for $6.15 per share.

The official buyer was Icon Acquisition Holdings, LP, but Playboy, after 50 years, became the private property of its founder. To achieve this, Hefner sold his properties, personal art collections, and even sold tickets to famous celebrity parties (which always had a full house).


However, this was not the end of the troubles for the company and the magazine. The Hefner-Flanders duo had plenty of work ahead of them.

In the same year, Playboy made its mark on social media. Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter attracted nearly 30 million followers, despite the fact that nudity is prohibited on these platforms. This was a sort of success that would serve as an argument a few years later.

In April 2012, the Playboy offices in Chicago at 680 North Lake Shore Drive were closed. This was a difficult decision, as this was where it all began, but it was not easy to win against the economy. The main headquarters was moved to Los Angeles, to Beverly Hills (9336 and 9346 Civic Center Drive). This involved staff reductions as not all employees were willing to relocate. The new headquarters was officially opened on April 30, 2012, with only 165 of the original 580 staff remaining.

Another step taken by Flanders (against management`s wishes) was to lease individual media companies to those who were more knowledgeable in their respective fields than Playboy Enterprises employees. Additionally, the company began licensing the Playboy name, the Bunny logo, trademarks, and works of art to be displayed on a wide range of consumer products, including clothing, accessories, footwear, lingerie, jewelry, fragrances, and home fashion. Since 2013, licensing constituted 65% of revenues. Contracts were signed with the cosmetics company Coty and the clothing agency IMG.

Playboy as a company began to recover. And Flanders was noted for bringing Playboy full circle, restoring its classy roots without sacrificing the magazine and brand integrity.

A revolution is coming

While Flanders was rescuing the entire company, the magazine`s editors were doing their job as usual. But their time also came. By 2014, nude photographs were significantly restricted, primarily on the internet, and in February 2015, in the American edition of Playboy. In other countries, they continued to be published. In October, Playboy announced a revolution on its pages:

• discontinuation of full frontal nudity
• end of the cartoon and comic sections
• elimination of the Playboy Philosophy column
• removal of jump-copy (continuation of articles on non-consecutive pages)
• cover with minimal navigation
• removal of the subtitle Entertainment for Men
• preparation for bimonthly publication

Hefner, who kept his finger on the pulse of the editorial office, agreed to the withdrawal of nudity but staunchly defended the cartoons, as he often contributed to them himself. Ultimately, however, he capitulated, and in March 2016, a clean issue of Playboy was released. It featured Playmate of the Month but with the note suitable for ages 13 and up. The magazine`s website was also modified. Bolder photos could be viewed on a second, paid site PlayboyPlus.com.

Flanders summarized the whole maneuver this way: The magazine cannot compete with free porn and nudity available online; the audience is now just one click away from every sexual act imaginable… for free. So at this point, it`s simply passé… we`re looking for the working man.


And The Guardian reported: The Playboy site has already been revamped and is safe to read at work, resulting in younger readers and increased web traffic. The American edition of Playboy is no longer profitable, but it exists as a marketing tool for international editions and Playboy`s licensing business, which is profitable.

At that time, the magazine`s circulation reached 800,000 copies. Nudity had disappeared, but articles about sex remained. New topics emerged, such as the alcohol and tobacco business and related issues, as well as the debate about gun ownership. A new section called My Way was introduced, featuring individuals who decided to leave their previous jobs and careers to pursue a different path. The cartoons that had entertained for decades did not completely disappear. A new section called Artist in Residence was created, featuring a different illustrator each month.

Farewell to the Print Version

January 2017 brought further changes, this time to the magazine`s frequency. It was to become a bimonthly publication. The complete elimination of the print version was also under consideration.

All these changes to the iconic magazine did not sit well with its loyal readers. Playboy`s condition improved somewhat, but it was officially announced that the decision to forgo nudity was a mistake. Starting with the March/April 2017 issue, nude photos were systematically reintroduced, and the Playboy Philosophy and Party Jokes columns were also restored. The revolutionaries had to yield…

Scott Flanders took the position of CEO at eHealth Inc, a health insurance company, effective January 1, 2017. He was succeeded at Playboy Enterprises by Ben Kohn, and when Hugh Hefner passed away in September, Cory Jones took over the editorial reins. From then on, the Kohn-Jones duo faced numerous challenges.

After the death of the family patriarch, the Hefner family sold their shares and withdrew from the business, but the company continued to operate. Playboy functioned worldwide as a brand and was doing fairly well in that regard. New products and contracts emerged, but the magazine struggled to meet new challenges. Starting in January 2019, it became a quarterly publication with clean covers meaning just a photo + headline, without navigation, dates, prices, or ads.

The year 2020 saw only two issues: Winter and Spring. The latter was the final printed edition. The last Playmates were dark-skinned singer and lawyer Ana Dias, models Sasha Samsonova and Graham Dunn. Activist Jameela Jamil gave an interview, and actor Patrick Stewart answered 20 questions. Among the farewell articles were comics and a letter from the editorial team in which Ben Kohn wrote:

Playboy means many things to many people. A magazine for some, a lifestyle for many, a clothing brand, a membership club, and, according to some, “the corruption of our youth.” But for the past 66 years, one thing has remained constant: our commitment to freedom of expression and breaking taboos, encouraging viewers to express and understand their sexuality, and supporting the pursuit of pleasure for all.

Well… see you online.

Playboy Timeline:

• 1953, October - Playboy Enterprises launches
• 1953, December - first issue of Playboy published
• 1960, January - first official Playmate of the Year contest
• 1960, February 29 - opening of the first Playboy Club
• 1960, August - first Vargas Girl illustrations
• 1960, September - first topless photo of a woman on the cover
• 1962, September - first of many Playboy Interviews
• 1962, December - first article in Playboy`s Philosophy series
• 1963 - first dark-skinned models appear in the magazine
• 1965 - the Playboy Foundation is established
• 1970 - blind version of Playboy launched
• 1970, June - the "pubic wars" begin (until 1979)
• 1971, September - the Playboy Potpourri section is introduced
• 1972 - first international edition of the magazine (Germany and Italy)
• 1972, March - first cover with a completely nude woman (drawing)
• 1972, November - Playboy reaches a circulation of 7,161,561 copies
• 1976, September - the first "Playboy On The Scene" cover appears
• 1977, February - the "The Year in Sex" series starts
• 1977, July - "The World of Playboy," first report from Hefner`s private mansion
• 1978, October - first interview in the "20Qs" series
• 1979, January - 25th anniversary of the magazine
• 1980, December 9 - Playboy becomes a part-owner of the Escapade television channel
• 1982, April - the "Man" column debuts
• 1982, November 18 - The Playboy Channel officially launches
• 1983, August - first women`s column in a men`s magazine - "Women"
• 1987, April - first website Playboy Online goes live
• 1989 - first supplements: "50 Beautiful Women" and "Midnight Playmates"
• 1990, April - "Reporter’s Notebook" column starts
• 1992, September - first episode of the "Mantrack" guide
• 1992, October - first episode of "Playboy’s History of Jazz and Rock" series
• 1994 - website modernization and renaming to Playboy.com
• 2004, January - 50th anniversary of Playboy
• 1996, December - the "Playboy’s History of Sexual Revolution" series begins
• 2005, September - digital version of the magazine launches
• 2007, February - "Rock The Rabbit" project starts
• 2009 - only 11 issues of Playboy (July/August combined into one)
• 2010 - 10 issues (January/February, July/August)
• 2011 - Playboy appears on social media
• 2012, April 30 - company`s offices relocated to Los Angeles
• 2015 - restriction on the number of nude photos
• 2016, March - issue with very few nude model photos, elimination of several popular columns and jump-copy
• 2016, April - new sections "My Way" and "Artist in Residence" introduced
• 2017, January - magazine becomes bimonthly
• 2017, September 27 - Hugh Hefner dies
• 2019, January - Playboy becomes a quarterly publication without ads
• 2020, March - the last printed issue of Playboy is published

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