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Blog

A Little Taste of Hefner, the Editor: the Memo to Gary Cole

Posted on: 03-13-2015 Posted in: Photography

iPad--ad-290This installment of the blog really has nothing to do with photography directly. Rather, it is a tiny insight into the man who created and edited every aspect of Playboy Magazine from December, 1953 until a couple of years ago when the weight of age made him step away from the complete control he exercised over every aspect of the magazine for over 50 years.

Whether it was the choice of an interview subject, where the Bunny was to be hidden on the cover, which photos of which Playmate were to appear in an issue, what cartoons should be published in the issue and on what page, no detail escaped his attention. Working for and with him for over 40 years taught me to scrutinize every detail of every image, to always seek a better subject, a better shot, a better layout. The following is a quote from a memo he sent to the editors back in 1995.

My concern about paper weight has worsened with the July issue. The paper we are now using is so thin it is translucent. In addition, it doesn’t have the proper enamel finish, so the ink is being absorbed instead of laying on the surface of the page, as good gravure printing should. As a result, the photos and illustrations have a muddy look instead of being crisp and sharp as they should. The magazine now looks and feels like a newspaper supplement instead of a quality publication. I want to return to 40 pound stock as quickly as possible.
Cost is not a consideration in this. We need to begin printing the magazine on appropriate paper as expeditiously as possible.”

The memo was on Hef’s distinctive yellow paper that only he in the company was authorized to use. If you saw that color, you paid attention. The accountant who had suggested cutting the quality of the paper stock in order to make a few more dollars was not fired. He was simply put in his place, sort of like being forced to stand in the corner in grammar school.

 

About Gary Cole

gary320aboutGary Cole has been the Director of Photography for Playboy Enterprises, Inc. for over 30 years. During that time he has managed the acquisition of all photography for Playboy and supervised photographers and production staff, studios, film and digital labs and photo archives. He has established and maintained relationships with leading photographers around the world while managing an $8 million dollar annual budget.  He has extensive experience in approaching and negotiating agreements with celebrity talent from movies and TV and has been involved in all creative aspects of the magazine.  Gary has twice been included in American Photo’s list of the 100 Most Important People in Photography.

Gary is also Playboy’s sports editor and has written over 50 major articles for the magazine on college football and basketball as well as pro football. He  selects Playboy’s prestigious Playboy All-America teams and has acted as on-camera expert on numerous College Football Preview television shows, all syndicated nationally on major networks.  In a study of various media outlets, The Village Voice judged Gary the nation’s most accurate college football prognosticator over a ten-year period. In addition, Gary is also an accredited voter for the annual Heisman Trophy award and  was the 2002 recipient of the Jim Murray Outstanding Sportswriter Award by the All-American Football Foundation.

My point in relating this story is that quality was always, always Hefner’s first concern, even if it cut into the profits of the company. He demanded that we, his staff, share his concern for quality, that we fight the good fight with the accountants, the lawyers, “corporate” as he called it, to keep the highest level of excellence possible in the magazine. One of his favorite sayings was:

Treat the magazine like your girlfriend, like your fiancée. Love it and don’t let anybody mess with it.”

And that’s a good approach to take to whatever endeavor you undertake. I think most of you who are part of STC or who simply love photography, already love what you do. Use that passion in an attempt to continually improve the quality and creativity of your photography.

The Miami seminar is close. Hope you will be there.

~ Gary Cole

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  • (8) Comments
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  1. Bill03-15-15

    What I’d like to know is when are they going to create a Playboy Museum up here in Chicago. I only came up for the “O Scale March Meet – Model Railroading Convention at the Lombard Westin”. (Bought a couple On3 Passenger Trucks). I did take in the Green River, yep it’s green and then made it over to the Orvis Store to get some small fly containers, their sweet! Then, went to checkout Treasure Island which was a bust. No russian chocolates or ukrainian. Even rode the folding bike along the lake front bike path, which is priceless. Though, not up to Evanston like last year and in 100 degree heat. Just a bit toasty for me and I was probably still quite dehydrated from eating too too many tomatoes which were laced with pesticide. Hence, came out of my system as fast as possible. Eat too many a pay the price.

    (reply)
  2. gary cole03-16-15

    As far as I know, there are no plans to set up a Playboy Museum in Chicago or elsewhere. I think if they ever did something like that, it would probably be in LA, not Chicago, since first Hef and then the entire company rather deserted Chicago. There was a time when I thought a Playboy restaurant/bar containing much of the Playboy memorabilia and artwork would make a great addition to the Chicago scene. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen and now I think the time has past. There are many wonderful ethnic markets in Chicago. Treasure Island is not one of them. Your gastronomical problems are your own personal and private challenge.

    (reply)
  3. Bill03-19-15

    Hef was wise to pull out in 67′ and essentially retire to a quiet place. I did manage to find 680 N. Lake Shore Drive and chit-chat with some young gal walking a Hush Puppy like dog. It is absolutely amazing how much traffic goes by that location and the car traffic noise, kind of reminded me of I-95 in Ft. Lauderdale. I guess, if he ever ask for some kind of an input from you where as to build his Presidential Library – you might say Some place in southern Illinios. Up in those hills over looking Makanda is discrete and will really test every bodies transmissions. Just tell him they’d have to stock up on provision for some of those winter days when the roads turn into packed ice and the only way into town would be by a horse drawn sleigh.

    (reply)
  4. Bill03-19-15

    Though, having said that… It probably would make better sense to just put his Presidential Library at the Cairo, IL airport. Some place where the ladies could be flown in and the area is 100% secure. This would be an idea location to park a black DC-9 with the white bunny on the tail. So people who Google Map the location can see 100% that’s where the Museum is at. As a photo or a model of all the places the company evolved from would really make better sense. Course, I wonder how a flying museum would work. Find a 747 paint it black with a huge bunny on the tail and fly that thing into all the major cities. As look at them fly into Chicago, they really are a sight to see.

    Check out “Jay’s O’Hare” on YouTube. And watch them land… Then visualize charging $20 bucks a head for the tour of the Playboy Museum.

    (reply)
  5. Bill03-19-15

    However.. With after saying all that. I’m sure “The Hefners” would probably like to completely avoid a museum. Unless, at 680 Lake Shore Drive there’s something on the top, be it a indoor swimming pool atrium which could add to the building visually maybe even a small greenhouse so as to grow ones own salad. However, I suspect he’d probably wouldn’t want it open all the time to the public. As he too knows, Playboy Magazine is just not what it use to be… A bit like Chicago, which has seen better days.
    Though, I do have to wonder if he’d consider leasing a Railroad passenger car for the Museum idea. Painting it up Black with the Bunny logo. Amtrak now pulls on the rear of The City of New Orleans some Pullman cars (passenger cars). Imagine, seeing the Bunny Car go whizzing down the tracks and parked at a Union Station for a day or two to serve as the museum and I’m sure there’s a fair supply of these things which one or two could serve as crew quarters. Take a look at some of those kitchens their huge and the thing is bigger than a DC-9 and way cheaper on jet fuel.

    (reply)
  6. Bill03-19-15

    I’m sure you guys know Flanders quite well and the task he has before him. Hence, I doubt if he’d buy off on the idea of a Museum. Unless, it was in Chicago. Which people will always think of a world class city. But, what sells me of the place is all those photo’s from the 50’s & 60’s. Holmby Hills location just looks small.

    If Hef should die, it probably would be cheaper to send him back home in a Pullman. So as to be in all the newspapers across the land. As what would he prefer – to fly or go flying thru a country town which Amtrak serves so folks can say they saw the Hefner Train where the secret playmates will just have to go down to the tracks to see him go by. Wonder, how many would really show?

    (reply)
  7. Bill03-19-15

    It tend to look at the Hefner Train as a photo op. Verse a private jet roaring down the runway. Flanders talking about on the WSJ YouTube channel about bring the company public again. Kinda ballsy, all depends on the state of the economy on the rollout.

    (reply)
  8. Bill03-19-15

    You guys have fun this weekend. I do have to wonder if that Chinese guy I was talking with at Best Buy in Chicago. Is going to fly down and be a part of STC.

    (reply)

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