Pl***oy is an American men's lifestyle and entertainment magazine. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother.[3] The magazine has grown into Pl***oy Enterprises, Inc., with a presence in nearly every medium. Pl***oy is one of the world's best known brands.[4] In addition to the flagship magazine in the United State
s, special nation-specific versions of Pl***oy are published worldwide. The magazine has a long history of publishing short stories by notable novelists such as Arthur C. Clarke,[5] Ian Fleming,[5] Vladimir Nabokov,[6] Saul Bellow, Chuck Palahniuk, P. Wodehouse,[5] Haruki Murakami, and Margaret Atwood.[5] With a regular display of full-page color cartoons, it became a showcase for notable cartoonists, including Harvey Kurtzman, Jack Cole,[7] Eldon Dedini,[8] Jules Feiffer,[9] Shel Silverstein,[10] Erich Sokol,[5] Roy Raymonde,[11] Gahan Wilson, and Rowland B. Wilson.[12] Pl***oy features monthly interviews of notable public figures, such as artists, architects, economists, composers, conductors, film directors, journalists, novelists, playwrights, religious figures, politicians, athletes and race car drivers.
