Today, known for its satirical and biting humor, the North American magazine National Lampoon, published from the 1970s to the 1990s, has its roots at Harvard University. It all began in 1969 when Doug Kenney, Henry Beard, and Robert Hoffman, all Harvard University graduates and alumni, licensed the name "Lampoon" for a monthly magazine. However, it's essential to note that the origins of Harvard Lampoon date back to 1876 when it was a humor magazine edited by postgraduate students.
Fig..1. April 1970
Fig.2. September 1970
Fig.3. February 1973
Fig.4. August 1973
Fig.5. January 1973
Satire, Parody, and Nudity
Since its academic beginnings, the magazine has published diverse content, including satire, short fiction, and comic books. When it officially launched in April 1970 as National Lampoon, this diverse character of the magazine remained, setting it apart from others. The magazine's success led it to explore different media such as films, radio, theater, LPs, and books. Throughout its existence, in addition to text, comics, and cartoons, it was common to find nude images in the magazine, often featuring women.
Fig..6. October 1974
Fig.7. September 1975
Fig.8 January 1976
Fig.9. February 1976
Against Political Correctness
The first National Lampoon cover featured a woman in a low-cut leotard (Fig.1). With the September 1970 issue, the magazine provoked The Walt Disney Company by placing a topless Minnie Mouse on the cover (Fig.2), leading to a lawsuit. Although a satire and parody magazine, National Lampoon would face more significant challenges if published today due to the culture of political correctness. The magazine would likely be accused of misogyny, sexism, and other labels for depicting women in provocative and embarrassing situations.
Fig.10. August 1976
Fig.11. January 1977
Fig.12. February 1978
Fig.13. July 1979
Unforgettable Covers
National Lampoon magazine's crude and obscene provocations weren't limited to the women on its covers. Who could forget the famous cover of the January 1973 issue (Fig.5), featuring a dog with a gun pointed at its head and the text "If you don't buy this magazine, we'll kill this dog"? This cover ranks among the magazine's most famous and was selected by ASME (American Society of Magazine Editors) as the seventh greatest magazine cover of the last 40 years. In the January 1972 edition, a photo of Che Guevara is splattered with a cream pie, and in the March 1972 edition, Hitler is depicted sitting on a bamboo throne, sipping a pineapple cocktail. Several cartoonists contributed to these covers, including Peter Bramley, Bill Skurski, Arnold Roth, Gahan Wilson, and Michael C. Gross, who oversaw the magazine's visual design until 1974.
Fig.14. November 1979
In the profound Premium edition of this publication you'll discover all the 43 most seductive covers we selected, more about National Lampoon sensual strategy, their success, use of radio, cinema and television, the final issue they published, more on the Netflix documentary on the magazine, and references to complete issues.
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