Larry Flynt Publications
Encyclopedia
Larry Flynt
Larry Claxton Flynt, Jr. is an American publisher and the president of Larry Flynt Publications . In 2003, Arena magazine listed him as the number one on the "50 Powerful People in Porn" list....
. Founded in 1976, two years after Flynt began publishing Hustler
Hustler
Hustler is a monthly pornographic magazine aimed at men and published in the United States. It was first published in 1974 by Larry Flynt. It was a step forward from the Hustler Newsletter which was cheap advertising for his strip club businesses at the time. The magazine grew from a shaky start to...
magazine, LFP was originally to serve as the parent company
Parent company
A parent company is a company that owns enough voting stock in another firm to control management and operations by influencing or electing its board of directors; the second company being deemed as a subsidiary of the parent company...
of this magazine.
Hustler Magazine
In March 1972, Flynt created the Hustler Newsletter, a four-page, black-and-white publication of information about his clubs. This item became so popular with his customers that by May 1972 he expanded the Hustler Newsletter to 16 pages and in August 1973, to 32 pages. As a result of the 1973 oil crisis1973 oil crisis
The 1973 oil crisis started in October 1973, when the members of Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries or the OAPEC proclaimed an oil embargo. This was "in response to the U.S. decision to re-supply the Israeli military" during the Yom Kippur war. It lasted until March 1974. With the...
the United States entered an economic recession; Hustler Club
Hustler Club
The Hustler Club is a series of bars and chain of go-go clubs owned by Hustler magazine publisher Larry Flynt.- Early Hustler Clubs :Flynt was discharged from the Navy in 1964 where he had served as a radar operator. After this stint in the Navy he worked in manufacturing jobs including one at a...
customers tightened their spending and Flynt had to find financing to pay his debts or go bankrupt. He decided to turn the Hustler Newsletter into a national sexually explicit magazine. He paid the start-up costs of the new magazine using sales tax
Sales tax
A sales tax is a tax, usually paid by the consumer at the point of purchase, itemized separately from the base price, for certain goods and services. The tax amount is usually calculated by applying a percentage rate to the taxable price of a sale....
es collected in the clubs. In July 1974, the first issue of Hustler
Hustler
Hustler is a monthly pornographic magazine aimed at men and published in the United States. It was first published in 1974 by Larry Flynt. It was a step forward from the Hustler Newsletter which was cheap advertising for his strip club businesses at the time. The magazine grew from a shaky start to...
was published. Although the first few issues went largely unnoticed, within a year it became highly lucrative and he was able to pay his tax debts. The magazine struggled for the first year, partly because many distributors and wholesalers refused to handle it as its nude photos became increasingly graphic. It targeted working-class men and grew from a shaky start to a peak circulation of around 3 million (current circulation is below 500,000). In November 1974, Hustler showed the first "pink-shots," or photos of open vagina
Vagina
The vagina is a fibromuscular tubular tract leading from the uterus to the exterior of the body in female placental mammals and marsupials, or to the cloaca in female birds, monotremes, and some reptiles. Female insects and other invertebrates also have a vagina, which is the terminal part of the...
s. Flynt had to fight to publish each issue as many people, including his distribution company, found the magazine too sexually explicit and threatened to have it removed from the market. Shortly thereafter, Flynt was approached by a paparazzo who had taken nude pictures of former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
Jacqueline Lee Bouvier "Jackie" Kennedy Onassis was the wife of the 35th President of the United States, John F. Kennedy, and served as First Lady of the United States during his presidency from 1961 until his assassination in 1963. Five years later she married Greek shipping magnate Aristotle...
while she was sunbathing on vacation in 1971. He purchased them for $18,000 and published them in the August 1975 issue. That issue attracted widespread attention, and one million copies were sold within a few days. Now a millionaire, he bought a $375,000 (1976 dollars) mansion
Mansion
A mansion is a very large dwelling house. U.S. real estate brokers define a mansion as a dwelling of over . A traditional European mansion was defined as a house which contained a ballroom and tens of bedrooms...
.
Other magazines
After 1976, Larry Flynt Publications expanded to include many pornographic magazines as well as mainstream titles under its umbrella. Other pornographic magazines included:- Hustler's Taboo, which specializes in fetishisticSexual fetishismSexual fetishism, or erotic fetishism, is the sexual arousal a person receives from a physical object, or from a specific situation. The object or situation of interest is called the fetish, the person a fetishist who has a fetish for that object/situation. Sexual fetishism may be regarded, e.g...
material, such as the depiction of sexual bondageBondage (BDSM)Bondage is the use of restraints for the sexual pleasure of the parties involved. It may be used in its own right, as in the case of rope bondage and breast bondage, or as part of sexual activity or BDSM activity.- Private bondage :...
and urolagniaUrolagniaUrolagnia is a paraphilia in which sexual excitement is associated with the sight or thought of urine or urination. The term has origins in the Greek Language .Those who enjoy urolagnia may enjoy urinating on another person or persons, or being urinated upon...
. - Barely LegalBarely Legal (magazine)Barely Legal is the name of an adult magazine targeted primarily at heterosexual men.-Overview:The magazine features explicit photos of naked young women, all of whom are at least 18 years old. The models are selected and photographed to emphasize their youth...
, a primarily softcore magazine focusing on models between 18 and 23 - Asian FeverAsian FeverAsian Fever is the name of an adult magazine and companion adult video series.-Overview:The magazine features explicit photos of naked young women, all of whom are at least 18 years old...
, focusing on AsianAsian peopleAsian people or Asiatic people is a term with multiple meanings that refers to people who descend from a portion of Asia's population.- Central Asia :...
models - Hustler XXX, a more generic hardcore offering
- Hustler's Leg World
- Hustler's Chic MagazineChic MagazineChic was a pornographic magazine started by Larry Flynt, of Hustler fame in 1976. The first issue was published in November 1976. In 1979, Flynt went on trial for obscenity charges over eight issues of Hustler and three issues of Chic Magazine. In 1984, a Texas woman, Jeannie Braun, successfully...
, started in 1976 and aimed at a more upscale clientele than Hustler. - Hustler's Busty Beauties is a softcore magazine which specializes in photographs of women with extremely large breasts.
When the market for men's magazines softened in the late 1990s, LFP expanded into production of adult videos through its Hustler Video
Hustler Video
thumb|right|240px|Hustler Booth at the [[AVN Adult Entertainment Expo]] at the [[Sands Expo|Sands Convention Center]], Las Vegas, Nevada on January 7, 2010Hustler Video is an American pornographic film studio...
subsidiary, and moved further into the mainstream publishing market. To accommodate this expansion, the company moved its headquarters to Wilshire Boulevard
Wilshire Boulevard
Wilshire Boulevard is one of the principal east-west arterial roads in Los Angeles, California, United States. It was named for Henry Gaylord Wilshire , an Ohio native who made and lost fortunes in real estate, farming, and gold mining. Henry Wilshire initiated what was to become Wilshire...
in Beverly Hills, California
Beverly Hills, California
Beverly Hills is an affluent city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. With a population of 34,109 at the 2010 census, up from 33,784 as of the 2000 census, it is home to numerous Hollywood celebrities. Beverly Hills and the neighboring city of West Hollywood are together...
, where it remains to this day. It launched a series of special-interest magazines, such as Camera & Darkroom Photography, PC Laptop Computers and Maternity Fashion & Beauty.
RIP Magazine was a music magazine
Music magazine
A music magazine is a magazine dedicated to music and music culture. Such magazines typically include music news, interviews, photo shoots, essays, record reviews, concert reviews and occasionally have a covermount with recorded music.-Notable music magazines:...
covering heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
. It was the first non-pornographic publication produced by LFP, and was edited by Lonn Friend
Lonn Friend
Lonn Friend is an American journalist and author. Friend is best known for his work in the late 1980s and '90s as editor of RIP Magazine, which covered the debaucherous world of heavy metal music and the rock stars who led the movement...
, who had previously edited Hustler and Chic.
It published 14 bi-monthly issues of TurboPlay Magazine (June/July 1990 – August/September 1992) dedicated to covering TurboGrafx-16
TurboGrafx-16
TurboGrafx-16, fully titled as TurboGrafx-16 Entertainment SuperSystem and known in Japan as the , is a video game console developed by Hudson Soft and NEC, released in Japan on October 30, 1987, and in North America on August 29, 1989....
and TG-CD hardware and software. It was a spin-off publication of Video Games & Computer Entertainment
Video Games & Computer Entertainment
VideoGames & Computer Entertainment was an American magazine dedicated to covering video games on computers, home consoles and arcades...
(VG&CE), a popular multi-platform gaming magazine of the late 1980s / early 1990s. Every issue of TurboPlay was 32 pages in length and a yearly subscription cost $9.95. L.F.P. published three bi-monthly issues of DUOWORLD magazine (July/August 1993 – November/December 1993) before it was canceled. DuoWorld was very similar in format to TurboPlay, but with a focus on the newly released TurboDuo console (i.e. TurboMail and TurboNews became DuoMail and DuoNews, respectively).
Tips & Tricks
Tips & Tricks
Tips & Tricks is an American video game magazine published by Larry Flynt Publications . For most of its existence, the publication was devoted almost exclusively to strategies and codes for popular video games...
(now Tips & Tricks Codebook) is a video game magazine published by LFP. For most of its existence, the publication was devoted almost exclusively to strategies
Strategy guide
Strategy guides are instruction books that contain hints or complete solutions to specific video games. The line between strategy guides and walkthroughs is somewhat blurred, with the former often containing or being written around the latter. Strategy guides are often published in print, both in...
and codes for popular video games. It began as a spin off from VideoGames magazine, which in itself morphed out of VideoGames & Computer Entertainment. VG&CE and VideoGames, like Tips & Tricks, were published by LFP following the purchase of A.N.A.L.O.G.
A.N.A.L.O.G.
A.N.A.L.O.G. was an American computer magazine devoted to the Atari 8-bit home computer line. It was known for its "advanced" programs in comparison to most type-in magazines of the era, especially its main rival, ANTIC, another long-lived magazine devoted to the Atari 8-bit line...
, ST-LOG and other computer magazines from publishers Michael DesChenes & Lee Pappas in the late '80s.
As the 21st century approached, magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
sales further declined. Together, the company's 31 periodicals had a monthly circulation of between 2.5 and 3 million. This was a far cry from the 1970s, when Hustler alone sold that many copies each month. Because of this LFP focused on turning its magazine and video titles such as Hustler, Barely Legal
Barely Legal (magazine)
Barely Legal is the name of an adult magazine targeted primarily at heterosexual men.-Overview:The magazine features explicit photos of naked young women, all of whom are at least 18 years old. The models are selected and photographed to emphasize their youth...
, Busty Beauties, Beaver Hunt
Beaver Hunt
Beaver Hunt was a monthly pornographic magazine aimed at men and published in the United States. It was first published in 1974 by Larry Flynt. It was an offshoot of Hustler magazines's longest running feature, "Beaver Hunt"...
, and Asian Fever
Asian Fever
Asian Fever is the name of an adult magazine and companion adult video series.-Overview:The magazine features explicit photos of naked young women, all of whom are at least 18 years old...
into profitable websites.
By 1998, estimates LFP was doing $135 million in annual sales with 51,112 periodicals published and 7,812 movies and or video tapes produced.
Hustler Video
Hustler VideoHustler Video
thumb|right|240px|Hustler Booth at the [[AVN Adult Entertainment Expo]] at the [[Sands Expo|Sands Convention Center]], Las Vegas, Nevada on January 7, 2010Hustler Video is an American pornographic film studio...
is a pornographic film studio owned by LFP. In 2003 Hustler Video bought VCA Pictures
VCA Pictures
VCA Pictures is an American pornographic film production and distribution company. The company was founded by Russ Hampshire, and was formerly a major player during the 'Golden Age of Porn'. Throughout the 70's and 80's VCA produced big budget, plot-oriented feature films...
, which maintains a separate brand identity within the LFP conglomerate. Hustler Video has produced several top-selling and award-winning films, such as Snoop Dogg's Doggystyle
Snoop Dogg's Doggystyle
Snoop Dogg's Doggystyle is a mixed hardcore pornography and hip-hop music video featuring the music of rapper Snoop Dogg and presented by him. It was released in 2001. It was the first hardcore video ever listed on the Billboard music video sales chart...
, Snoop Dogg's Hustlaz: Diary of a Pimp
Snoop Dogg's Hustlaz: Diary of a Pimp
Snoop Dogg's Hustlaz: Diary of a Pimp is a mixed hardcore pornography and hip hop music video featuring the music of rapper Snoop Dogg, produced by Hustler Video. The video was also directed, co-produced and presented by him, although he does not feature in any sex scenes. In the films credits...
and Who's Nailin' Paylin?
Who's Nailin' Paylin?
Who's Nailin' Paylin? is an American satirical pornographic film released on November 4, 2008, that satirizes former U.S. vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin. The film was directed by Jerome Tanner and stars Lisa Ann, Nina Hartley and Jada Fire...
.
In 2010 when AIDS Healthcare Foundation lodged a complaint against the Hustler Video group for not requiring the actors to wear condoms and thereby contributing to the spread of HIV, Michael H. Klein, the President of LFP responded by saying the company would not back down from shooting raw sex videos.
Hustler Clubs
The Hustler ClubHustler Club
The Hustler Club is a series of bars and chain of go-go clubs owned by Hustler magazine publisher Larry Flynt.- Early Hustler Clubs :Flynt was discharged from the Navy in 1964 where he had served as a radar operator. After this stint in the Navy he worked in manufacturing jobs including one at a...
is a chain of strip clubs. In 1968, Flynt opened the first Hustler Club which featured semi-clothed girls. One Hustler Club in Dayton quickly lead to a chain of clubs with the same name in Cincinnati, Columbus, Cleveland, Toledo, and Akron. By early 1970, he had eight clubs and 300 employees. In 1974 with profits from Hustler magazine far surpassing those of the Hustler Clubs, Flynt decided to get out of the bars business and be a publisher full time. For close to 30 years the Hustler Club name lay dormant. In the early 2000s, LFP began to license the Hustler Club name for new clubs across the country. Currently there are Hustler Clubs in 6 U.S. states and 3 countries.
Hustler Casino
LFP's most profitable business is not a publication— it is the Hustler CasinoHustler Casino
Larry Flynt's Hustler Casino is a casino in Gardena, California located approximately 15 miles south of Downtown Los Angeles. It is owned by Hustler magazine publisher Larry Flynt through his El Dorado Enterprises holding company. It has been in operation since June 22, 2000...
, which Flynt has said accounts for over $20 million in profits in 2007. On June 22, 2000, Flynt opened the Casino, a card room located in the Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
suburb of Gardena
Gardena, California
Gardena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 58,829 at the 2010 census, up from 57,746 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Gardena is located at ....
. After it opened, many observers in the gaming industry speculated that, because of his past legal troubles, Flynt might not be able to get a license to operate a card room. However, the California Gambling Control Commission has confirmed that Flynt is the sole proprietor and gaming licensee of the Hustler Casino. In 2001, Larry Flynt stated his net worth as $400 million.