Paul Raymond Publications
Encyclopedia
Paul Raymond Publications is a British
men's softcore pornography publisher which releases ten pornographic magazine
titles each month; Escort
, Club International, Just Girls, Mayfair
, Men Only
, Men's World, Razzle
, Swing Mag, Club DVD and Escort DVD.
Paul Raymond (1925–2008) had launched his first magazine, King with the profits from his Raymond Revuebar
in 1964, but it was short-lived. The company originated with its owner's purchase of Men Only in 1971 and Club International in 1972. Raymond relaunched Men Only with photographs of the women who worked at his strip-clubs. Within a few years Raymond claimed the magazine had a circulation of 500,000. Raymonds daughter Debbie ran the company for a time, until she died from a drugs overdose in 1992. The companies main competitors in the UK are Gold Star Publications, formerly owned by David Sullivan, and Northern & Shell, owned by Richard Desmond
. In 1999 the company had revenues of £2 million, and pre-tax profits of £19 million. As of 2001 it produced eight of the 10 best-selling pornographic magazines in the UK, aided by its deal with Comag, one of Britains largest magazine distributors. In the 2000s the companies fortunes waned due to competition from the internet and "lad mags".
After the death of Paul Raymond, the US arm of the company was sold to Magna Publishing Group, while the UK arm was sold to a group of private investors.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
men's softcore pornography publisher which releases ten pornographic magazine
Pornographic magazine
Pornographic magazines, sometimes known as adult magazines, sex magazines or top-shelf magazines are pornographic magazines that contain content of a sexual nature. Adult magazines are mainly aimed towards men, and in some parts of the world, many men's first sight of a naked woman has been in an...
titles each month; Escort
Escort (magazine)
Escort is a British men's adult magazine, or softcore magazine, which falls under the description of pornography, or erotica.By 2011, Escort was in its 31st year, or volume. The content is a combination of photographs and text, with the photographs almost entirely being those of partially or...
, Club International, Just Girls, Mayfair
Mayfair (magazine)
Mayfair is a British adult magazine for men. Founded in 1965, it was designed as a response to U.S. magazines such as Playboy and Penthouse, which had recently launched in the UK. For many years it claimed the largest distribution of any men's magazine in the UK.-Fisk Publishing era:Mayfair was...
, Men Only
Men Only
Men Only is a British soft-core pornographic magazine published by Paul Raymond since 1971. However, the title goes back to 1935 when it was founded by C. Arthur Pearson Ltd as a pocket magazine . It set out its editorial stall in the first issue:'We don't want women readers. We won't have women...
, Men's World, Razzle
Razzle (magazine)
Razzle is a British soft porn magazine, founded in 1983, published by Paul Raymond Publications. It currently focuses on amateur style pornography, offering cash for any photos of "readers' wives" printed: in the past, however, several notable glamour models were featured, including minor...
, Swing Mag, Club DVD and Escort DVD.
Paul Raymond (1925–2008) had launched his first magazine, King with the profits from his Raymond Revuebar
Raymond Revuebar
The Raymond Revuebar was a theater and strip club at 11 Walker's Court, now The Box Soho, in the heart of London's Soho district. For many years, it was the only venue in London that offered full-frontal, on-stage nudity of the sort commonly seen in other cities in Europe and North America...
in 1964, but it was short-lived. The company originated with its owner's purchase of Men Only in 1971 and Club International in 1972. Raymond relaunched Men Only with photographs of the women who worked at his strip-clubs. Within a few years Raymond claimed the magazine had a circulation of 500,000. Raymonds daughter Debbie ran the company for a time, until she died from a drugs overdose in 1992. The companies main competitors in the UK are Gold Star Publications, formerly owned by David Sullivan, and Northern & Shell, owned by Richard Desmond
Richard Desmond
Richard Clive Desmond is an English publisher and businessman. He is the owner of Express Newspapers and founder in 1974 of Northern & Shell, which publishes various celebrity magazines, such as OK! and New!, and British national newspapers Daily Star and Daily Express...
. In 1999 the company had revenues of £2 million, and pre-tax profits of £19 million. As of 2001 it produced eight of the 10 best-selling pornographic magazines in the UK, aided by its deal with Comag, one of Britains largest magazine distributors. In the 2000s the companies fortunes waned due to competition from the internet and "lad mags".
After the death of Paul Raymond, the US arm of the company was sold to Magna Publishing Group, while the UK arm was sold to a group of private investors.