Bold original artwork has been a mainstay of Playgirl magazine since its inaugural issue, back in June 1973 (see “Virginity” by James Borders). It illustrated articles, erotic stories, even horoscopes, long before AI and Photoshop. Many graphic designers contributed their craft through the 90s, with different styles, sensibilities and techniques: Watercolors and gouache, of course. But also multiple exposure photography, collages, pencils, ink, pastels…
None of those illustrations, no matter how clever and imaginative (and often cheeky), compare to the drawings that built the identity (and the homoerotic lexicon) of so many gay magazines –of Blueboy, Torso, Honcho, Mandate, Playguy, Inches… We won’t find in Playgirl any of the 29 consequential artists the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art showcased in 2014: Robert Richards, Mel Odom, Kent Neffendorf… We won’t find a legacy.
Nevertheless, quite a few Playgirl illustrators –and some very talented women among them– stand the test of time: Look at Nancy Riegelman’ s nude (March 1982) or at Minnie Poppins’ “Valentine’s Day” (February 1974) and take a ‘colorful,’ whimsical walk down memory lane.
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Artist: James Borders • June 1973.
Artist: Paul Hauge • August 1973.
December 1973.
Artist: Minnie Poppins • February 1974.
Artist: BillI Imhoff • January 1974.
Artist: Nancy Riegelman • March 1982.
