CREATIVE DIRECTION & GRAPHIC DESIGN

MARCH 1955

I’m an avid collector of vintage editorial design ephemera. Some of the most beautiful design work on printed page comes from the groundbreaking (at the time) Playboy Magazine. Art Paul, the first and long-time art director, brought a sophisticated modern style to the layout and presentation of what was otherwise another “gentleman’s publication” in a saturated sea of "girlie mags.”

In my own research, I learned that there was never a March issue in the first full year of the magazine. According to certain accounts, the printer deadline was missed for March. I decided take this production lapse and turn it into a editorial design exercise of historical and cultural archetypes. Borrowing from era-accurate imagery and illustrations, I explored what could have been– even including the “hidden bunny” motif on each design. Can you find them all?


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