Publishers Send Free Magazines to Awe Troops

Reuters ^ | 3-26-2003

[Cagey]

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. troops in Iraq will soon be able to adorn their quarters with the 21st Century's answer to World War II pin-ups, as the publisher of Maxim and Stuff ships free copies of the men's lifestyle magazines to their mailboxes.

Dennis Publishing said it hopes its scantily clad cover models will help U.S. soldiers endure war in the same way the curvy girls drawn by Peruvian-born artist Alberto Vargas became one of the biggest morale-boosters among servicemen in the 1940's.

Dennis Publishing said on Tuesday it is shipping 15,000 free copies of Maxim, Stuff and its musical magazine Blender to 40 different military tent sites across Kuwait, Jordan, Qatar, Afghanistan and Oman.

Meanwhile Time Inc.'s Sports Illustrated is also making arrangements to send copies of its two latest issues on college basketball and baseball to soldiers in Iraq and surrounding areas.

"We are trying to get between 3,000 and 5,000 copies sent over," a spokesman for the magazine said. Another Time Inc. favorite, celebrity magazine People, could follow.

Playboy Enterprises Inc. will not send copies of its legendary namesake magazine to the front. Instead, the company plans to set up an e-mail address where U.S. servicemen around the world can sign up to receive non-nude pictures and a message from the famed Playmates.

Publishers are also reaching to the G.I. Janes.

Long before the war started, Hearst Corp. sent issues of its Marie Claire magazine along with skin care products to a dozen of female soldiers in the front after receiving a letter from them asking for some entertainment material.

The publisher said it will also be shipping copies of its Good Housekeeping title soon.

[Cagey]

Playboy Enterprises Inc. will not send copies of its legendary namesake magazine to the front.

This is Hugh.

[dandelion]

No, it's more than Hugh. It's SERIES...

[gidgetgirl3]

I know that the "Sports Illustrated"swimsuit addition was confenscated from my hubby in Saudi...it's considered porn. Good luck with the other stuff, easpecially in countrys like Baharain, Quatar, I'm pretty sure they have the same customs.

[Maedhros]

America invades Iraq, Playboy “invades” Lebanon....

Hopefully Maxim will include this pic:

[dware]

"Boar Hunter Magazine" donated a number of copies to 'Operation Phone Home' recently. They were sent with care packages to troops in Kuwait.

Operation Phone Home

[Cagey]

Thanks for the link, Dave. I hadn't noticed your program until now and I'm glad you brought my attention to it. I just bookmarked it and will forward in emails. I hope others will do the same.

[BushCountry]

I doubt our boys would enjoy recieving pictures like these.

[BushCountry]

or this one! : )

[Cagey]

I know. Striped socks and argyle just don't work. Talk about clash!

[tall_tex]

Baby blue tennies and a black and yellow thingey dingey, discusting choise of colors and accents. Geessss.,,

[cateizgr8]

ping :) I guess I will have to renew your subscription to Maxim this year ;)

[Cagey]

The French fashion police would be appalled.

[mhking]

[MoralSense]

Nice idea, but porn is against military regs in theater. Maxim skates kinda close.