Michael VerMeulen (December 10, 1956 – August 28, 1995) was an American

magazine A magazine is a periodical publication, generally published on a regular schedule (often weekly or monthly), containing a variety of content. They are generally financed by advertising, purchase price, prepaid subscriptions, or by a combinatio ...

editor Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, photographic, visual, audible, or cinematic material used by a person or an entity to convey a message or information. The editing process can involve correction, condensation, or ...

British GQ ''GQ'' (formerly ''Gentlemen's Quarterly'' and ''Apparel Arts'') is an American international monthly men's magazine based in New York City and founded in 1931. The publication focuses on fashion, style, and culture for men, though articles on ...

who resided in Islington, England until his death. Born in

Lake Forest, Illinois Lake Forest is a city located in Lake County, Illinois, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 19,367. The city is along the shore of Lake Michigan, and is a part of the Chicago metropolitan area and the North Shore. Lake Fore ...

, VerMeulen was a journalist and editor, who came into contact during his late adolescence with playwright David Mamet and the circle of actors surrounding him in Chicago at that time. He contributed regularly to a number of magazines including ''

Vanity Fair Vanity Fair may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Literature * Vanity Fair, a location in '' The Pilgrim's Progress'' (1678), by John Bunyan * ''Vanity Fair'' (novel), 1848, by William Makepeace Thackeray * ''Vanity Fair'' (magazines), the ...

'' and ''

Parade A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, floats, or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually celebrations of s ...

'' before leaving for London where he worked initially for a financial publication, before joining British '' ''GQ'''' in 1988 as its founding features editor. VerMeulen was promoted within GQ to deputy editor in 1990 and to editor in 1992. VerMeulen died of a

drug overdose A drug overdose (overdose or OD) is the ingestion or application of a drug or other substance in quantities much greater than are recommended.

on Sunday, 28 August 1995, in his home in Islington,

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

. A coroner's inquest found over two and a half times the lethal dose of

cocaine Cocaine (from , from , ultimately from Quechua: ''kúka'') is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant mainly used recreationally for its euphoric effects. It is primarily obtained from the leaves of two Coca species native to South Am ...

in his system, and decided it was an unfortunate case of 'wild misadventure'."Editor died from cocaine overdose", The Independent, November 8, 1995.
/ref> His funeral was held at St. George's, Hanover Square, London. David Mamet sent a special eulogy that was read during the service. Over 400 people, including editors and writers, were in attendance.

References

1956 births 1995 deaths American magazine editors Drug-related deaths in England GQ (magazine) 20th-century American non-fiction writers {{US-editor-stub