Larry Flynt Publications, or LFP, Inc. is an American business enterprise that owns, manages and operates the
adult entertainment
The sex industry (also called the sex trade) consists of businesses that either directly or indirectly provide sex-related products and services or adult entertainment. The industry includes activities involving direct provision of sex-related ...
businesses founded by American entrepreneur
Larry Flynt
Larry Claxton Flynt Jr. (; November 1, 1942 – February 10, 2021) was an American publisher and the president of Larry Flynt Publications (LFP). LFP mainly produces pornographic magazines, such as ''Hustler'', pornographic videos, and three por ...
. Founded in 1976, two years after Flynt began publishing ''
Hustler
Hustler or hustlers may also refer to:
Professions
* Hustler, an American slang word, e.g., for a:
** Con man, a practitioner of confidence tricks
** Drug dealer, seller of illegal drugs
** Male prostitute
** Pimp
** Business man, more gener ...
'' magazine, LFP was originally established to serve as the legal business entity i.e.
parent company
A holding company is a company whose primary business is holding a controlling interest in the securities of other companies. A holding company usually does not produce goods or services itself. Its purpose is to own shares of other companies ...
of this magazine.
''Hustler'' magazine
In March 1972, Flynt created the ''Hustler Newsletter,'' a four-page, black-and-white publication of information about his
Hustler Club
The Hustler Club is a series of bars and chain of go-go clubs licensed by ''Hustler'' magazine publisher Larry Flynt.
Early history
Flynt was discharged from the Navy in 1964 where he had served as a radar operator. After this stint in the Nav ...
s. This item became so popular with his customers that by May 1972 he expanded the ''Hustler Newsletter'' to 16 pages and in August 1973, to 32 pages. As a result of the
1973 oil crisis
The 1973 oil crisis or first oil crisis began in October 1973 when the members of the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC), led by Saudi Arabia, proclaimed an oil embargo. The embargo was targeted at nations that had supp ...
the United States entered an economic recession;
Hustler Club
The Hustler Club is a series of bars and chain of go-go clubs licensed by ''Hustler'' magazine publisher Larry Flynt.
Early history
Flynt was discharged from the Navy in 1964 where he had served as a radar operator. After this stint in the Nav ...
customers tightened their spending and Flynt had to find financing to pay his debts or go bankrupt. He decided to turn the ''Hustler Newsletter'' into a sexually-explicit national magazine. He paid the start-up costs of the new magazine using
sales tax
A sales tax is a tax paid to a governing body for the sales of certain goods and services. Usually laws allow the seller to collect funds for the tax from the consumer at the point of purchase. When a tax on goods or services is paid to a govern ...
es collected in the clubs. In July 1974, the first issue of ''Hustler'' magazine was published. Although the first few issues went largely unnoticed, within a year it became highly lucrative and he was able to pay his tax debts. The magazine struggled for the first year, partly because many distributors and wholesalers refused to handle it as its nude photos became increasingly graphic. It targeted
working-class
The working class (or labouring class) comprises those engaged in manual-labour occupations or industrial work, who are remunerated via waged or salaried contracts. Working-class occupations (see also " Designation of workers by collar colou ...
men and grew from a shaky start to a peak circulation of around 3 million (current circulation is below 500,000). In November 1974, Hustler showed the first "pink shots," or photos of open vulvas. Flynt had to fight to publish each issue as many people, including his distribution company, found the magazine too sexually explicit and threatened to have it removed from the market. Shortly thereafter, Flynt was approached by a
paparazzo
Paparazzi (, ; ; singular: masculine paparazzo or feminine paparazza) are independent photographers who take pictures of high-profile people; such as actors, musicians, athletes, politicians, and other celebrities, typically while subjects ...
who had taken nude pictures of former First Lady
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
Jacqueline Lee Kennedy Onassis ( ; July 28, 1929 – May 19, 1994) was an American socialite, writer, photographer, and book editor who served as first lady of the United States from 1961 to 1963, as the wife of President John F. Kennedy. A pop ...
while she was
sunbathing
Sun tanning or tanning is the process whereby skin color is darkened or tanned. It is most often a result of exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from sunlight or from artificial sources, such as a tanning lamp found in indoor tanning beds. ...
on vacation in 1971. He purchased them for $18,000 and published them in the August 1975 issue. That issue attracted widespread attention, and one million copies were sold within a few days. As a millionaire, he bought a $375,000 (1976 dollars)
mansion
A mansion is a large dwelling house. The word itself derives through Old French from the Latin word ''mansio'' "dwelling", an abstract noun derived from the verb ''manere'' "to dwell". The English word '' manse'' originally defined a property l ...
.
Other magazines
After 1976, Larry Flynt Publications began publishing many
pornographic magazine
Pornographic magazines or erotic magazines, sometimes known as adult, sex or top-shelf magazines, are magazines that contain content of an explicitly sexual nature. Publications of this kind may contain images of attractive naked subjects, as is ...
titles as well as mainstream ones. Other pornographic magazines included:
* ''Hustler's Taboo'', which specializes in
fetishistic
A fetish (derived from the French , which comes from the Portuguese , and this in turn from Latin , 'artificial' and , 'to make') is an object believed to have supernatural powers, or in particular, a human-made object that has power over oth ...
material, such as the depiction of
sexual bondage
Bondage in the BDSM subculture, is the practice of consensually tying, binding, or restraining a partner for erotic, aesthetic, or somatosensory stimulation. A partner may be physically restrained in a variety of ways, including the use o ...
and
urolagnia.
* ''
Barely Legal'', a primarily softcore magazine focusing on models between 18 and 23
* ''Hustler XXX'', a more generic hardcore offering
* ''Hustler
Beaver Hunt
''Beaver Hunt'' is a pornographic magazine aimed at men and published in the United States. It was first published in 1979 by Larry Flynt. It was an offshoot of ''Hustler'' magazines's popular running feature, "Beaver Hunt", which first appeared ...
'', featuring amateurs and reader-submitted photos
* ''Hustler's Leg World''
* ''
Asian Fever
''Asian Fever'' is the name of an adult magazine and companion adult video series published in the United States.
Overview
The magazine features explicit photos of naked young women. It features pictorials of East Asian women, interviews with ...
'', focusing on
Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
models
* ''Hustler's
Chic Magazine'', started in 1976 and aimed at a more upscale clientele than Hustler.
* ''Hustler's Busty Beauties'' is a
softcore magazine which specializes in photographs of women with extremely large breasts.
When sales of men's magazines fell in the late 1990s, LFP expanded into production of
adult video
Pornographic films (pornos), erotic films, sex films, and 18+ films are films that present sexually explicit subject matter in order to arouse and satisfy the viewer. Pornographic films present sexual fantasies and usually include eroticall ...
s through its
Hustler Video
Hustler Booth at the Sands Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada on January 7, 2010.">Sands_Expo.html" ;"title="AVN Adult Entertainment Expo at the Sands Expo">Sands Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada on January 7, 2010.
Hustler Video is an Ame ...
subsidiary, and moved further into the mainstream publishing market. To accommodate this expansion, the company moved its headquarters to
Wilshire Boulevard
Wilshire Boulevard is a prominent boulevard in the Los Angeles area of Southern California, extending from Ocean Avenue in the city of Santa Monica east to Grand Avenue in the Financial District of downtown Los Angeles. One of the principal ...
in
Beverly Hills, California
Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. A notable and historic suburb of Greater Los Angeles, it is in a wealthy area immediately southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. B ...
, where it remains to this day. It acquired ''Darkroom Photography'' (later known as ''Camera & Darkroom Photography'') in 1988 and launched a series of special-interest magazines, such as ''PC Laptop Computers'' and ''Maternity Fashion & Beauty''.
[Pederson, Jay. International Directory of Company Histories, Vol. 31. St. James Press, 2000.]
''Rip'' magazine was a
music magazine A music magazine is a magazine dedicated to music and music culture. Such magazines typically include music news, interviews, photo shoots, essays, record reviews, concert reviews and occasionally have a covermount with recorded music.
Notable mu ...
covering
heavy metal music
Heavy metal (or simply metal) is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the United Kingdom and United States. With roots in blues rock, psychedelic rock and acid rock, heavy metal bands developed a ...
. It was the first non-pornographic publication produced by LFP, and was edited by
Lonn Friend
Lonn Friend (born July 29, 1956) is an American journalist and author. Friend is best known for his work in the late 1980s and '90s as editor of ''RIP Magazine''. Friend began his career in 1982, as associate editor of ''Hustler Magazine'', the ...
, who had previously edited ''Hustler'' and ''Chic''. Writers included rock journalist Judy Wieder,
Mick Wall
Mick Wall (born 23 June 1958) is a British music journalist, author, and radio and TV presenter. He has been described as "the world's leading rock and metal writer".
Career
Wall began his career contributing to the music weekly ''Sounds'' in 197 ...
, and Andy Secher.
It published 14 bi-monthly issues of ''
TurboPlay Magazine'' (June/July 1990 – August/September 1992) dedicated to covering
TurboGrafx-16
The TurboGrafx-16, known as the outside North America, is a home video game console designed by Hudson Soft and sold by NEC, NEC Home Electronics. It was the first console marketed in the fourth generation of video game consoles, fourth genera ...
and TG-CD hardware and software. It was a spin-off publication of ''
Video Games & Computer Entertainment
''VideoGames & Computer Entertainment'' (abbreviated as ''VG&CE'') was an American magazine dedicated to covering video games on computers, home consoles and arcades. It was published by LFP, Inc. from the late 1980s until the mid-1990s. Offe ...
'' (''VG&CE''), a popular multi-platform gaming magazine of the late 1980s / early 1990s. Every issue of TurboPlay was 32 pages in length and a yearly subscription cost $9.95. L.F.P. published three bi-monthly issues of ''DUOWORLD'' magazine (July/August 1993 – November/December 1993) before it was canceled. ''DuoWorld'' was very similar in format to ''TurboPlay'', but with a focus on the newly released TurboDuo console (i.e. ''TurboMail'' and ''TurboNews'' became ''DuoMail'' and ''DuoNews'', respectively).
''
Tips & Tricks'' (later ''Tips & Tricks Codebook'') is a
video game magazine
Video game journalism is a branch of journalism concerned with the reporting and discussion of video games, typically based on a core "reveal–preview–review" cycle. With the prevalence and rise of independent media online, online publicat ...
published by LFP. For most of its existence, the publication was devoted almost exclusively to
strategies
Strategy (from Greek στρατηγία ''stratēgia'', "art of troop leader; office of general, command, generalship") is a general plan to achieve one or more long-term or overall goals under conditions of uncertainty. In the sense of the "art ...
and
codes
In communications and information processing, code is a system of rules to convert information—such as a letter, word, sound, image, or gesture—into another form, sometimes shortened or secret, for communication through a communication ...
for popular
video game
Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This fee ...
s. It began as a spin-off from ''VideoGames'' magazine, which in itself morphed out of ''
VideoGames & Computer Entertainment
''VideoGames & Computer Entertainment'' (abbreviated as ''VG&CE'') was an American magazine dedicated to covering video games on computers, home consoles and arcades. It was published by LFP, Inc. from the late 1980s until the mid-1990s. Offe ...
.'' ''VG&CE'' and ''VideoGames,'' like ''Tips & Tricks'', were published by LFP following the purchase of ''
ANALOG Computing
''ANALOG Computing'' (an acronym for Atari Newsletter And Lots Of Games) was an American computer magazine devoted to the Atari 8-bit family of home computers. It was published from 1981 until 1989. In addition to reviews and tutorials, ''ANAL ...
'', ''ST-LOG'' and other computer magazines from publishers Michael DesChenes & Lee Pappas in the late 1980s.
LFP published
Big Brother Skateboarding Magazine from 1997 (after LFP purchased Big Brother Skateboarding Magazine from
Steve Rocco
Stephen Salvadore Rocco (born January 16, 1960) is an American businessperson and skateboarder. He founded the skateboarding company World Industries with Rodney Mullen in 1987. He has since sold the company and is currently retired.
Career
Roc ...
in 1997) until 2004 when the magazine ceased publication. Big Brother Skateboarding Magazine is notable for being one of the precursors to
Jackass along with the
CKY CKY may refer to:
* CKY (band), American rock band, formerly "Camp Kill Yourself"
** ''CKY'' (video series), named after the band
**CKY crew, people involved in the video series and related projects
*CKY-DT, a television station in Winnipeg, Manito ...
videos.
As the 21st century approached, magazine sales further declined. Together, the company's 31 periodicals had a monthly circulation of between 2.5 and 3 million. This was a far cry from the 1970s, when Hustler alone sold that many copies each month.
Because of this LFP focused on turning its magazine and video titles such as ''Hustler'', ''Barely Legal'', ''Busty Beauties'', ''Beaver Hunt'', and ''Asian Fever'' into profitable websites.
By 1998, estimates LFP was doing $135 million in annual sales with 51,112 periodicals published and 7,812 movies and or video tapes produced.
Hustler Video
Hustler Video
Hustler Booth at the Sands Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada on January 7, 2010.">Sands_Expo.html" ;"title="AVN Adult Entertainment Expo at the Sands Expo">Sands Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada on January 7, 2010.
Hustler Video is an Ame ...
is a
pornographic film
Pornographic films (pornos), erotic films, sex films, and 18+ films are films that present sexually explicit subject matter in order to arouse and satisfy the viewer. Pornographic films present sexual fantasies and usually include eroticall ...
studio
A studio is an artist or worker's workroom. This can be for the purpose of acting, architecture, painting, pottery (ceramics), sculpture, origami, woodworking, scrapbooking, photography, graphic design, filmmaking, animation, industrial design ...
owned by LFP. In 2003 Hustler Video bought
VCA Pictures
VCA Pictures (Video Company of America) is an American pornographic film production and distribution company. The company was founded by Russ Hampshire, and was formerly a major player during the 'Golden Age of Porn'. Throughout the 1970s and 198 ...
,
which maintains a separate brand identity within the LFP conglomerate.
[ Hustler Video has produced several top-selling and award-winning films, such as '' Snoop Dogg's Doggystyle'', '' Snoop Dogg's Hustlaz: Diary of a Pimp'' and '']Who's Nailin' Paylin?
''Who's Nailin' Paylin?'' is a 2008 American satirical pornographic film directed by Jerome Tanner and starring Lisa Ann. It satirizes former U.S. vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin.HustlerHollywood.com, 2008. Besides being a parody of Sarah ...
''.
In 2010 when AIDS Healthcare Foundation
AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) is a Los Angeles-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization providing medicine and health care to individuals living with or affected by HIV/AIDS. As of 2020, it operates about 400 clinics, 64 outpatient healthcare ce ...
lodged a complaint against the Hustler Video group for not requiring the actors to wear condoms and thereby contributing to the spread of HIV, Michael H. Klein, the President of LFP responded by saying the company would not back down from shooting raw sex videos.
Hustler Clubs
The Hustler Club
The Hustler Club is a series of bars and chain of go-go clubs licensed by ''Hustler'' magazine publisher Larry Flynt.
Early history
Flynt was discharged from the Navy in 1964 where he had served as a radar operator. After this stint in the Nav ...
is a chain of strip clubs. In 1968, Flynt opened the first Hustler Club which featured semi-clothed girls. One Hustler Club in Dayton quickly lead to a chain of clubs with the same name in Cincinnati, Columbus, Cleveland, Toledo, and Akron. By early 1970, he had eight clubs and 300 employees. In 1974 with profits from ''Hustler'' magazine far surpassing those of the Hustler Clubs, Flynt decided to get out of the bars business and be a publisher full-time. For close to 30 years the Hustler Club name lay dormant. In the early 2000s (decade), LFP began to license the Hustler Club name for new clubs across the country. Currently there are Hustler Clubs in 6 U.S. states and 3 countries.
References
{{American pornographic film studios
Adult magazine publishing companies
American pornographic film studios
Entertainment companies based in California
Film production companies of the United States
Magazine publishing companies of the United States
Companies based in Beverly Hills, California
Entertainment companies established in 1976
Mass media companies established in 1976
1976 establishments in California
Pornography in Los Angeles
Privately held companies based in California
American companies established in 1976