HUSTLER Magazine Celebrates 50th Anniversary

HUSTLER Magazine's July issue is the iconic magazine’s 50th Anniversary issue. Staying true to the "spreading pink" ethos Larry Flynt promised back in 1974 when he first released his groundbreaking magazine, this issue of HUSTLER celebrates the publications’ history and champions the future of this one-of-a-kind explicit magazine.

HUSTLER History & LFP, INC.

HUSTLER began as the four-page black-and-white “Hustler Newsletter,” published to keep attendees up-to-date on information about Flynt's Hustler Clubs. Flynt grew the newsletter to sixteen pages a year later, then into the magazine known the world over, with the publication of Hustler Magazine in 1974. Across the five decades, Mr. Flynt grew his empire to encompass a score of other publications (both pornographic and niche interest), strip clubs, and retail stores, all amassed under the umbrella of Larry Flynt Publications, or LFP, Inc.

With the death of Mr. Flynt in 2021, his fifth wife Liz Flynt now heads the magazine and company as Chairwoman, of Flynt Management Group.

Not Just The Pink

HUSTLER’s spreads brought the magazine infamy, but Larry Flynt was a known champion for free speech in a way that very few dared be. With his penchant for satirical cartoons, and deep dive exposés, Flynt and HUSTLER skewered famous cultural figures he viewed as attacking the tenants of American free speech, religious freedoms, and common sense. It could be argued that the magazine’s “Asshole of The Month,” feature rated right up there with its explicit pictorials, as Flynt pointed his laser focus with a no-holds-barred approach. Coming under fire on a regular basis, for a time Larry Flynt and HUSTLER were the go-to defendants in the U.S. courts attempting to vilify pornography and define obscenity.

Flynt's infamy led to an assassination attempt outside a courtroom in 1978, which left him paralyzed for the rest of his life. This sudden horrific change in his life didn't stop Flynt from publishing HUSTLER, however, and when asked if there was ever a time she thought of stopping publication herself, specifically after Larry died, Liz Flynt answered with a definite, "No."

The Past & The Present

Past contributors to the magazine include photographer Suze Randall and her daughter Holly, and cartoonists George Trosley and George Winters. The 50th Anniversary issue includes shots of Jesse Jane, Vina Sky, Sasha Grey, Alexis Texas, Ana Foxxx, Stormy Daniels, and a score of others.

HUSTLER’s Editorial Director, Anne Denbok spoke to the selection process for this most important issue.

“HUSTLER has featured so many wonderful photo sets throughout its fifty years. But it helped that I have been with the company for a good portion of those years, am deeply familiar with the material, and have held discussions on this very topic with HUSTLER’s talented art director, Kelly Webb, for the past decade. Of course, space was limited, but in the section titled The Photos, we selected from the most creative, groundbreaking layouts in HUSTLER’s history. We also wanted to touch on our famous celebrity-directed photo shoots and, of course, the spectacularly beautiful layouts photographed in exotic locations around the world.”

The two full-length model layouts published in this issue are emblematic of HUSTLER’s appreciation for exceptional beauty and support of the adult industry. Vanna Bardot, winner of the 2024 AVN Female Performer of the Year Award, graces a 10-page spread titled “Going All the Way,” shot by ThisYearsModel.com.

AVN’s Best New Starlet this year, Chanel Camryn, is featured in the 12-page centerfold spread.

Speaking to the changes that have come across the U.S. political firmament across the decades and what we all might be threatened with all-too-soon, Anne adds:

“We have stayed true to Larry’s vision for the magazine; ‘Hardcore since ’74’ isn’t just a slogan. It applies to celebrating shame-free sex, HUSTLER’s social justice features, our forthright political stance, satirical cartoons, and more. HUSTLER never pretends to be something else: We are honest, and our audience appreciates that fact.”

The Future Is Bright… PINK

As Anne comments about the current state of publishing,

“The industry has changed through the years, however, and we are proud to be a part of that change. Today performers take control of their careers, their brand, and their income. It is very important to us that every model who appears in the magazine is as excited to be published on our pages as we are grateful to print and promote their images.”

When asked about the supposed documentary that has been in production about her departed husband, Liz Flynt was happy to report,

“We have a very talented team putting together the story outline. We’re excited to get started.”

Wherever we all end up come November and beyond, readers can rely on HUSTLER to carry on, beyond this 50th Anniversary issue, for a very long time to come.

Buy the historic July Issue of HUSTLER here: July 2024 - HUSTLER Magazine