Something Different

Recently I've been perusing some of the online auction sites featuring physique magazines from back then.  From what I can tell, in the 1960s the publishers mostly gave up on the pretense of being health and fitness guides (so common in the 1950s) to being more of a magazine focused on handsome, fit men wearing revealing outfits.  Instead of wasting page space telling the readers about a particular diet or exercise routine, the focus was on the photos.  Lots of color photos! 

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First up we have the cover of Young Adonis from March, 1963.  The word "color" appears seven times on the cover and we have four color photos of guys wearing skimpy attire.  Like any magazine, they wanted to grab your attention.  I would say they succeeded. 

Next up is the Winter 1964 cover of Scan Him 16.  The number 16 is the issue number.  On the cover we have two photos of Larry Davis.  The color photo looks colorized, but note the small tuft of pubic hair peaking out of the side.  If the publisher didn't want that to show, they would have blurred it out.  They wanted you to see that.  The black and white photo gives us a better look at Larry's handsome face, thick hair and (gasp!) naked butt.  Finally, if you want something to stand out, use the color red.

Finally, we have the cover of Physique Illustrated from the summer of 1965.  Marc Laramie appears to be experiencing a wardrobe malfunction.  Could that be intentional?  Yes, it was. The hot pink color is a nice touch.