'Bachelor Pad' Brings Back the Good Ole' Days of Dirty Magazines
by Peter Berton
YNOT -- There was a time when men’s magazines were both sexy and modest; with a knowing leer that spoke of big boobs, ice-cold martinis and hot, hot sex. (The early Playboy magazine had a touch of this 50s’ sensibility.)
Well, the past is back thanks to Bachelor Pad magazine (http://www.bachelorpadmagazineonline.com/). This is a retro-inspired magazine and website that has it all: “Booze, Babes and Burly-Q,” as the front page trumpets.
Java is the editor and publisher of Bachelor Pad. YNOT.com asked him all about it:
Java: Well, let me start at the beginning. I have always been a fan of 1950's men's magazines. And I'm not talking about Playboy here. I'm talking all those other magazines like Adam, Sir Knight, Modern Man, and the like. I was always fascinated by the mix of stories, essays, jokes, and of course great pin-ups.
Back in 1999, I started a website called Java's Bachelor Pad (http://www.javasbachelorpad.com/) that was an online homage to all those things found in classic men's magazines. After spending many years doing what was in essence an online magazine, I decided to make the jump to print.
So, in 2007, Bachelor Pad Magazine was launched. It's a small (5.5" x 8") quarterly publication that I like to call "The Digest of Atomic-Age Culture." And what you find in it is very much what you would find in a classic magazine. We have 3-4 pin-ups per issue (including a color centerfold), cartoon gags, columnists, fiction and essays that all cover the three B's – "Booze, Babes, and Burly-Q."
Issue 11 is in the works and will be out in March.
YNOT.com: Why did you launch it?
Java: Well, I have always loved the idea of a print magazine. In the back of my mind, it's always been something I've wanted to do. And luckily, there is an audience for a retro-themed pin-up magazine. There's just something so charming about holding a pin-up picture in your hands or tacking it to a wall.
Now, I don't think BPM could work as a newsstand publication. It's really a niche product. And I'm just fine with that. My readers understand exactly what I'm going for.
YNOT.com: What is it about the aesthetic of this magazine genre that attracted you?
Java: Besides all the half-naked women? I mean, that is a huge part of it. But design-wise, everything is pretty straightforward and streamlined. The people who put these magazines weren't trying to win any design award. No crazy fonts or layouts. It's not art. Of course you can have fun with it. But in essence, you're trying to make it a pleasurable reading experience ... and you're trying not to get in the way of the pretty pictures.
YNOT.com: What does this kind of magazine have that modern magazines lack?
Java: I think it's that wink-and-a-nod humor. And I'm taking about real wit here ... not fratboy humor. That's what I always hated about the "Lad" magazines like Maxim. I always felt dumber after reading it. I'm not saying Bachelor Pad Magazine is in the same league as the New Yorker or anything, but we actually put work into our bad puns.
YNOT.com: Are these photos new, or vintage?
Java: The photos are all of modern pin-ups taken by some of the most talented pin-up photographers out there. I'm always humbled and amazed at the quality of photos submitted to the magazine. All these folks have done their homework. They now the vintage ways to look and pose, but they are also able to make every photos feel fresh and new.
YNOT.com: Where do you hope to go with Bachelor Pad?
Java: Well, I always joke with my models about getting a Bachelor Pad mansion. At this point, I just want to see the magazine continue to do well. Oh, that and a thousand new subscriptions wouldn't hurt either.
YNOT.com: Have you sent a copy to Hef yet?
Java: Nah. He's seen it all before. Besides, he's busy finding new girlfriends.
