Facts to know about Hugh Hefner and Playboy magazine

The young cartoonist

With an IQ of 152 as a child, Hefner was no less than a child prodigy. He wrote a lot of comic books, mysteries and horror stories in grade school and high school. He even started a comic book autobiography in high school called "School Daze."

Businessman and publisher of the men's lifestyle magazine Playboy, Hugh Hefner passed away at 91 on Sept. 27, 2017. We take a look at some little-known facts about the self-made millionaire and his iconic magazine

The army man

Hefner enlisted as an infantry clerk in 1944 during World War II. His love for cartoons continued even in the battlefield where he contributed cartoons for the Army newspaper. He also won a sharpshooter badge for firing the M1 rifle during basic training.

The psychology graduate

He completed his Bachelor of Arts in psychology with a double minor in creative writing and arts from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. Later, he enrolled for a graduate course in sociology at Northwestern University, but soon dropped out.

The copywriter

In 1951, Hefner was working for the men's lifestyle magazine Esquire as a copywriter. He reportedly quit after he was denied a $5 raise. Soon thereafter, he launched a magazine by the name of Playboy.

The launch of Playboy

In 1953, funded with a $600 loan which he raised by mortgaging his furniture and $8,000 from 45 investors, including $1,000 from his mother, Hefner launched Playboy. Initially, it was titled “Stag Party.” He later said that his staff consisted of a card table and a typewriter.

The first issue

In December 1953, Hefner came out with the first issue of the magazine, featuring Marilyn Monroe’s nude calendar shoot. More than 54,000 copies of the issue were sold, at 50 cents each.