Spy Magazine

Spy magazine was founded in 1986 by Kurt Andersen and E. Graydon Carter. It briefly ceased publication in 1994, returned, and finally died in 1998. In its later incarnations it was edited by Tony Hendra and later Bruno Maddox. It was named for the gossip magazine in the film The Philadelphia Story.

Related Topics:
1986 - Kurt Andersen - E. Graydon Carter - 1994 - 1998 - Tony Hendra - Bruno Maddox - The Philadelphia Story

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Primarily a humor magazine, but also featuring some more serious investigative journalism, the New York-based Spy was modeled loosely on the British magazine Private Eye. It specialized in intelligent, thoroughly researched, highly irreverent pieces targeting the American media and entertainment industries. Some of its features attempted to present the darker side of celebrities such as Arnold Schwarzenegger (printing a nude photo of him and a picture of his father's Nazi party membership card), John F. Kennedy, Jr., Martha Stewart, and the magazine's nemesis, property investor Donald Trump, who was repeatedly described as the "short fingered vulgarian." The magazine also ran unflattering photographs and articles about Ivana Trump. The magazine was famous in its use of several lawyers to vet such potentially libelous material, but by making enemies in the entertainment business it scared away advertisers.

Related Topics:
New York - British - Private Eye - Arnold Schwarzenegger - Nazi party - John F. Kennedy, Jr. - Martha Stewart - Donald Trump - Ivana Trump - Libel

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Spy was also noteworthy for its innovative, classically influenced typography and pioneering use of desktop publishing software at a magazine.

Related Topics:
Typography - Desktop publishing

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Imitating Private Eye, it featured a "Separated At Birth?" column, in which resemblances between celebrities are displayed in side-by-side photographs.

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