Posted by Jonathan Klotz | Published
Playboy it was one of the most influential magazines of the last 60 years. The men's magazine founded by Hugh Hefner rode the revolution in sex in the 60s after Playboy Bunnies, Playboy Clubs, and chose to add articles to the magazine that could not be sold without them. “I have learned Playboy for articles” was a running joke, but the truth is, some famous writers have contributed stories to the magazine, including frequent contributor, Master of Horror, Stephen King.
Stephen King's Playboy articles
King published the first six books of Playboy over the years, since 1983, mostly short stories but a few poems as well, since 1983 with “Word Processor of the Gods” in the January 1983 issue. The story, the first King wrote on an electronic word processor, is about an electronic word processor that can change reality, giving a disgruntled writer the opportunity to remove his ungrateful son and wife from their existence. Collected in 1985 The Skeleton Crewthe original Playboy print is a collector's item for King fans to this day.
It wasn't until the December 2006 issue that Stephen King contributed another work of fiction Playboy“Willa”, her return to the format following her recovery from a near-fatal accident. A heartbreaking love story is one of his favorite works. Less than a year later, “Thulisa” was published in November 2007, bringing King's crime story to a men's magazine. In addition to short stories, King has contributed essays over the past several decades, including the first in 1982 on the importance of horror films. When he finally submitted the poem, no one knew that it would be overshadowed by a dark cloud, as happened with the cover of this issue.
Sharing The Cover With Marge Simpson
In November 2009, Stephen King published the poem, “The Bone Church,” in Playboy. This poem follows a group lost in the forest who encounter a strange, strange phenomenon. Yet the most shocking part of the issue, which included an interview with King, was the cover model: Marge Simpson. It's one of the most infamous covers in Playboy history, and Marge has been replaced on the cover by Victoria's Secret model, Alina Puscau.
For obvious reasons, finding the original text of “The Bone Church” is very difficult, and very expensive. The next two contributions of Nkosi were the last, coming in March 2010 with “Tommy” and December 2016 with “The Music Room,” which is completely compatible with the great writing of Nkosi, he forgot that he wrote. “The Music Room” was left out of the short story collection until the paperback version of He likes Black. Notably, both issues featured real women on the cover.
Playboy may be known for its centerfolds, but in its long and storied history, the magazine has featured some famous writers including Roald Dahl, Ian Fleming, Arthur C. Clarke, and Margaret Atwood. The monthly print magazine may no longer exist, but it continues, as of 2025, with a quarterly issue. If Stephen King somehow finds time, he can still keep the tradition going for a new generation.
