Help! Magazine (Prior revision dated Saturday 16 September 2023 03:20:55 -- @181)

IntroductionImage:help-magazine-sample-cover

Help! was a monthly magazine published in the United Kingdom between 1960 and 1965. The magazine was aimed at a young audience and was known for its irreverent tone.

History

Help! was founded in 1960 by artist and designer John Lennon, who had recently formed the Beatles, one of the most popular bands of the era. The magazine was intended as a vehicle for the Beatles' humor and creativity, but it quickly outgrew its original concept and became a platform for a range of emerging satirical and comedic talent.

Over the course of its five-year run, Help! published the work of some of the most influential writers and artists of the era, including Terry Southern, Jean-Jacques Sempé, and Ralph Steadman. The magazine's combination of cutting-edge humor and countercultural irreverence helped shape the cultural landscape of 1960s Britain and beyond.

Content

Help! was known for its eclectic and iconoclastic mix of content, which included satirical news reports, comic strips, cartoons, and short stories. The magazine also featured interviews with celebrities and cultural icons, along with music features and reviews.

One of the most popular features in Help! was "Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers," a comic strip by Gilbert Shelton that chronicled the exploits of a group of hippies and anarchists.

Legacy

Despite its relatively short run, Help! had a lasting impact on popular culture. The magazine's blend of humor, music, and countercultural critique helped pave the way for a range of subsequent publications, from Rolling Stone to Private Eye.

Today, Help! is remembered as an important document of a turbulent and transformative era in British and global culture. Many of its contributors went on to become cultural icons in their own right, and the magazine remains a touchstone of 1960s satire and irreverence.

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