SOCK IT TO ME, MONSTERS! THE RETURN (PART 1)

LAUGH-IN MAGAZINE
Vol. 1 No. 2
November 1968
Laufer Publishing Co.
Publisher: Charles Laufer
Editor/Chief Writer: George Atkins
Art Director: Marv Rubin
Special Contributors: Steve Allen, Gary Owens
Cover: Photo cover (Ruth Buzzi and Hugh Hefner)
Pages: 68
Cover price: 50 cents

A riff on the 60's term "Love In", "Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In" was an NBC weekly TV show that ran for 140 episodes from January 22, 1968 to March 12, 1973. After it debuted, it became so popular that it replaced the Monday evening spot held by another, wildly popular spy series, "The Man From U.N.C.L.E.". Moderated by announcer Gary Owens, it's ensemble cast was stacked with such notable comedians as Arte Johnson, Ruth Buzzi, Goldie Hawn (!), Henry Gibson, Judy Carne, Jo Anne Worley, Chelsea Brown and, of course, the comedy-duo Dan Rowan and Dick Martin themselves. The show was fast, zany, and for many episodes, very funny. But most of all, it was hip and was directly influenced by the mod and hippie culture so widespread in the 60's.

The first issue of LAUGH-IN MAGAZINE hit the stands in October 1968. Trying and mostly succeeding in transferring the quirky format of the TV show onto the pages of a national magazine it embodied the free spirit and weirdness of the source material. Plus, for the first few issues monster photos were sprinkled throughout and used as a part of the humor, including references to monsters -- for example, the puns "Dracula died in vein" and "Quasimodo believed hunches" on the cover of this, the second issue.

And now, ladies and gentlemen, direct from beautiful downtown Burbank, presenting LAUGH-IN!