Hugh Hefner vintage 1970s photographHugh Marston Hefner (April 9, 1926 September 27, 2017) was an American magazine publisher. He was the founder and editor in chief of Playboy magazine, a publication with revealing photographs and articles which provoked charges of obscenity. The first issue of Playboy was published in 1953, featuring Marilyn Monroe in a nude calendar shoot; it sold over 50,000 copies. Hefner extended the Playboy brand into a world network of Playboy Clubs. He also