The Man Behind the Bunny

Art Paul at his desk surrounded by the famous icon he created. (Suzanne Seed)

"For a good portion of Art Paul’s career, his most recognizable work could be found, often by worried mothers, hidden in the sock drawers of American teenagers. And no wood-paneled den and rec room of middle America was complete without at least a few of his works. Art Paul may not be a household name, but his impact on commercial art is undeniable. As the first art director of Playboy magazine, one of the most widely circulated periodicals in history, Paul would help define the taste, look and direction of contemporary art for decades to come."

"Aside from the graphics and layouts that Paul designed for Playboy himself, he also used the magazine as a platform for avant-garde artists."

I wrote this article in 2014 on the event of the 25th Chicago Humanities Festival. The full article covers a lecture by graphic designers James Goggin at the Chicago Cultural Center. 

The Man Behind the Bunny: Art Paul and the Power of Pop was originally published in the October 2014 print issue of Newcity. Read the full article here. 

Back cover of Playboy, July 1954