WWII was devastating to Europe, but the U.S. emerged with a robust economy. People who were encouraged to save every cent for the war effort now spent freely, including on magazines. The U.S. quickly came to dominate the men's magazine market.
Playboy, launched in December 1953, made a huge impact on publishing, but it was not the only American men's magazine in the 1950s. The quirky burlesque titles Beauty...