Press: Hooey

When a publisher finds himself with that rare phenomenon, an instantly successful new magazine, whatever its type, he must expect a quick upcropping of imitations. The popularity of gentle-mannered Golden Book attracted four imitators.* At the other end of the scale of politeness, rough-&-tumble Ballyhoo last week had its third imitator; and at the same time its first serious threat of competition.

First to ape Ballyhoo was Hullabaloo, published by George T. Delacorte Jr. (who also publishes Ballyhoo) in a halfhearted effort to forestall real competition (TIME, Nov. 16). Next came a disorderly little magazine called Tickle-Me-Too, published by Harold Hersey, who publishes magazines for Bernarr Macfadden, who had engaged in a bitter quarrel with Publisher Delacorte. Tickle-Me-Too was so inferior that Publisher Hersey promptly killed it (but in a few weeks he will offer another called Slapstick). Last week newsstands were dotted with Hooey.

Outwardly Hooey resembles Ballyhoo so closely, particularly in its cover of red, yellow, blue & black squares and a bold black-&-white drawing, that Publisher Delacorte began to look up the copyright laws. Inspection of Hooey's contents revealed touches of bawdry, sexy double-entendres, shady epigrams, scatological jokes and the like which immediately reminded knowing readers of Captain Billy's Whiz Batig, Jim Jam Jems, Smokehouse Monthly. There, in fact, was a true clue to Hooey's publisher, listed in the masthead as Popular Magazines Inc., of Louisville, Ky. Popular Magazines Inc. is controlled by Wilford H. ("Captain Billy") Fawcett and his brother Roscoe (TIME, Dec. 29, 1930).

According to Roscoe Fawcett, who put up at the swank Hotel St. Regis last week on one of his periodical visits to Manhattan, the Fawcetts were implored by large independent distributors of magazines to publish a competitor to Ballyhoo, which is circulated solely by American News Co. At first they demurred, until they heard that Bernarr Macfadden was about to enter the lists. Then, because it promised to be a free-for-all and not a private Fawcett v. Delacorte feud, the Fawcetts decided upon Hooey. First issue of 400,000 copies appeared to be a sellout. The first issue of any such publication might sell well, especially with the earnest aid of big newsdealers. But the publishing world was inclined to think that "if anyone can give Ballyhoo a race, the Fawcetts can"—barring intervention by the police.

Some characteristic features of Hooey:

¶A burlesque advertisement of "the million dollar can opener," showing a lock-&-key replacing the ' old style wooden catch for an outhouse door.

¶ Cartoon of a fat female, rear view, at a railway ticket window. She: "Can I get my trunks off on this train?" Agent: "I doubt it, lady!"

¶ A double page of purported clippings from newspapers with ribald "typographical errors." Only two of the newspapers quoted could be found in N. W. Ayer & Son's directory of U. S. periodicals.