Spy Magazine Returns, July 17, 1994

Spy magazine returned to the newsstands last week.

Sussex Publishers Inc., the publishers of Psychology Today and Mother Earth News, acquired the magazine in May from Jean-Christophe Pigozzi and Charles Saatchi, the British advertising executive.

The magazine, which in its original incarnation thrived on satirical send-ups and gossip of media, politics and power, is now based at 49 East 21st Street, with a staff of 20.

"We've been successful at relaunching magazines that have gone out of business -- like Psychology Today and Mother Earth News," said Owen Lipstein, editorial director of Spy.

The current issue, with Heather Locklear on the cover, resembles the style of the old magazine. Asked about his plans for Spy, Mr. Lipstein said: "We've revigorated it to the original formula. We had to make it funny again, which it ceased to be -- it had become similar to the objects it parodied."

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