I love Bernard Chang’s illustrations for my books, but not many people know that he has a rival:

Hugh Hefner

That’s right, before Playboy was even a twinkle in his eye, Hefner was a cartoonist. And a pretty good one too:

Notice how he portrays himself as somewhat of the AFC of the group.

What’s also interesting are his early letters, where he gets out of school and doesn’t know what to do with his life. Sound familiar?

Imagine, if Hugh Hefner wasn’t such a skinny kid and actually got that job at the Mars candy factory like he wanted, he might not have become the cultural icon he later turned himself into.

Just goes to show that sometimes rejection is a blessing, leaving one open to pursue one’s true passions.

You can see more of Hef’s cartoons here:

http://www.bookpatrol.net/2010/03/hugh-hefner-teen-cartoonist.html