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PLAYBOY — OCTOBER 1993
Volume 40, Number 10
Original October 1993 Playboy featuring Jerry Seinfeld’s telephone-booth cover and Playboy Interview, Jenny McCarthy’s debut as Playmate of the Month, Rhonda Shear’s “Rhonda Is Up All Night” pictorial, and 20 Questions with Wesley Snipes. Jenny McCarthy’s original foldout centerfold is present.
CONDITION
Good preowned vintage condition with a particularly well-preserved interior. Pages are clean, crisp, and free of marks or tears, with vibrant photography and clear text. The interior is a strong positive for this copy.
Exterior wear is minor and consistent with handling and storage over the years. Covers show light edge rubbing, corner wear, small surface marks, and minor creasing. The back cover has a diagonal corner crease with a visible white wear line. Light spine wear is also present.
The Good condition designation reflects the exterior imperfections, especially the back-cover crease in the corner. This is an attractive copy with a clean, well-preserved interior. Jenny McCarthy’s foldout centerfold retains its normal factory fold lines. Please review all photos for the condition of the actual magazine offered.
WHY THIS ISSUE IS COLLECTIBLE
JENNY McCARTHY’S PLAYMATE DEBUT
“Betting on Jenny,” photographed by Pompeo Posar, introduces Jenny McCarthy as Miss October 1993. This appearance preceded her selection as 1994 Playmate of the Year and her later television career, making it an appealing early-career collectible.
The accompanying profile introduces a 20-year-old Chicago newcomer discussing her family, Catholic upbringing, athletic interests, and ambitions. The photographs and profile preserve her introduction to a national audience before she became a familiar television personality. Her original foldout centerfold is an important part of this issue’s appeal.
JERRY SEINFELD — COVER AND PLAYBOY INTERVIEW
Seinfeld’s playful telephone-booth cover, photographed by Stephen Wayda, pairs the comedian with eight Playmates and friends. Inside, his substantial interview captures him during Seinfeld’s original television run, as the series was growing into a defining comedy of the decade.
The introduction examines the show’s observational humor, unconventional storytelling, and rise from cult favorite to mainstream success. For Seinfeld fans, this is a contemporary interview from the period when his television persona and approach to comedy were becoming part of popular culture.
RHONDA SHEAR — “RHONDA IS UP ALL NIGHT”
Richard Fegley’s colorful pictorial connects directly with Shear’s role as host of USA Network’s late-night B-movie showcase, USA Up All Night. Its humorous settings, elaborate styling, and theatrical presentation reflect the campy personality familiar to cable viewers.
The feature preserves a distinctive part of early-1990s television: late-night movie programming built around a recognizable host, playful comedy, and cult-film entertainment. It offers particular appeal to fans of Shear, vintage cable television, and B-movie culture.
“WOMEN OF THE PAC TEN”
This extensive college pictorial includes text by Dean Kuipers and photography by David Chan, Arny Freytag, and David Mecey. University pennants, campus references, student profiles, and period fashions capture West Coast college life in 1993.
The opening also features Berkeley’s Andrew Martinez, identified in the article as “the Naked Guy.” The accompanying discussion of personal freedom, feminism, and resistance to conformity gives the feature a cultural dimension alongside its photography. For collectors, it preserves the Pac Ten identity and campus atmosphere of the period.
WESLEY SNIPES — 20 QUESTIONS
This interview captures Snipes during an important period in his development as a Hollywood leading man. The introduction references New Jack City, Jungle Fever, White Men Can’t Jump, and Passenger 57, along with the then-upcoming Rising Sun and Demolition Man.
His answers address race, relationships, Hollywood opportunities, and working with other performers. The feature offers a contemporary perspective on an actor whose work crossed drama, comedy, thrillers, and action films during the early 1990s.
FOOTBALL, FICTION, AND COMMENTARY
“Troy’s Triumph,” Pat Jordan’s profile of Dallas Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman, complements Danny Sheridan’s “Playboy’s Pro Football Forecast” and Dan Jenkins’ humorous “Who Is Bubba?” These features preserve a contemporary view of professional football and sports culture in 1993.
Fiction includes “56–0” by T. Coraghessan Boyle and “Equilibrium” by college fiction winner Roland N. Kelts. Also included are Lori Weiss’ relationship article “Cheating Hearts,” Robert Scheer’s opinion column “Border Wars,” and Hollis Wayne’s fashion feature “Phat Chance.”
Together, the interviews, fiction, sports coverage, commentary, fashion, and pictorials illustrate Playboy’s broad editorial mix. This issue offers several collecting interests in one magazine, with Jenny McCarthy’s debut and the Jerry Seinfeld cover as its strongest attractions.
FULL TABLE OF CONTENTS
Transcribed from the issue’s contents page:
Page 5 — Playbill
Page 11 — Dear Playboy
Page 15 — Playboy After Hours
Page 30 — Men — Asa Baber
Page 32 — Women — Cynthia Heimel
Page 35 — The Playboy Advisor
Page 37 — The Playboy Forum
Page 45 — Reporter’s Notebook: Border Wars — opinion by Robert Scheer
Page 47 — Playboy Interview: Jerry Seinfeld
Page 66 — Cheating Hearts — article by Lori Weiss
Page 70 — Rhonda Is Up All Night — pictorial
Page 78 — Equilibrium — college fiction winner by Roland N. Kelts
Page 82 — Phat Chance — fashion by Hollis Wayne
Page 92 — 56–0 — fiction by T. Coraghessan Boyle
Page 94 — Betting on Jenny — Playmate of the Month Jenny McCarthy
Page 106 — Playboy’s Party Jokes
Page 108 — Playboy’s Pro Football Forecast — Danny Sheridan
Page 112 — Troy’s Triumph — profile by Pat Jordan
Page 116 — Who Is Bubba? — humor by Dan Jenkins
Page 120 — Women of the Pac Ten — pictorial, text by Dean Kuipers
Page 132 — 20 Questions: Wesley Snipes
Page 169 — Playboy on the Scene
COVER INFORMATION
Jerry Seinfeld appears with Echo Johnson, Barbara Moore, Kimberly Donley, Suzi Simpson, Carrie Westcott, Tylyn John, Cheryl Bachman, and Alex Philip. Cover photography by Stephen Wayda.
Photos show the actual magazine offered. Please review the cover, interior, and centerfold photographs before purchasing.
