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Dian Hanson is a unique figure from the world of men’s magazines in New York in the 1970s and 1980s, a world that overlapped strongly with the adult film business.
Last time, in the first episode of this podcast series, we heard about her surprising, and often shocking, upbringing: a hippie and high school dropout from Seattle, her father was supreme grand master in a sex-magic cult, and a childhood that included being bullied, sexually assaulted, running away from home, even being considered by her parents as a possible partner for a much older friend-of-the family who just happened to be a pedophile.
By 20, Dian had developed a passionate and life-long interest in pornography – thanks to three unlikely sources: the work of psychologist Richard von Krafft-Ebbing, the publication of the bizarre Illustrated Presidential Report of the Commission on Obscenity and Pornography, and the appearance of the first sex films that had started to be shown in theaters. But paradoxically, by her late teens, Dian found herself a world away from all these stimuli – as an unhappily married wife, pregnant, and living in rural Mississippi.
In this episode, we hear how Dian recovered from that difficult, not to mention tragic, marriage and found her way into the burgeoning men’s magazine business in New York – albeit through an abusive boyfriend. Quick note: Dian asked that we don’t refer to this ex by his given name, but rather call him “he who shall not be named”. Obviously, I respected that choice.
Dian talks about the first magazine she worked on – the mob-financed Puritan – a trailblazing, still legendary publication, that was the first hardcore magazine aimed at the newsstands in America. After that came Dian’s partnership with Peter Wolff – a similarly important character in magazine history. For years, the pair of them tore through a host of New York adult titles leaving a trail of both success and bewildered confusion behind them, as they pioneered the trend for reader-contributed magazines. Along the way, she crossed paths with people like adult film actors Vanessa del Rio, Ron Jeremy, and Marc Stevens, highbrow art-world darlings like Robert Mapplethorpe and Gay Talese, and low level mob bosses like Robert DiBernardo.
You can listen to the previous episode here.
This podcast is 75 minutes long.
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Dian Hanson – In Pictures
Dian with a model, 1979
Dian, on her wedding day, 1980
Dian with Vanessa del Rio, 1980
On a Partner shoot, 1981
Dian, 1981
With Long Jeanne Silver, Toni Rose, and another in 1981
With Lisa DeLeeuw and a mobster, backstage at Show World, 1982
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Dian, thank you for sharing your story. You’ve lead an incredible life.
Another first class, intelligent, and insightful interview with the wonderful Dian and Ashley. I can tell you how much I am enjoying these!
I just listened for this twice – and loved every minute. The Puritan origin story – together with the portrait of Peter Wolff – is compelling and fascinating.
Dian! How about a book…. about you!!?
This is wonderful – and your story-telling is exceptional!
Awesome Article Keep Up Good Work
Can’t Wait Can’t Wait
Yeeeeeee!
You NEVER cease to amaze, RR!
Quakertown Hospital is now a part of the St. Luke’s Hospital system.
Now at the end of the interview:
Just wow. Wow. Ms. Hanson is so articulate, intelligent, and strong. Thanks for both parts for this interview.
She has beautiful eyes and smile to match.
I am a big Dian Hanson follower! Her life makes her books so much more than pictures. You can feel the love she put into them. thank you Dian, your frankness and honesty make difference in lives.
I have a slide from Bobby Hanson of Dian from the early 1980s! So nice to learn more about her!
so good! can’t wait for part III – hope she goes deep about r crumb.
Jill Munro was mentioned. Would love to see a feature on her. She was waaaay before her time, and according to Dian, lead a somewhat troubled life. To memorialize her and her story seems, to me at least, to be of importance.
The Rialto Report has you covered.. the most comprehensive story of Jill Monroe’s life appeared here several years ago:
https://www.therialtoreport.com/2014/03/16/jill-monro/
Check the search box for 11 years of the most amazing content on this incredible site….!
Dian comes across as the best friend I always wish I had! Love her – and her kind, honest and compassionate thoughts.
Thanks Dian!
What a life… and there’s still more episodes to come?!? Cheers to you Dian.
Anyone know who Toni Rose is? She’s posing in a photo with Dian and Long Jeanne Silver. Toni is cute and unknown.
I popped for the Orson Bean reference. Bean is most famous for being famous for sort of being famous.
I can’t help but check in, at the conclusion of episode 2. I have been saving these like the closely guarded, one of a kind treat that they are, and they are just as tantalizing as I had hoped. And Dian, thank you so much for sharing your incredible, epic story. On to part 3 now, with great expectations!
The revelations about Ron Jeremy, Jill Monroe and Lisa Lyon were quite surprising!
When Dian said that Ron was a victim of the changing times I never really thought about that, but it did seem as if Ron sexual habits got stuck in the swinging 70s which was a very pointed insight. I also didn’t know that Ron had an aneurism, which might also explain his later unfortunate behavior. Jill Monroe’s story was sad concerning the bottom surgery and how much regret she had over it. Lisa Lyons’ photo shoot was the most surprising, as I always saw her as the picture of good health but that’s not what she was when Dian met her-all coked up, underweight and in an abusive relationship! I’m really enjoying the series of interviews so far! Always wanted to learn about Dian ever since I learned about her in the documentary Crumb! Always saw her books around but never knew about the women behind them!