Zoo founder Paul Merrill to talk babes, boobs and the search for Australia’s randiest nanna
Paul Merrill – the man who helped create the weekly men’s magazine market in the UK and Australia through the launch of Zoo Weekly – will share anecdotes about life on lads’ mags at Mumbrella360 next week.
The interview comes shortly before publication of his memoir A Polar Bear Ate My Head.
Merrill boasts one of Australia’s more unusual LinkedIn profiles:
“I’ve run competitions to find Australia’s Randiest Nanna, Hottest Horse Dentist and Ugliest Baby, and offered prizes of a boob job, lesbian wedding, divorce, voluntary euthanasia for a loved one and time machine (a clock).
“I got Nikki Webster, Mercedes Corby, Roberta Williams and Julia Gillard’s stepdaughter to remove their clothes, published the only known topless shot of Dame Judi Dench and judged a naked beauty contest with Leo Sayer.
“I attacked Tony Blair with a glove puppet, upset Donald Trump, had a dwarf basted, threw a biscuit at Christopher Lee, brought the French Spiderman to Sydney to climb a skyscraper, recreated Osama’s killing with hot babes and launched a search for Australia’s Sexiest Feminist.”
He is also a columnist on Mumbrella’s sister title Encore magazine. His session will follow a presentation from author and social commentator Melinda Tankard Reist on media’s sexualisation of women.
Merrill launched Zoo Weekly in the UK in 2004 before moving to Australia to do the same thing here. After ACP Magazines bought Zoo from Emap, Merrill later added Ralph magazine to his portfolio. He left ACP last July.
He will be interviewed on stage by Mumbrella editor Tim Burrowes.
Mumbrella360 takes place at the Hilton Hotel in Sydney next Wednesday and Thursday. Tickets and further details of the conference are available here.
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That headline gives me the shits.
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I’m sure Paul will give a fine account of himself, but there is nothing more boring than former editors descanting on the ‘good ol days’. YAWN!
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I know Paul well and I’m pretty sure he’d rather be interviewed on stage by Melinda Tankard Reist. Surprised you didn’t ask him.
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People that judge an article or book by it’s title give me the shits.
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To be honest, this will probably be the most entertaining session. We could do with some laughs before we hit the bar.
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