In the late ’80s, if you weren’t a college student in Madison, Wisconsin, there was really only one name in the satirical news game. That name was Spy. In its monthly publications, Spy straddled the line between biting social satire and pure, unadulterated snark. They took aim at politicians on the left and the right, belittled celebrities and billionaires, and coined the often repeated epithet “short-fingered vulgarian Donald Trump.”
And now, at least for this month, they’re back.
Today, Esquire announced that it will be reviving Spy magazine as a digital pop-up on its site from now until election day. Spy co-founder Kurt Anderson writes in his opening piece that the magazine’s voice seems necessary now more than ever with “the withdrawal of Stewart and Colbert from Comedy Central, the death of Gawker, the return of Hillary, and especially the rise of Donald Trump.” Anderson and his team of writers plan to publish as many as five original pieces a day, the first of which include “Is Donald Trump Genetically Defective?” and “TV Writers Know How To Make Hillary More Likable.”
Hopefully this month, which coincidentally marks the magazine’s 30th anniversary, will give the now middle-aged comedy institution a chance to reach a whole new generation and take a few final shots at some long-time, short-fingered rivals.