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A new cold war with Russia seems to be heating up, so this seems like a good time to have a look back at the old cold war. I present: Soldier of Fortune magazine 100th edition, February 1986. It is the concentrated essence of 1980s America - freedom, guns, anti-communism, mercenaries, knives and war strories.   A word from the publisher. He ran an A-Team in Nam so you know he's legit.  Contents page. There's a lot of stuff but i'll only post the good bits.  The first ad. Knives seem to be very important to mercenaries.  Letters page. Gives a view on the state of mind of the readers.  News page. The more things change the more they stay the same.  Battle blades. I think this is what people did before youtube katana videos.  The conclusion to battle blades. Solid practical advice.  Witness protection shotgun. The name is funnier than the article.  Elephant pants. That's the articles out of the way. Now on to what really makes this shine - the ads.  Miss Sherwood 1986.  Typical ad with stun gun, surveilance gear etc. Note the authentic Indiana Jones hat.  Kukri knife. The real deal.  Patriotic tshirts.  Unusual new books. There are many more ads like this in the magazine promising 'secret techniques' for all sorts of stuff.  New posters. Pure gold.  Just look at this guy.  I think its an ad for a blowgun.  Sap gloves, billies and 'paperweights'.  More blowguns and posters.  Donate to a good cause.  The famous fedora.  Adventurer's bullwhip and the first of many gun for hire ads.  Patriotic sportswear.  Anti-communist Rock'n'Roll!  We have things for sale. Some of the images in the ads were pretty cool so I cleaned them up.  Death before dishonor.  Eat lead you lousy red.  Mac 10.  Feelin' mean like a US marine.  Hey Moscow, Up Yours.  Russia Sucks.  Uzi Does It.
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Oct 16, 2016 10:31
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| # ? May 12, 2024 17:19 |
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for some reason a friend's dad gave his son one of those blowdart tubes and we stuck someone's dog with it. that's my sof magazine story
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Oct 16, 2016 12:23
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Blazing Zero posted:for some reason a friend's dad gave his son one of those blowdart tubes and we stuck someone's dog with it. that's my sof magazine story I can't imagine they got used for anything else. If anyone ever used one to hunt for food or silently eliminate a jungle sentry i'll eat my hat.
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Oct 16, 2016 12:39
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good thread Edit: I wonder if you could take the ads in the 80s version of Black Belt Magazine, Heavy Metal, and Soldier of Fortune; mix them up and have posters guess which add was from what magazine. Helical Nightmares fucked around with this message at 12:55 on Oct 16, 2016 |
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Oct 16, 2016 12:52
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Those are some really good elephant trousers.
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Oct 16, 2016 19:27
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munce posted:
I wouldn't be surprised if Hillary had a tramp stamp of one of these.
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Oct 16, 2016 20:10
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a bone to pick posted:I wouldn't be surprised if Hillary had a tramp stamp of one of these. lol she probably does
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Oct 16, 2016 20:34
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a bone to pick posted:I wouldn't be surprised if Hillary had a tramp stamp of one of these. At that time Hillary was busy getting murderers off on technicalities. She only became a bloodthirsty warmonger later in life
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Oct 16, 2016 20:47
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somebody call those mercs and give em an offer
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Oct 16, 2016 20:54
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This is great, thanks op. Can I get the poster with the naked lady with a tiger?
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Oct 16, 2016 22:03
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Soldier of Fortune really did get a lot of Americans to join the Rhodesian army, it was weird.
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Oct 16, 2016 22:05
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Do they still publish SOF? Cause that will be great on my coffee table next to my wife's brass animal collection.
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Oct 16, 2016 22:05
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It ended this year I think, remember seeing something about it and being surprised it was still a thing.
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Oct 16, 2016 22:07
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ChrisHansen posted:This is great, thanks op. You can save the image - I don't have the original magazine any more so I can't re-scan at higher quality. Most of the ads were pretty small to start with anyway. Or you could take a gamble and send them 6.95 in the mail. Who knows? Maybe the Las Vegas Survival Store is still running.
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Oct 16, 2016 23:09
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munce posted:
holy poo poo I found an article that mentions this exact guy. apparently he became a hitman cause that's all he got calls for: quote:That certainly held true for hit men who advertised in Soldier of Fortune. One of them, Knoxville, Tennessee nightclub operator and former prison guard Richard Michael Savage, said that he received 30 to 40 calls a week after he placed this ad in the June 1985 issue of the magazine: "GUN FOR HIRE: 37-year-old professional mercenary desires jobs. Vietnam veteran. Discrete and very private. Body guard, courier, and other special skills. All jobs considered." this is one of the last editions of this dumb-rear end rag that still carried the "will do illegal poo poo for money" ads
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Oct 16, 2016 23:50
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Prokhor Zakharov posted:holy poo poo I found an article that mentions this exact guy. apparently he became a hitman cause that's all he got calls for: This was also teh plot of a real good x-files epsiode
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Oct 17, 2016 00:06
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Another home-grown industry stolen.
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Oct 17, 2016 00:11
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munce posted:
holy gently caress these own
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Oct 17, 2016 00:25
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Prokhor Zakharov posted:holy poo poo I found an article that mentions this exact guy. apparently he became a hitman cause that's all he got calls for: LOL the guy went expecting a The Dogs of War or an Avenger sort of deal out of the magazine ads. I wonder if people posting ads on Black Belt Magazine were expecting to be called for the Kumite qualifiers (and ended up just beating people in back alley street fights).
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Oct 17, 2016 00:52
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 Burt Reynolds teaches gun repair.  Aww yeah.  Deadly weapons answers all your burning questions about shooting guns at cars.  Deadly weapons part 2.  Vietnam war art.  The slingshot knife is an essential merc tool.  Military leaders on tshirts.  Survival books packed with secret information.  So you want to be a mercenary.  Patriotic anti-Vietnam stuff.  M & M Enterprises seem to have all the good stuff.  This guy is definitely advertising in the right magazine.
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Oct 17, 2016 02:21
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munce posted:
hell to the fuckin yeah
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Oct 17, 2016 04:06
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i need this magazine in my life
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Oct 17, 2016 04:21
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I saw a hanoi jane bumpersticker on a current model truck recently, so clearly there's still a market for at least some of thsi stuff
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Oct 17, 2016 04:21
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i feel like they would sell really well in military surplus stores
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Oct 17, 2016 04:22
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I like that russia sucks shirt
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Oct 17, 2016 04:25
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Blue Raider posted:holy gently caress these own There's so many great slogans its hard to pick a favourite. I wonder if there's a treasure trove of other art by the same guys hidden away somewhere.
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Oct 17, 2016 04:34
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I frequent the nearby VFW hall and in all the urinals they stuck a sticker of the JANE FONDA FRAG image e: in the urinals that is, sorry I been drinking at the vfw with Vietnam vets that share almost no commonalities with my experiences in Afghanistan Iron Prince fucked around with this message at 04:40 on Oct 17, 2016 |
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Oct 17, 2016 04:38
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luv 2 date boys posted:I frequent the nearby VFW hall and in all the urinals they stuck a sticker of the JANE FONDA FRAG image I belive those are the urinal targets listed for 1.50 eatch or 15 for a dozen
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Oct 17, 2016 04:41
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Prokhor Zakharov posted:holy poo poo I found an article that mentions this exact guy. apparently he became a hitman cause that's all he got calls for: good stuff. As a non-american, I wonder what americans think of the state of things in N.America during this era, with regards to the guns/drugs/military/etc topics covered in the magazines. Seems like a crazy party time of no holds barred excess from every side. It all seems like a crazy fantasy world to me. If anyone lived through the miami drug wars could you please post your scarface stories i would like to hear them.
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Oct 17, 2016 14:24
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munce posted:good stuff. As a non-american, I wonder what americans think of the state of things in N.America during this era, with regards to the guns/drugs/military/etc topics covered in the magazines. Seems like a crazy party time of no holds barred excess from every side. We often refer to this time as "the good 'ol days". a bone to pick fucked around with this message at 14:31 on Oct 17, 2016 |
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Oct 17, 2016 14:26
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the united states in general owned from 1945 to 1990. fun times
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Oct 17, 2016 14:34
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If a New Cold War means that we get more of this, I'm for it.
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Oct 17, 2016 15:42
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Blue Raider posted:the united states in general owned from 1945 to 1990. fun times A Good Period. if only we could repeat it a few more times with ever increasing technology.
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Oct 17, 2016 15:42
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guns for tits posted:If a New Cold War means that we get more of this, I'm for it. Jokes on you, all we'll get is Huffbo blogs about why fighting for freedom is a problematic microaggresion.
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Oct 17, 2016 16:08
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munce posted:good stuff. As a non-american, I wonder what americans think of the state of things in N.America during this era, with regards to the guns/drugs/military/etc topics covered in the magazines. Seems like a crazy party time of no holds barred excess from every side. Soldier of Fortune has always been more fringe than not. Even in the rah rah 80's the kind of stereotypical Soldier of Fortune reader was portrayed as a crazy person in movies/TV.
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Oct 18, 2016 02:45
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munce posted:good stuff. As a non-american, I wonder what americans think of the state of things in N.America during this era, with regards to the guns/drugs/military/etc topics covered in the magazines. Seems like a crazy party time of no holds barred excess from every side. On a hot July day in 1979, a white Ford parcel delivery truck rolled into the parking lot of the Dadeland Mall, the largest shopping center in south Florida. If anyone had looked closely at the truck, he would have noticed that the signs on its sides did not match. The left side read “Happy Time Complete Party Supply,” while the right side read “Happy Time Complete Supply Party.” The signs were crudely stenciled in red paint. There was a telephone number underneath, but if anyone had called it, he would not have’ learned anything about party supplies. The truck drove toward the southwest corner of the mall, where a Crown Liquors store was tucked between a Cozzoli’s Deli and Mr. John’s, a beauty salon. Dadeland was a showcase of subtropical suburban living. Spread over fifty acres, it sat on a small canal in Kendall, a vast bedroom community that every weekday sent an army of white-collar workers ten miles north into downtown Miami. Kendall was a place of manicured lawns and ranch-style homes, not quite up to the luxurious Spanish architecture of Coral Gables, but as ail-American as things got in Dade County. The white truck had come to Dadeland for a rendezvous with German Jimenez Panesso, a man who was going to make a purchase at Crown Liquors. Jimenez was one of the top cocaine dealers in Miami. The men in the white truck were also cocaine dealers. Like Jimenez, they were Colombian. The truck stopped at the curb near the liquor store, as if to make a delivery. The motor kept running. About 2:20 p.m. Jimenez and his twenty-two-year-old bodyguard, Juan Carlos Hernandez, pulled into the Dadeland parking lot in a new white Mercedes-Benz sedan. They left a loaded 9-mm Browning automatic pistol on the floor in the backseat and walked unarmed into Crown Liquors. Inside they asked clerk Thomas Capozzi for a bottle of Chivas Regal. Capozzi pointed to a shelf on the right. Hernandez went to fetch the bottle for his boss. Just then, two men walked from the white truck into the liquor store. One leveled a silenced .380 Beretta automatic handgun at Jimenez and opened fire. The other joined in with an Ingram MAC-10 machine pistol. The shooters sprayed Jimenez and Hernandez, shattering bottles on the shelves. Hernandez died where he stood, falling on his back, the quart of Scotch unbroken on the floor next to his left elbow. Jimenez dropped face up as he tried to run out the door, part of his head blown away by four or five .45-caliber slugs from the MAC-10. Capozzi, wounded by a stray bullet that hit his right shoulder and tore through his chest, staggered out of the store. The bullets went through cases of liquor and wine and the store’s ceiling. The man with the MAC-10 emptied his thirty-round clip and reloaded. Morgan Perkins, an eighteen-year-old stock boy eating lunch in the backroom, heard the commotion and came out front. He saw a man in a white shirt and dark pants shooting up the store. Perkins fell to the floor behind the counter, crawled to the front door, bolted into the parking lot, and scrambled under a parked car. Next door in Cozzoli’s, people heard the noise, and somebody yelled, “Skylab is falling.” Everybody laughed. A woman and her son finished their lunch, walked out, and saw glass all over the sidewalk. They heard the gunfire. The boy ran ahead into the parking lot and spotted Capozzi, the wounded clerk. “Somebody’s hit in the parking lot!” the boy yelled. The woman ran back to Cozzoli’s, but by then the owners had locked the door. “They’re shooting! Call the police!” she yelled. The woman ran to Mr. John’s on the other side of the liquor store. The beauty salon customers had heard the slugs hitting the liquor store walls and thought it was just teenagers making noise. Then it dawned. “Call the police,” the salon manager yelled to his receptionist. “Dial 911.” After firing more than sixty times, the killers stopped. They dropped the MAC-10 inside the liquor store, ran outside, and jumped into the cab of the white truck. Another man in the cab spied Perkins hiding under a car and fired a .30-caliber carbine at him. Perkins took bullets in both feet. “Why are they shooting at me?” he screamed. “I didn’t do anything.” To cover their getaway, the men in the cab indiscriminately blasted the mall parking lot with their weapons. They got so excited, they shot out their own rearview mirror. The bullets tore holes into parked cars and shattered plate-glass store windows. One shot ruptured a car’s fuel tank, spilling gasoline into the parking lot. Another bullet whizzed by the ear of a pedestrian. The white truck finally disappeared around the Jordan Marsh store at the south end of the mall. The shooting was over in less than three minutes.
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Oct 18, 2016 03:47
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spooky like this! posted:Soldier of Fortune has always been more fringe than not. Even in the rah rah 80's the kind of stereotypical Soldier of Fortune reader was portrayed as a crazy person in movies/TV. On the other hand, the A-Team was a very popular show, and it's basically the same fantasy as sold by Soldier of Fortune
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Oct 18, 2016 03:48
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bum ba bummmm bum bum bummmm ba da da da da daaa doo do doot doot doooo (that's the a-team theme)
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Oct 18, 2016 03:53
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Quick Draw McGraw posted:drug war story The Mac-10 seems to be a favourite. Also good to see the movies weren't far off from reality.
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Oct 18, 2016 04:38
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So anyway, I read that article in 2011 about SOF, and I looked up the story about the guy who got executed in Africa after answering a call for mercenaries in the magazine. I found this: http://www.mercenary-wars.net/angola/acker.html It's an article written by one of the mercs involved ten years after the incident (1986). Bonus points for casual racism (refers to the Angolan soldiers as "blacks"). Still, interesting read. I presume this magazine was filled with this kind of stuff?
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Oct 19, 2016 11:41
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