# Boy's Life Magazine - Still At It After All These Years **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** magazines-newspapers\ **Created:** [November 15, 2014, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boys-life-magazine-still-at-it-after-all-these-years/704668 "2014-11-15T02:43:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2014, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boys-life-magazine-still-at-it-after-all-these-years/704668/41 "2014-11-17T14:58:43Z")
> [@Skywatcher](#): > > When I was a Scout in the early '80s, they ran John Christopher’s _The Tripods_ as a serialized comic strip. One of my earliest exposures to Sci-Fi. Likewise, when I was a Scout in the early 70s they serialized Heinlein’s “Between Planets” as a comic strip, which I loved. ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2014, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boys-life-magazine-still-at-it-after-all-these-years/704668/42 "2014-11-17T16:26:05Z")
> [@Andy\_L](#): > > Likewise, when I was a Scout in the early 70s they serialized Heinlein’s “Between Planets” as a comic strip, which I loved. That is actually the only thing I remember about the magazine. And good on them for exposing Heinlein to me (no pun intended) ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2014, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boys-life-magazine-still-at-it-after-all-these-years/704668/43 "2014-11-17T16:35:36Z")
> [@xizor](#): > > That is actually the only thing I remember about the magazine. And good on them for exposing Heinlein to me (no pun intended) Yeah, me too. I think I missed the end of the serial when my family moved, so I was very eager to get the book so I could read the real thing. This web site [http://www.nitrosyncretic.com/HN/library/betweenplanetscomic/hnl\_bp00.html](http://www.nitrosyncretic.com/HN/library/betweenplanetscomic/hnl_bp00.html) discusses the serial in some detail talking about the way it changed the names and plot points from the book in strange ways. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2014, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boys-life-magazine-still-at-it-after-all-these-years/704668/44 "2014-11-17T16:50:18Z")
I think I know why so many great authors wrote stories for _Boy’s Life_. My mom was once toying with the idea of publishing some short stories, and looked into the deals various magazines offered. Boy’s Life was the most generous of them, with them getting the rights for a single publication of the stories, and after that, all rights reverting to the original author, no ifs, ands, or buts. She probably would have sent them a few, had not all of her stories had girls for protagonists. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2014, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boys-life-magazine-still-at-it-after-all-these-years/704668/45 "2014-11-17T17:53:35Z")
> [@Skywatcher](#): > > When I was a Scout in the early '80s, they ran John Christopher’s _The Tripods_ as a serialized comic strip. One of my earliest exposures to Sci-Fi. Me too! I came into Scouts when they were on “The City of Gold And Lead”. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Evil\_Prince\_Zorte](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@The\_Evil\_Prince\_Zorte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Evil_Prince_Zorte)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2014, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boys-life-magazine-still-at-it-after-all-these-years/704668/46 "2014-11-17T18:32:21Z")
The only thing I remember about Boy’s Life was the Tripods series. I read plenty of SF growing up, and that introduced me to what become one of my favorites. ---
**Author:** ![fiddlesticks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddlesticks/32/18129_2.png) [@fiddlesticks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fiddlesticks)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2014, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boys-life-magazine-still-at-it-after-all-these-years/704668/47 "2014-11-17T18:49:55Z")
> [@The\_Evil\_Prince\_Zorte](#): > > The only thing I remember about Boy’s Life was the Tripods series. I read plenty of SF growing up, and that introduced me to what become one of my favorites. I was a Scout and had a subscription. I remember turning to the Tripods comic first thing when it came in the mail. I also remember annoying my parents with some of the awful jokes they printed. Sorry Mom & Dad. I ran across an episode of the BBC Tripods TV series once airing on my local PBS station one random weekend afternoon. Never saw it again until the magic of the Internet came around. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2014, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boys-life-magazine-still-at-it-after-all-these-years/704668/48 "2014-11-17T19:05:44Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Wasn’t he kind of the _ **BL** _ version of Ann Landers? :dubious: When I was getting BL in the late 90s, Pedro was just the ‘editor’ answering questions about previous articles and providing errata as necessary. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2014, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boys-life-magazine-still-at-it-after-all-these-years/704668/49 "2014-11-17T19:48:12Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Yes, but it’s sub-tle. Very sub-tle. I started at it a _long_ time before I realized what was going on in it! :eek: I saw what was going on right away. Love the expressions on their faces! ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2014, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boys-life-magazine-still-at-it-after-all-these-years/704668/50 "2014-11-17T20:00:27Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > I saw what was going on right away. Love the expressions on their faces! You, sir, have a dirty mind! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2014, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boys-life-magazine-still-at-it-after-all-these-years/704668/51 "2014-11-17T20:40:27Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I think I know why so many great authors wrote stories for _Boy’s Life_. My mom was once toying with the idea of publishing some short stories, and looked into the deals various magazines offered. Boy’s Life was the most generous of them, with them getting the rights for a single publication of the stories, and after that, all rights reverting to the original author, no ifs, ands, or buts. She probably would have sent them a few, had not all of her stories had girls for protagonists. I started sending articles in to Boys’ Life when I was about twelve. They never accepted any of them, but they did give me a tour of their offices, which were then located on Route 1 in New Jersey, within biking distance of my house. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2014, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boys-life-magazine-still-at-it-after-all-these-years/704668/52 "2014-11-18T00:36:51Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > I saw what was going on right away. Same here. I actually spent more time looking for the evidence of what was happening than figuring it out (as soon as it had half loaded, I figured what it had to be, it just look me a while to find the hands, given the art style). ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2014, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boys-life-magazine-still-at-it-after-all-these-years/704668/53 "2014-11-19T19:05:42Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > You, sir, have a dirty mind! 😃 I keep it in a jar by the door (who is it for?), and the maid isn’t allowed to change the water. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2014, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boys-life-magazine-still-at-it-after-all-these-years/704668/54 "2014-11-19T23:11:28Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > I loved it, in the 70s. > Their Mascot, Pedro The Mule, had his own letter column. He’d sign his replies with a double horseshoe mark. > [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](#): > > What kind of correspondence did “Pedro The Mule” have? > [@terentii](#): > > Wasn’t he kind of the _ **BL** _ version of Ann Landers? :dubious: Yes, plus humor. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2023, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boys-life-magazine-still-at-it-after-all-these-years/704668/55 "2023-05-13T03:00:18Z")
I vaguely remember a strip in _ **BL** _ where contact was made with aliens who speculated that high levels of radiation had caused the dinosaurs to be supersized, like animals on their planet. Does this ring a bell with anyone else? ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2023, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boys-life-magazine-still-at-it-after-all-these-years/704668/56 "2023-05-13T05:21:52Z")
I got Boys Life 60 years ago (just slightly before the start of this thread) when it was print. I had an anthology of stories from it, some by famous writers and all pretty good. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2023, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boys-life-magazine-still-at-it-after-all-these-years/704668/57 "2023-05-13T05:30:50Z")
Name change to _Scout Life_ a couple years back. [Boys’ Life is now Scout Life - new name, same great magazine - Aaron On Scouting (scoutingmagazine.org)](https://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/2021/01/05/boys-life-is-now-scout-life-new-name-same-great-magazine/) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boys-life-magazine-still-at-it-after-all-these-years/704668.md?page=2)