Dynamite (magazine)

Dynamite was a magazine for children founded by Jenette Kahn and published by Scholastic Press from 1974 until 1992. Kahn edited the first three issues. Then the next 109 issues were edited by Jane Stine, wife of children's author R.L. Stine. The first issue, Dynamite #1, was dated March 1974 and featured characters Hawkeye and Radar from the television series M*A*S*H. The final issue, Dynamite #165, was dated March 1992 and featured actress Julia Roberts and actor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Popular in the 1970s and 1980s, the magazine served as a guide to popular culture for a generation of children. Dynamite included magic tricks with Magic Wanda; kids' one-line woes, known as "Bummers," which always began with the words, "Don't you hate it when..."; "And Now a Word from Our Sponsor" commercial parodies; the puzzle pages of the ghoulish Count Morbida; Hot Stuff, a section featuring gags and new stuff in stores; the birth and growth of a horse called Foxy Fiddler; reprinted origin stories on Marvel and DC superheroes, and later the comic superheroes the "Dynamite Duo"; and Good Vibrations, an advice column. Chock full of articles, Dynamite covers profiled three decades in TV shows (from The Six Million Dollar Man to Beverly Hills, 90210), cartoons (from "Snoopy" to "Garfield"), movie stars (from Bruce Lee to River Phoenix), music stars (from KISS, John Denver, or Elvis to Paula Abdul and Rick Springfield), and other assorted themes.

In addition to items on the back covers to punch out or assemble (such as puzzles, games, postcards, mobiles, bookmarks, or masks), Dynamite also included bonus inserts, such as fold-out posters, greeting cards, calendars, or records. Often the magazine would contain additional bonus inserts such as baseball cards, stickers, or glow-in-the-dark items. Occasional 3-D posters with glasses were also popular, featuring images such as King Kong, skateboarding, and outer space.

Dynamite magazine served as an activity book each month, offering tricks, recipes, games, and contests. It also served as a monthly update on popular culture, and it was a way for children to pass the time before the advent of cable television and VCRs. Dynamite magazine was available through subscription, on newsstands, and through monthly orders circulated by school teachers using Scholastic's Arrow Book Club.

In 1984, Scholastic Press reduced the number of color pages and lowered the publication rate from 12 monthly issues of Dynamite per year to six (and subsequently five) issues per year. Editors developed more features about teen idols in the late 1980s and early 1990s, with cover stories on Johnny Depp, Alyssa Milano, Corey Haim, Corey Feldman, and Will Smith, along with two 8 x 11 mini-posters per issue. Features from the later years included the Dynamite Activity Center, Dynamite Puzzle Pages, and spooky stories by R. L. Stine (aka Jovial Bob Stine), who would later create the Goosebumps series.

Cover stories

Issue	Volume	Number	Date	Cover Story	Notes
1			Mar 1974	Dynamite Meets M*A*S*H!
2			Apr 1974	Dynamite and the Seven Waltons
3			May 1974	A Visit to the MADhouse: A New Dynamite Reader-Ecch!
4			Oct 1974	The Love Bug Returns: Herbie Tells All
5			Nov 1974	Born Free: Dynamite gets thrown to the lions!
6			Dec 1974	This Is Your Life, Snoopy
7			Jan 1975	All About All in the Family
8			Feb 1975	Inside The Six Million Dollar Man
9			Mar 1975	John Denver and Dynamite: Farrrrr-out
10			Apr 1975	"Now that's what I call DY-NO-MITE!"
11			May 1975	Little House on the Prairie: A Big Story!
12			Jun 1975	Welcome to the Dynamite Monster Bash!
13			Jul 1975	Dynamite Visits TV’s Land of the Lost!
14			Aug 1975	Inside Disney World! What it’s really like!
15			Sep 1975	The Monster Hall of Fame: Enter If You Dare!
16			Oct 1975	TV ’76: A Dawn Good Season!
17			Nov 1975	Bruce Lee Lives!
18			Dec 1975	Invisible Man: TV’s Most Outtasite Character!
19			Jan 1976	Attention! Attention! New Men on M*A*S*H
20			Feb 1976	Cher!
21			Mar 1976	J. J. In a Movie! Dyn-o-mite!
22			Apr 1976	Face To Face With Fonzie!
23			May 1976	Meet The Sweat Hogs
24			Jun 1976	Let's Go To The Hop! Special Dynamite Fifties Party Issue!
25			Jul 1976	Space: 1999 Takes Off!
26			Aug 1976	Welcome to the San Diego Zoo
27			Sep 1976	Catching Up With The Bionic Woman!
28			Oct 1976	A Dynamite Double Feature! Laverne and Shirley And King Kong!
29			Nov 1976	The Six Million Dollar Man vs. The Bionic Woman!
30			Dec 1976	Dynamite Meets Donny And Marie!
31			Jan 1977	The Bay City Rollers: An Exclusive Interview!
32			Feb 1977	Fonzie and Pinky Face the Future!
33			Mar 1977	A Dynamite Duo - The Captain And Tennille!
34			Apr 1977	John Travolta: Barbarino and Beyond!
35			May 1977	Charlie Brown, Superstar!
36			Jun 1977	What's Happening is What's Happening!!
37			Jul 1977	Bob Hegyes is a Real Person!	[1]
38	1	1	Jul 1977	Mark Fidrych: Big Bird of Baseball	[2]
39	1	2	Aug 1977	The Return of The Brady Bunch!
40	1	3	Sep 1977	Farrah!
41	1	4	Oct 1977	The Hardy Boys: A Dynamite Detective Story!
42	1	5	Nov 1977	Sylvester Stallone: What's next for the star of Rocky?
43	1	6	Dec 1977	Catching Up With Logan's Run!
44	1	7	Jan 1978	Star Wars And Shaun - Top Stars of the Year!
45	1	8	Feb 1978	Meet Kristy McNichol!
46	1	9	Mar 1978	Kate Jackson
47	1	10	Apr 1978	Happy Birthday, MAD!
48	1	11	May 1978	Shields And Yarnell: Wind 'Em Up and Laugh
49	1	12	Jun 1978	Cheryl Ladd
50	2	1	Jul 1978	The Best of Dynamite!
51	2	2	Aug 1978	Special Hollywood Issue!
52	2	3	Sep 1978	Lou Ferrigno: More than just a Hulk of muscle!
53	2	4	Oct 1978	The Bee Gees vs. The Beatles! Who's the Greatest?
54	2	5	Nov 1978	The Secrets of Battlestar Galactica!
55	2	6	Dec 1978	Cruising With The Love Boat Crew!
56	2	7	Jan 1979	Mork And Mindy: TV's Out-of-this-World Comedy!
57	2	8	Feb 1979	Meet the guys from CHiPs!
58	2	9	Mar 1979	Kristy McNichol & Leif Garrett
59	2	10	Apr 1979	Dynamite Discoveries of the Year! Christopher Reeve And Lynn-Holly Johnson
60	2	11	May 1979	Kermit And Miss Piggy: A Muppet love story?
61	2	12	Jun 1979	Robin Williams: More than Mork!
62	3	1	Jul 1979	All In The Family - Monster Style!
63	3	2	Aug 1979	Special Science Fiction Issue! First Preview of Star Wars II!
64	3	3	Sep 1979	Face to Face With Erik Estrada
65	3	4	Oct 1979	Gary Coleman: TV's Little Big Man
66	3	5	Nov 1979	The Dukes of Hazzard
67	3	6	Dec 1979	Steve Martin: A Wild and Crazy Guy!
68	3	7	Jan 1980	Mork and His New Pals!
69	3	8	Feb 1980	Buck Rogers: Then and Now!
70	3	9	Mar 1980	Live From New York: It's Gilda Radner!
71	3	10	Apr 1980	BJ And The Bear: A Special Talk with Greg Evigan!
72	3	11	May 1980	Benji: Hollywood's Top Dog!
73	3	12	Jun 1980	Meet John Schneider!
74	4	1	Jul 1980	Miss Piggy: A Real Ham at Heart
75	4	2	Aug 1980	TV's Top Reruns: The Brady Bunch and More!
76	4	3	Sep 1980	The Empire Strikes Back
77	4	4	Oct 1980	Shaun Cassidy in Breaking Away
78	4	5	Nov 1980	That's Incredible!
79	4	6	Dec 1980	Dynamite Spends A Happy Day With Scott Baio!
80	4	7	Jan 1981	Meet Tom Wopat of The Dukes of Hazzard!
81	4	8	Feb 1981	Gary Coleman Grows Up and Stars in a New Movie!
82	4	9	Mar 1981	Buck Rogers and Wilma: TV's Fun Couple of the Future!
83	4	10	Apr 1981	Count Morbida's Monstrous Movie Quiz
84	4	11	May 1981	Bugs Bunny Is Back!
85	4	12	Jun 1981	The Great Muppet Caper
86	5	1	Jul 1981	TV Kids - Then and Now!
87	5	2	Aug 1981	Special Collector's Issue - All About Bummers!
88	5	3	Sep 1981	The Greatest American Hero and Superman, Too!
89	5	4	Oct 1981	Dynamite Dares to Ride With the Dukes!
90	5	5	Nov 1981	Master Magician The Amazing Randi Tells the Truth About the Fakes!
91	5	6	Dec 1981	Happy Tenth Birthday, M*A*S*H!
92	5	7	Jan 1982	Meet Rick Springfield!
93	5	8	Feb 1982	Lee Majors in The Fall Guy: Who Does the Stuntman's Stunts?
94	5	9	Mar 1982	Melissa Gilbert All Grown Up!
95	5	10	Apr 1982	Lisa Whelchel Tells the Facts of Her Life!
96	5	11	May 1982	Meet Mr. Merlin's Magic Helper Clark Brandon!
97	5	12	Jun 1982	Annie: The Making of the Movie
98	6	1	Jul 1982	A Close Encounter with E. T.
99	6	2	Aug 1982	Sylvester Stallone: A Chat with the Rocky III Champ!
100	6	3	Sep 1982	Joanie Loves Chachi: And Dynamite Loves Them Both!
101	6	4	Oct 1982	E. T.: Meet the Creature
102	6	5	Nov 1982	The Dark Crystal: An All-New Muppet Creature Feature
103	6	6	Dec 1982	Meet Garfield: Heavyweight Champion of Cartoon Cats
104	6	7	Jan 1983	Matt Dillon: Tells How His Good Looks Get in His Way
105	6	8	Feb 1983	Square Pegs: The Hottest TV Hit Of The Year!
106	6	9	Mar 1983	MTV: All About TV's Rock and Roll Station
107	6	10	Apr 1983	Ricky Schroder: Meet the star of Silver Spoons
108	6	11	May 1983	Meet Kim Fields: Star of The Facts of Life
109	6	12	Jun 1983	The Return Of The Jedi: A talk with the man inside C3PO!
110	7	1	Jul 1983	Dynamite's Greatest Hits
111	7	2	Aug 1983	Meet David Hasselhoff: Knight Rider's Driving Force
112	7	3	Sep 1983	Knight Rider is Dynamite! An Exclusive interview with David Hasselhoff
113	7	4	Oct 1983	Michael Jackson: A Thriller for Music Fans	[3]
114	7	4	Nov 1983	Luke Skywalker And Princess Leia: What's Next After Jedi?	[3]
115	7	5	Dec 1983	Men At Work
116	7	6	Jan 1984	Meet "Mr. T": His Look Is Tough - His Heart Is Tender
117	7	7	Feb 1984	Gary Coleman: A Talk With TV's Top Teen
118	7	8	Mar 1984	Meet Michael J. Fox, Star of Family Ties!
119	7	9	Apr 1984	Mr. T - As You've Never Seen Him!
120	7	10	May 1984	Harrison Ford: The Raiders Star Returns
121	7	11	Jun 1984	Supergirl: From the Comics to the Silver Screen!
122	7	12	Jul 1984	Dynamite Goes to the Movies
123	8	1	Sep 1984	Tops On TV: Webster's Emmanuel Lewis	[4]
124	8	2	Oct 1984	Scott Baio is Charles in Charge!
125	8	3	Nov 1984	Heathcliff!
126	8	4	Jan 1985	Backstage at the Bill Cosby Show
127	8	5	Feb 1985	Duran Duran
128	8	6	Mar 1985	Ralph Macchio: The Karate Kid Star is a Hit!
129	9	1	Sep 1985	How Success Changed The Cosby Show Kids!
130	9	2	Oct 1985	Cartoon Cavalcade
131	9	3	Nov 1985	Garfield
132	9	4	Jan 1986	Punky Brewster!
133	9	5	Feb 1986	Bruce Springsteen
134	9	6	Mar 1986	Back To The Present With Michael J. Fox!
135	10	1	Sep 1986	TV's Favorite Families!
136	10	2	Oct 1986	Tony Danza
137	10	3	Nov 1986	Most Popular TV Guys!
138	10	4	Jan 1987	A Super Michael J. Fox Scrapbook
139	10	5	Feb 1987	Chart-Topping Ladies Of Rock
140	10	6	Mar 1987	Meet Star Students From Head Of The Class
141	11	1	Sep 1987	Heard It Through The Grapevine: Exclusive interview with a commercial "star"!	[5]
142	11	2	Oct 1987	Alyssa Milano
143	11	3	Nov 1987	Kirk Cameron
144	11	4	Jan 1988	Show Biz Siblings: Featuring River Phoenix And Family!
145	11	5	Mar 1988	This Is Your Life, Garfield!
146	12	1	Sep 1988	A Dynamite Kirk Cameron Photo Album!
147	12	2	Oct 1988	Who's the Best? Debbie Gibson vs. Tiffany
148	12	3	Nov 1988	Hollywood's Top Teen Talents: Corey Haim And Corey Feldman!
149	12	4	Jan 1989	Johnny Depp - TV's Top Cop Star!
150	12	5	Mar 1989	A Different World's Jasmine Guy
151	13	1	Sep 1989	Exclusive Interview: The Wonder Years' Fred Savage!
152	13	2	Oct 1989	Debbie Gibson: Rock's Top Teen!
153	13	3	Nov 1989	Dynamite Makes a Full House Call
154	13	4	Jan 1990	Meet The Kids of Roseanne!
155	13	5	Mar 1990	Cast Your Vote for Favorite TV Starlet!
156	14	1	Sep 1990	Paula Abdul!
157	14	2	Oct 1990	Basketball Big Shot, Michael "Air" Jordan!
158	14	3	Nov 1990	The Simpsons!
159	14	4	Jan 1991	New Kids on the Block and a Galaxy of Maurice Starr's Stars!
160	14	5	Mar 1991	Candace Cameron!
161	15	1	Sep 1991	Will Smith: The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
162	15	2	Oct 1991	Face to Face With Macaulay Culkin!
163	15	3	Nov 1991	Family Matters' Jaleel (Urkel) White!
164	15	4	Jan 1992	The Cast of Beverly Hills 90210
165	15	5	Mar 1992	Julia Roberts! Arnold Schwarzenegger!

Notes

1. ^ Issue #37 and Issue #38 were both dated "July 1977."
2. ^ Effective with Issue #38, Dynamite began a secondary numbering system by labeling each issue with a "Volume" and a "Number." Since this change was not retroactive, Issue #38 was labeled "Volume 1, Number 1."
3. ^ ^{a b} Issue #113 and Issue #114 were both labeled "Volume 7, Number 4." Although Issue #114 was incorrectly labeled as such, seriation continued in this manner so that all subsequent labeled Numbers (in Volume 7) were also incorrect.
4. ^ Effective with Issue #123, Dynamite reduced its publication rate from 12 issues per year (one issue published per month) to six issues per year (one issue published in the months of September, October, November, January, February, and March only).
5. ^ Effective with Issue #141, Dynamite reduced its publication rate from six issues per year (one issue published in the months of September, October, November, January, February, and March only) to five issues per year (one issue published in the months of September, October, November, January, and March only). Hence, the February issue was eliminated from the publication schedule.

External links

• Dynamite fan site
• Collection of Dynamite covers