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]] The ''Weekly World News'' ('''''WWN''''') was a Tabloid newspaper published by American Media Inc . Its editor in chief was Jeff Rovin . It combined wire reports of strange news with in-house writings and columns, many of which were outside of the traditional journalistic fact-checking process. There was also a short lived TV version on the USA Network in the style of Network News shows. On 25 October 2005 , the company released a compilation anthology called '' Batboy Lives! '' by David Perel and the Editors. On July 21st, 2007, parent company American Media announced that it would suspend publication of both the print and website version of Weekly World News, with the last issue being printed on August 3rd, after two weeks of 'reprint' issues (no new content).Lori Becker, "Weekly World News tabloid to close up shop" , ''Palm Beach Post'', July 24, 2007 Subsequent announcements instead gave August 27th as the last issue, and state that the online version will continue. Jane Sutton, "Weekly World News to close (aliens not blamed!)" , ''Reuters'', July 24, 2007 No reason was given for the decision; an editor with the paper said that "the reasons given don't make sense." Bob Greenberger: A Head Spinning Week , blog, posted July 21, 2007 The paper warned potential buyers that its final issue would be worth considerably more on eBay than the newstand price. HISTORY The ''WWN'' was launched in 1979 by American Media as a means to continue using the black and white press that the higher-profile tabloid, The National Enquirer , had been printed on, when the sister publication switched to color printing. Like many supermarket weeklies in the U.S. , the ''Weekly World News'' was published in Boca Raton, Florida . It was unique as a tabloid because it was printed entirely in black and white. Its longtime editor was Eddie Clontz, a 10th-grade dropout from North Carolina and former copy editor at small newspapers,, joined the paper in 1981. In 1999, David Pecker bought American Media Inc., which owned the Weekly World News. Within the next two years, a lot of WWN's longtime writers and editors, including Clontz, Sal Ivone, Joe Berger, Bob Lind, Dick Kulpa and Leskie Pinson, were gone, replaced by young comedy writers. Peter Carlson, "All the News That Seemed Unfit to Print" , ''Washington Post'', August 6, 2007 Clontz left the paper in 2001, having been there 20 years, and died in 2004. "Former Weekly World News editor Eddie Clontz dead at 56" , ''Associated Press'', January 29, 2004 In the 1980s, the circulation of WWN peaked at 1.2 million per issue. In a filing with the United States Securities And Exchange Commission in March 2007, American Media said that sales of WWN in 2006 were only 83,000 per issue.Mark Miller, "Weekly World News meets God!" , ''Los Angeles Times'', August 8, 2007 GENERAL APPROACH TO STORIES The ''WWN'' has traditionally claimed it always prints the truth (typical slogan: "Nothing but the truth: The ''Weekly World News''!"). Many stories, however, appeared to have comedic intent. Confirming this, in ''Batboy Lives!'' a semi-serious introduction admits that while Reader A reads the tabloid for real news, Reader B will read it for laughs. While the tabloid's main rival, '' The Sun '', carried a fine print Disclaimer , the ''WWN'' never publicly questioned the accuracy of its own stories until 2004, when the paper began stating that "the reader should suspend disbelief for the sake of enjoyment". In recent years, ''The Sun'' has moved more toward articles on health, and miracle cures, mostly leaving ''WWN'' alone in its unique niche of basing a weekly publication almost entirely on "news" that the traditional media dared not report, such as sightings of Elvis Presley and the Loch Ness monster. Some people believe that in the 21st century, the tabloid has grown even more Farcical . It will, on occasion, run exorcist Father Gabriele Amorth on Pope John Paul II 's Battles With Satan POPE BEATS THE DEVIL -- THREE TIMES! . However, these stories are the exceptions. When most of the Supermarket Tabloid s were acquired by Fleet Street publishers, they switched to Celebrity gossip, but the ''Weekly World News'' remains devoted to weirdness. In the introduction to ''Batboy Lives!'' Sal Ivone, former managing editor, says, "If someone calls me up and says their toaster is talking to them, I don't refer them to professional help, I say, 'Put the toaster on the phone'." Derrik Lang, a former Stringer for the paper, said, "That fat guy with the sunburned belly and that kid abused by his own shadow were living, breathing people with wilder-than-wild stories to tell - in my head. I can't attest to the entire publication, but everything in my stories was fake - you know, depending on how you define fake."1 WWN is a journalistic leader in following the progress of Bat Boy , the half-bat, half-boy superhero; and P'lod , an Extraterrestrial who became involved in Earth politics and had an affair with Hillary Clinton . Other important issues regularly reported on include the oncoming great depression/apocalypse, and newly found lost prophecies. ''WWN'' has also been in the forefront of informing the public about Alien Abduction s, the Loch Ness Monster , Bigfoot , and Time Travel . (In one of the latest, Iraq is revealed to possess a time tunnel capable of facilitating time travel.) Occasionally, stories published in the ''Weekly World News'' sent shock waves through the legal and law enforcement communities. For example, in early 1989 , ''WWN'' published startling photographs on the front page of executed serial killer Ted Bundy on the autopsy table. Electrode burns on Bundy's shaved head with his fixed and dilated pupils staring into space could clearly be seen in the photographs. Angry and surprised officials in Florida vowed to catch the person responsible. Eventually, a low-level employee of the Alachua County, Florida Medical Examiners office was arrested and charged with taking and selling the photographs. COLUMNS AND FEATURES Regular columns include Ed Anger (opinion), Hi Dolly (relationship advice), Horse Sense (medical advice), Monkey Business (financial and business-related advice and information) and Madame Malisa ( Psychic ). Beginning on May 9th, 2005, the ''Weekly World News'' went "All New", along with other tabloid papers, such as the National Enquirer which recently became "Bigger•Bolder•Better". In the new ''Weekly World News'', Serena and Sonya Sabak's Psychic column was replaced by the horoscopes of Madame Malisa and Dotti Primrose's "Dear Dotti" was supplanted by an advice column called "Hi Dolly" written by a middle-aged, blonde woman reared somewhere south of the Mason-Dixon Line. ''WWN'' included a weekly "Weird Picture Search" by famed Mad cartoonist Sergio Aragones . Other features included Trivia, Test Yourself, Jokes and " Miss Adventure ", "The Gayest American Hero", who has penetrated the Mob , gone to Hollywood , and fought DRAG-U-LA traveling from the depths of the Earth's center to Outer Space. Two pages of comic strips became a popular feature, many spun off from feature stories. " SpyCat ", created by Dick Siegel, was drawn by Ernie Colon . SpyCat spoke nine different languages ranging from Farsi to "dog" and was armed with " Adamwestium " claws and deadly cat-of-nine-tails. He wrote free-form poetry when not waging war on America's enemies -- at home and abroad. " Matthew Daemon ", also created by Dick Siegel, was written and illustrated by Mike Collins and was a spin off from the "SOS Matthew Daemon (Seeker of Obscure Supernaturals)" feature. Daemon's lair was located beneath Grant's Tomb . Daemon specialized in B-List Monster hunting. " Alien Baby " by Craig Boldman chronicles the adventures of Moogera the dead beat alien dad, alien baby Ethan, and Stacy, his Earth-born mother. " Bat Boy " is written and drawn by Danielle Corsetto and is a new spin on America's favorite hybrid. RECURRING SUBJECTS Bat Boy See Also: Bat Boy Possibly the best known of all the stories to come out of ''WWN'', , though the play ended tragically and ignores the continuity of the original stories. In addition to articles, Bat Boy has been featured in a Comic Strip since 2004, though it's said that only the articles are the "true" story of Bat Boy. A Scientist "A Scientist", is typically shown and quoted. He was known as "A Scientist", to distinguish him from A Baffled Scientist. His findings are as close as ''WWN'' gets to having a reliable source. Page 5 Girl Each week a different model was featured on page 5 and on the back page. She was usually wearing a Bikini and a description of her was printed. This article has been absent from WWN since the Halloween issue of 2006. See also: Page 3 Girl at The Sun . "ALIVE!", starring (often) Elvis Presley One of the other many recurring subjects was the occasional "ALIVE!" cover story. Most often the story pertained to some sort of human or creature, such as a mummy, prehistoric creature and occasionally a human who had been frozen in a block of ice (ex. Santa Claus .) Another subject often tackled by ''WWN'' is the reemergence of many prominent figures believed by most to be deceased, including Marilyn Monroe , John F. Kennedy , and Adolf Hitler . Among the most frequently printed reports were those asserting that " Elvis Is Alive ." The ''WWN'' frequently reported Elvis Sightings in the early 1990s with a series of articles claiming that Elvis Presley had faked his death and had recently emerged from years of seclusion to prepare for a comeback. Obviously altered photos purported to show a gray-haired balding Elvis sneaking into a movie theater and coming out of a Burger King restaurant. When the US Postal Service conducted a poll to determine the design of the Elvis Commemorative Postage Stamp , the ''WWN'' conducted its ''own'' poll pitting the USPS' 1950s Elvis and 1970s Elvis versus their own 1990s Elvis. The ''WWN's'' Elvis won. In the late 1990s, the newspaper broke the news about the death of a popular rock musician long presumed deceased, running a front cover that said "Elvis Presley Dead!", revealing that he had been living a secret life since 1977, but was now "really dead." In a 2004 ''Washington Post'' article on Clontz's death, humorist Gene Weingarten claimed that he and Dave Barry were the sources of the story.Gene Weingarten, "Aliens Beam Editor To Tabloid Heaven" , ''Washington Post'', January 24, 2004 According to Weingarten, the ''WWN'' later reported that claims of Elvis' death had been a hoax. In an earlier telling of his story, Weingarten varied some details.Gene Weingarten (host), "Funny? You Should Ask" , ''Washington Post'', September 10, 2002 The World's Fattest... Numerous stories regarding shockingly obese people and animals made the pages of ''WWN'', the most popular of which being Tonya, the world's fattest cat. After first being discovered, ''WWN'' encouraged readers to send in their guesses as to exactly how much they believed Tonya weighed. Weighing in at over 80 lbs, Tonya has been featured being adopted, and possibly sat on by the world's fattest woman. Later stories involved Tonya's attempts to lose weight through the "Catkins" diet, her struggle with anorexia, and claims that she had been eaten by the world's thinnest woman. Other stories have featured the exploits of the world's fattest couple at the gym, the world's fattest baby, and even a similar weight guessing contest featuring the world's fattest dog. One continuing story featured a morbidly obese man named Buster Simcus who had lost so much weight, it left 80 pounds of loose skin hanging off his body that he was planning to have surgically removed. By the next story, he blew up again, severely damaging his scars. Upcoming economic depressions ''WWN'' covered stories that featured analysis of a coming Great Depression in the immediate future, in which many prominent celebrities, politicians, and icons of business would become penniless. The cover story of the June 6 , 2005 issue warned that the second Great Depression was "just weeks away." Because of this, Texas Oil Tycoons were planning to flee to Luxembourg , the only country to survive this economic crash. The consequences of this depression would include:
A follow up in the August 15 , 2005 issue reveals plans by China to buy a controlling interest in all of America's banks, effectively buying out the nation's economy. According to the article, China currently owns more than 100 US banks totaling roughly 17 trillion dollars, making them the majority shareholder in America. Religion and Biblical relics ''Weekly World News'' was often the first to report the findings of biblical relics, including '' Noah's Ark , ''the Garden Of Eden (claimed by the tabloid to be in Colorado ), and the discovery of additional commandments from God. The magazine obtained information when Jesus will return to Earth. WWN was also the first to speak of a pair of sandals worn by Jesus. Other stories disclosed that natural disasters such as Earthquake s have opened up gates and portals to Hell from which demons have escaped which are now wreaking havoc upon the earth. A story shortly after September 11, 2001 showed the face of Satan appearing in a cloud of dust caused by the Collapse Of The World Trade Center . Similar stories had appeared before, wherein Satan's face had appeared in a thunderstorm. Following the terrorist attack on September 11 2001 ''WWN'' featured articles exposing plans for possible future terrorist attacks on the United States of America. A 2004 cover story leaked plans by Kim Jong-il to eventually invade and conquer the United States. Other stories featured profiles on the location and nature of Iraq's Weapons Of Mass Destruction , including the news that Saddam Hussein had an arsenal of giant slingshots and Dinosaurs . In 2003, a series of articles profiled the ongoing relationship, and eventual marriage of Saddam Hussein and Osama Bin Laden . Other stories have made claims that Bin Laden is actually a Dwarf , that he recruited a Cloned Adolf Hitler to join Al Qaeda or that he is in fact dead and that the CIA is keeping it a secret. Since being captured by Batboy, Saddam has been humiliated by female prison guards, won the United States lottery, and even demanded that the government pay for his Sex Change Operation . The April 25 2005 issue of WWN revealed a thwarted attempt by terrorists abducted by Aliens to hijack their UFO and fly it into the White House . Saddam Hussein's heartbreak Throughout 2003 , just prior to the capture of Saddam Hussein , and persisting after his capture, ''WWN'' ran a series of articles on an alleged romance between him and Osama Bin Laden . The setup of the plot alleged Saddam Hussein once starred in Gay Porn films. The "couple" apparently had a steamy, sensual affair, before a wedding was performed, with Hussein as the bride and bin Laden as the groom. Later, they traveled the globe, ending up in France . They adopted a shaved ape baby (Robert) that posed as a human child. After an argument, Hussein left for Iraq to be comforted in his home town of Tikrit by family and friends, and hid in the spider hole until Bat Boy discovered him. The presidency ''WWN'' is often the home to humorous political satire regarding current and past Presidential Administrations. The magazine scored an important beat when it disclosed that the founding fathers were all Gay and that George Washington and Abraham Lincoln were actually women. Abraham Lincoln , according to the paper, was mentally insane and his ghost has also been spotted in the White House giving President George W. Bush advice on the War in Iraq. Stories regarding President George W. Bush usually capitalizes on the public's Perception That He Lacks Intelligence . The paper has chronicled his plans to run for pope, his love affair with Janet Reno and his intention to nominate Yoda as Secretary of Defense. The paper also reported his secret plans to invade the Moon (which may possibly be ready to explode and destroy Earth) and mine it for the rich oil reserves discovered underneath. The June 21, 2004 issue confirmed that Vice President Dick Cheney is actually a Robot , and that his frequent trips to the hospital are actually to allow him to get his circuits rewired. Aliens Aliens are another subject frequently tackled by ''WWN''. ''Weekly World News'' blamed these creatures for holes in the ozone. A Roswell crash survivor, "Altair Bob", made contact with "WWN" via telepathic e-mail. Several factions of extraterrestrials have been using the moon to dump garbage. Martians have been monitoring the Mid-East crisis. Warrior aliens have been resurrecting the dead, fighting Big Foot and training in a mock US town hidden in Antarctica. San Franciscans have opened their hearts to immigrants from Mercury. Cryptids Cryptids and half-animal half-Human hybrids are frequently the topic of many issues of ''Weekly World News''. Creatures such as Bigfoot, Merpeople, Real-life Catwomen, Half- Alligator Half-Humans, Frog Babies, Kangaroo Women, and many other creatures have swept the world by storm on various covers (Abominable Beachman strikes terror in Hawaii!) Merfolk The existence of Merfolk is also frequently reported in the pages of the ''Weekly World News''. The most detailed Account from the ''Weekly World News'', recorded a mermaid being caught in a fishing net off of the coast of Florida on April 17 , 2004. She was at least half-human, very sociable, and extremely intelligent. The mermaid measured five feet from the tip of her upturned nose to the end of her spiny, translucent tail. Experts which talked with ''WWN'' reporters say she was able to talk in a sophisticated "three dimensional Language " that depends heavily on noises that could possibly be connected to the "click languages" prevalent in parts of Africa and on hand movements that look like Sign Language instructed to deaf people around the globe. A Linguist who had spent several hours with the mermaid at an undisclosed marine study Facility in Florida declared that once they are able to establish Communication , everything known about human Evolution , the specialness of human intelligence, everything thought about Fish - "It's all going out the door". Four government agencies (at least) were reported as if involved in the care and study of the mermaid, including the United States Environmental Protection Agency , the Department Of The Interior ; the U.S. Fish And Wildlife Service and the National Institutes Of Health . An unexpected Discovery , the only definite goals at the point of her capture were:
2003 issue of the ''Weekly World News'']] The location of the s may change. Instead of looking for missing links between man and Monkey s in the Jungle s of Africa, we'll have to start searching for the Missing Link between humans and fish, and between humans and Merpeople — the mermaids and the Mermen ." Since she was so strong, two crewmen had to pin down the mermaid to the Deck by putting their knees on her Shoulder s while a third blew marijuana Smoke in her face to sedate her. She was placed in an aerated Tank that is normally used to keep Lobster s and Bait fish alive, once she calmed down. President George W. Bush took a keen interest in the mermaid and her well-being. He felt so deeply about the mermaid that he ordered two personal chefs to help with the creature's dietary needs. The dishes which he believed would benefit the half-human, half-fish were "two of his favorite comfort foods — Texas Catfish and Hush Puppies with Jalapeño bits. Details were released claiming the mermaid had a hearty Appetite , thoroughly enjoying the Food . At the paper's demise, it was working on a story that she had engaged in sexual relations with both Bat Boy and Elvis. In latest reports, she seems happy, broods when she's left alone, and perks up when she sees a human. Similar to their female counterparts, mermen are found within the pages of the ''Weekly World News''. On '' Freeze-dried baby A series of several articles dealt with a couple whose doctor told them they could not have more children, and whose only son, Christer, climbed out of his crib one night and drank chemicals under the kitchen sink. They decided to take his remains to a taxidermist and Freeze Dry him so he could stand in the corner, his hand grabbing the waistline of his diaper. The next story had them going to prison because it is illegal to dispose of a corpse in any manner other than burial or cremation without a statement in writing from the deceased. The parents eventually died in a boating accident. The final story had a collector of weird things buy Christer's remains in the couple's neighbors' garage sale for ten million dollars. Amateur penectomy Years predating the Lorena Bobbitt case, ''Weekly World News'' was printing stories with titles like " Weirdo Cuts off Hitchhiker 's Penis ". Such stories of amateur Penectomy have been common in the paper since the late 1980s. In the hitchhiker story, a Trucker twice amputated hitchikers' penises, claiming in both cases that he was attacked, and neither organ was found, though one was allegedly flushed down the Toilet . Other stories had Philandering men in Bathtub s with Mistress es getting cut, or threatened with it, by their wives. OTHER STORIES
POPULAR CULTURE
WEBSITE In October 2006, ''Weekly World News'' relaunched its website in color. The site included video reportage and an Interactive Bat Boy Map. Other new features include "Share your Sightings" and categorizing breaking news in "National", "International", and "Intergalactic" news bureaus. Headlines on the website are refreshed daily. Samples:
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REFERENCES EXTERNAL LINKS
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