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We suggested recently that Men's Health editor Dave Zinczenko, the abberific Max Zorin of magazine editors who at Jon Stewart's magazine-bashing session spouted such gems as "fit is the new rich" and "we worship at the altar of our readers," might just possibly be — when the planets align the right way, from the right angle, in the right light — a tremendous tool.

Today, Mike Lafavore — the founding editor of Men's Health and a man who earned our everlasting admiration when, upon leaving the editorship of TV Guide last year, he told Ad Age, "I'm not into living the world of reality television for another year. Who wins on The Bachelor and who doesn't is not, to be perfectly honest, something I can get very excited about" — writes in to confirm our diagnosis.

Dave Zinczenko a tool? Yeah, I'd say so. Read the thing below from Media Industry Newsletter on the 20 best magazine launches. Might get the impression that mighty Dave was the brains behind Men's Health... solving all those thorny magazine launch problems in the tough early days. Funny thing, though. Dave wasn't there when any of the things he talks about happened. I launched the magazine, positioned it, and built it to its present size of 1.7 million. Dave was hired six or seven years after the launch, when the magazine was already successful. See my name anywhere below?

We're not going to reprint the full article here — copyright and all that — but, for the record: No, Mike, we don't see your name there.

The Hottest Magazine Launches: Men's Health [MIN]
Earlier: 'Laughing Matters,' Not So Much