Matty Simmons

Matty Simmons was born in Brooklyn and played basketball at the high school and college levels. At seventeen, he began working as a newspaper reporter for the *New York World Telegram and Sun*. After a short period of military service, he became a press agent in New York, eventually opening his own firm that represented both entertainment clients and commercial accounts, including Heineken Beer. Simmons was one of three individuals who founded *The Diners Club*, the first all-purpose credit card company, and served as its Executive Vice President, overseeing marketing and publishing operations, including *Signature Magazine*, which he established soon after the company’s founding. He left *The Diners Club* in the late 1960s to form 21st Century Communications, which later became National Lampoon, Inc. The company went public in 1972 with Simmons as Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer. Its first publication was *Weight Watchers Magazine*, launched in 1968. In 1970, the company introduced *National Lampoon*, which became the most popular humor magazine in publishing history. In 1972, Simmons produced the musical comedy *Lemmings*, which introduced new talents such as John Belushi, Chevy Chase, and Christopher Guest. Over the following years, he produced three additional *Lampoon* stage shows: *The National Lampoon Show*, *That's Not Funny, That's Sick*, and *The Class of '86*. During this time, he also produced the *National Lampoon Radio Hour*, the most popular radio show in America in 1973 and 1974, and twelve comedy albums. In 1978, he produced *National Lampoon's Animal House*, regarded as the most popular movie comedy of all time. Among other films, he produced the *National Lampoon* *Vacation* series, the most popular family movie series in box office history. In 1979, he was named "Producer of the Year" and in 1980, "Publisher of the Year" by industry organizations. His film and television discoveries include Michelle Pfeiffer, Tom Hulce, and Kevin Bacon. *Animal House* won the 1978 People's Choice Award. Over the years, Simmons has written eight books, including several best-sellers. In the 1960s, he was the principal owner of the San Francisco Warriors, later renamed the Golden State Warriors. His most recent books, *If You Don't Buy This Book, We'll Kill This Dog* and *The Credit Card Catastophe*, were published in 1995 and 1996, respectively. In March 1989, he sold his controlling interest in National Lampoon, Inc., and currently resides in Los Angeles, where he continues to write and produce films and television.