As If One Weren’t Enough

It must have happened to somebody: Wife asks husband to find her a copy of ULTRA, Dallas’ newest society tabloid, on his way home from work. Husband dutifully stops by a newsstand, scans the titles, spots ultra, and buys a copy for the wife. Somebody may have some explaining to do.

It seems that Dallas had been simultaneously graced with two new publications bearing the same name. ULTRA, published by News-Texan, Inc. and distributed by the Dallas News and a handful of suburban newspapers, is filled with gossip, fashion, personalities, and other tidbits for the socialite set. The other ultra caters to a slightly different crowd. Published in New York, this one is filled with erotic color photographs of males in the buff, a la Playgirl magazine.

Husband delivers ultra to wife. Wife, instead of finding “Foot Loose and Fancy Free” about new shoe styles, finds a 14-question quiz entitled “Could You Be Bisexual?” Instead of finding a photo of Henry S. Miller in coat and tie, wife finds a photo of Jack Wrangler, no coat, no tie, no nothing.

Robert Alberts, publisher of the Dallas ULTRA, admits he knew of the New York namesake before his first issue was published. “We checked into it, but there’s no way we can keep them from using the name too – even though we applied 1 for the registered trademark first. We’re not too happy about it, but there’s nothing we can do.” Alberts said he doesn’t know the “extent of penetration” the New York ultra has in the Dallas market, but claimed not to be worried about it cutting into his circulation.

As it turns out, he was quite right. Apparently the unclothed ultra didn’t do much penetrating anywhere. Shortly after we talked to Alberts, his New York competitor hitched up its pants and went quietly out of business.