Laufer had created and then sold Teen magazine before he launched Tiger Beat in 1965. Tiger Beat initially had something of an identity crisis (launched as "Lloyd Thaxton's Tiger Beat," the affiliation with the dance show host lasted only a few issues) and sales were slow until Laufer put new Monkee Davy Jones (a 16 fave since his "Oliver" days in 1963) on the cover of the fifth issue. When Laufer subsequently made an arrangement with Screen Gems for promotional and merchandising access to the group, Tiger Beat became an essential mag for Monkees fans (the Monkees Spectacular monthly was soon added.) The Laufer Group, co-owned by Chuck's brother Ira, continued as a successful entertainment publishing company until it was sold in 1978. Chuck retired from publishing in 1980, and after being owned by several companies, Tiger Beat was bought by his son Scott in 2003.
Although it clearly used 16 magazine's style, content and subject matter as a template, Tiger Beat did take one aspect of the teen magazine and excel at it. Its glossy, advanced color process photos stood apart from 16's colorized newsprint pictures and quirky illustrations. And in the fierce competition with Gloria Stavers at 16 for exclusive interviews and photos, Tiger Beat's Hollywood location gave its editor Ann Moses the advantage of proximity to all the young stars. But this was the golden era of teen magazines, and there were plenty of kids eager to spend their allowances on both magazines. The fact that over 45 years later kids can still find Tiger Beat on newstands is an impressive legacy for Chuck Laufer.
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