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Maxim attempts to keep the ‘lad mag’ spirit alive with first Canadian edition

Magazines dedicated to guy stuff were multiplying like rabbits on North American newsstands about a decade ago.

The combination of coverage of topics like beer, gadgets and extreme sports, without too many words getting in the way, seemed to fill a niche that no one had thought of before.

The glossy publications were mostly marketed on the basis of which one delivered the most scintillating scantily clad women.

Maxim, founded by eccentric U.K. publisher Felix Dennis in 1995, crossed the Atlantic to beat many rivals into submission as the formula reached its peak.

While a print run of the U.S. edition has featured a small Maple Leaf flag next to its logo, however, a full-fledged Canadian version hasn't been published until now.

The premiere issue of Maxim Canada, which will be packaged for sale with its southern counterpart, had its cover unveiled in advance of a late-May publication.

Feature articles will include profiles of Canadians in the UFC, the 30-year battle between the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers, and "Women Behind Bars: Ontario Edition."

Cover model April Rose, not to be confused with any other model named April Rose, was also named the magazine's ambassador for Canada's Hometown Hottie Search.

Maxim Canada seems like an unlikely expansion project in 2011, compared to the height of the "lad mag" genre, when Maxim supported two spin-offs of its own, Blender and Stuff.

Similar publications also appeared in Canada, including UMM: Urban Male Magazine, published by Ottawa nightclub owner Abbis Mahmoud.

The field is now much smaller. And so are the page counts. Dennis closed the British print edition and sold the American one.

Yet, the appeal of Maxim has sustained, to some degree. Its annual Hot 100 List, released last week, was widely reported as the authority on the subject of under-clothed females.

(Maxim Handout Photo)