Marvin Shanken
The Man Who Made Cigars Cool
A tribute to the publishing legend who turned cigar smoking into an international symbol of success, style, and the good life.
Smoking a cigar was something your grandfather did after Sunday dinner. Then along came Marvin Shanken, and suddenly everybody wanted a humidor, a Cuban Cohiba, and a leather chair in which to contemplate life's finer things.
Shanken, who passed away October 29 at 83, didn't invent the cigar. He did something considerably more impressive. He made it aspirational.
When he launched Cigar Aficionado in 1992, he transformed an aging pastime into a cultural phenomenon. Cigars became synonymous with success, joining fine watches, expensive automobiles, exceptional wines, and beautifully tailored suits.
And boy, did he know how to get an interview.
In 1994, Shanken landed an extraordinary one-on-one with Fidel Castro in Havana, discussing Cuban cigars, Cohiba's origins, and the American embargo. It was a journalistic coup that put his young magazine on the international map.
Then came Michael Jordan, whom Shanken interviewed in 2005 and again in 2017, discussing everything from championship basketball to cigars, golf, and business. Arnold Schwarzenegger joined him in 2023 for a remarkable conversation over 30-year-old Cuban Punch Churchills.
Robert De Niro, Francis Ford Coppola, Dwayne Johnson, and Mark Wahlberg were among his other notable interview subjects. And Shanken never forgot the cigar makers themselves, interviewing legends including Carlos Fuente and José Orlando Padrón.
Through Wine Spectator, Cigar Aficionado, and his publishing empire, Shanken understood something many publishers never grasped: readers don't simply buy magazines for information. They buy them for inspiration and a glimpse into a world they aspire to inhabit.
He gave cigar makers recognition, enthusiasts a community, and millions of readers an appreciation for craftsmanship and tradition.
For those of us who love a beautifully constructed cigar and the occasional indulgence, his influence was immeasurable.
Raise a glass. Light something extraordinary. And remember the man who made the cigar cool again.
Rest in peace, Marvin Shanken.
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