If I weren't a film director, I would probably be a magazine editor. When I was pitched the concept for MYMAG, I was shocked — how did they know I had a treasure trove of favorite magazine articles saved in my closet? Would I really be able to consolidate all my favorite articles into one magazine? 

MYMAG has made my fantasy a reality. Not only does it offer an opportunity to introduce some of my favorite images by the photographers I love — Guy Bourdin and Helmut Newton — but it also gives me a chance to show all my magazine photography in one place. I had a lot of material to choose from, and I tried my best to separate the wheat from the chaff. My only hope is that you're entertained, educated and perhaps inspired to make your own magazine one day. 

I'm known for being an acolyte of older Hollywood types — mentors of mine who have made the most out of their life while making movies. But I also admire the great magazine editors: Hugh Hefner, Jann Wenner and Andy Warhol (who did most of Interview magazine's interviews and took most of its photos). In this issue's intro, I've included three photographs, all connected to Helmut Newton, two of which feature my mentors, legendary film producers Robert Evans and Dino De Laurentiis. The first is a shot I took of Helmut and Bob the night before Helmut passed away. It was the last photo taken of him alive. The next is a shot of Helmut and me on the set of my film Red Dragon, and the third is a photo Helmut took of Dino and me that same day. 

For many years, Vogue gave over its December issue to a special guest editor. In 1976, Vogue Paris asked Roman Polanski to guest-edit, and did something they'd never done before and haven't since: The cover of the issue had no photograph. It was, instead, a black page with nothing on it but the words Par Roman Polanski. I had never seen anything so cool. Ironically, 30 years later, French Vogue asked me to guest-edit an issue — and I've included in these pages the stories I photographed and conceived for it. 

Interview magazine, which is owned by my friend Peter Brant, is by far my favorite. From Interview, I've included my photographs of James Toback and Mike Tyson and my interviews of Michael Jackson and Hugh Jackman. Another of my favorite articles is Mitch Glazer's Rolling Stone piece on Roman Polanski, one of the best articles about Roman by one of Hollywood's great hip writers. Now, almost 30 years later, I'd love to read a sequel. 

Finally, I had to end my MYMAG with an obituary of a childhood friend. I grew up in Miami Beach, and every day I would ride my bicycle down Collins Avenue as my friend Meyer, 80 years old, would walk his dog. We would talk for hours; everyone would stare at us, and I never knew why. I thought maybe it was because he was 80 and I was 12. When he'd take me with his wife to his favorite restaurant, Villa Capri, the service was always extra-special. It wasn't until he passed away, when I saw his obituary in Rolling Stone, that I realized why everybody used to kiss my ass wherever I went. The man I spent hours every day talking to after school wasn't just a nice old man. Meyer Lansky was the most famous Jewish gangster of the twentieth century, but I didn't care either way — because he was my friend.