If you've ever step foot in a New York City subway (which, if you haven't, is kind of weird. Like, don't you know what you're missing out on?), then you've undoubtedly seen the famous ads of Dr. Jonathon Zizmor, world-renowned dermatologist.
Since the early 1980s, Dr. Zizmor, 70, has had his face plastered along the walls of subway cars advertising his dermatology practice in Manhattan.
While he succeeded with his undeniably campy ads replete with cheap graphics, faded before/after photos, and a bright rainbow, Zizmor was one of the pioneers of subway advertisements.
Now, nearly 40 years later, Dr. Zizmor is retiring from the dermatology game.
His ads were some of the first ever to appear on the subways, something unique in and of itself, of course, but very unique for doctors and their practices in general.
"In those days, dermatology was very exclusive, chic, chic. Most people, different ethnicity groups didn't even know there were dermatologists. I felt I wanted to open it up, treat people of all demographics and so on," Dr. Zizmor told Gothamist in an interview back in 2009.
Those first ads were not without controversy, though. "I got a lot of heat when I started," he told Business Insider in 2009. "No one was on the subway. No one was even advertising."
[anad]
For now, he and his wife will continue trying to sell their Bronx mansion (recently re-listed at $3.075 million-- far short of what they originally valued it at back in 2012 at $4.3 million). What will he do now?
According to the couple's realtor, Dr. Zizmor and his wife Alexandra, "love to travel and have many social interests, hobbies, and friends." She added, "At the end of the day, they are just like the rest of us."
Sorry, Sandra Waibel, but Dr. Zizmor is not just like us. He's unlike any dermatologist NYC has seen or ever will see again. Disagree? Check out one of his classic ads below. You'll learn the truth just as we have.
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[via New York Daily News] [Feature Image Courtesy Instagram]