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It was not easy to work with Kostopoulos. His obsession with perfection drove all chief editors crazy and it often tortured the journalists and graphic designers. Many people think that he just sat in the leather chair, with his feet on the glass table, smoking a cigar while the magazine reached the newsstands as through some miracle. But the truth is that publishing is not easy. He was always searching and trying.

He often stopped the publication of a magazine two days before printing was completed. The term "Petros threw the edition in the garbage and we’ll now have to write it and make it again" was heard in the office 2-3 times a year. On the other hand salaries he paid were 2-3 times higher than in the other companies because he believed that talent should be well paid, and that journalists, photographers, stylists and graphic designers should participate in the success of the magazines.

"Uncle Petros" and sex

Petros knew about the life of every one of us, and when he saw us despondent he immediately wanted to know what was going on. He was always ready to give you an advice and support you. This is how his nickname "uncle" appeared. We never used it before him, but he knew we called him like this behind his back. "Where is uncle? What is uncle doing? What is uncle saying?". He hadn’t yet reached his 40s, but he had this fatherly style.

Many believe that "CLICK" and "Nitro" were sold, because every month they had an article about sex. But the truth is that it was the sex presented each month with the aesthetics, style and language of "CLICK" and "Nitro" that sold the magazines. Greek society was so hypocritical conservative that in 1988 there was a lot of fuss because "CLICK" published an article devoted to AIDS and it had a condom for a gift.

Greek society, however, and learns quickly. Among other things, "CLICK" and "Nitro" were something like an encyclopedia with series on the physical and psychic "anatomy of love" that many young people bought, read and loved. Petros believed that those who are scandalized by sex, do not know love and have bad taste. Once he stood up for the articles on sex, arguing that "Ancient Greeks also depicted erotic scenes on the amphorae to sell more". Many of his critics became his imitators, but nobody was able to "paint erotic scenes on the amphorae" with the same success ...

One topic that he always liked to comment on and discuss, were the great impressive comebacks in politics, art, sport, business. Now obviously he needs to see whether he himself can make his great comeback. Many are those who are sure they he will fail and they are very happy about that. His relationship with time is difficult. He is a maniac on the issue of youth and he’s trying to stay young through fitness, nutrition and hair transplants.

In February 1994, he turned 40 years old. "Are you afraid that you turned 40?" I asked him, with the complacency of a 22 years old. "Do you think you are saying goodbye to the youth?". "Nothing like that", he replied and continued with a good prophecy. "Just as at the age of 40 I am better than I was at the age of 20 I’ll also be better at the age of 60 than I am at 40." In February 2012 Kostopoulos turned 58 years old. Those of us who have no problem to admit that we have won a lot from working with him, wish him to find the strength within himself, to confirm his prophecy.