▁the ▁Rat ▁Pack . ▁ ▁Career ▁After ▁dro pping ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Arizona , ▁Hugh es ▁began ▁s elling ▁j okes ▁to ▁well - est ab lished ▁perform ers ▁such ▁as ▁Rod ney ▁D anger field ▁and ▁Joan ▁R ivers . ▁Hugh es ▁used ▁his ▁j okes ▁to ▁get ▁an ▁entry - level ▁job ▁at ▁Need ham , ▁Har per ▁& ▁Ste ers ▁as ▁an ▁advert ising ▁copy writer ▁in ▁Chicago ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 0 ▁and ▁later ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 4 ▁at ▁Leo ▁Burn ett ▁World wide . ▁During ▁this ▁period , ▁he ▁created ▁what ▁became ▁the ▁famous ▁Edge ▁" Cred it ▁Card ▁Sh aving ▁Test " ▁ad ▁campaign . ▁ ▁Hugh es ' s ▁work ▁on ▁the ▁Virginia ▁S lim s ▁account ▁frequently ▁took ▁him ▁to ▁the ▁Philip ▁Morris ▁headquarters ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁City , ▁which ▁allowed ▁him ▁to ▁visit ▁the ▁offices ▁of ▁National ▁Lam po on ▁magazine . ▁So on ▁there after , ▁Hugh es ▁became ▁a ▁regular ▁contrib utor ; ▁editor ▁P . ▁J . ▁O ' R our ke ▁re called ▁that ▁" John ▁wrote ▁so ▁fast ▁and ▁so ▁well ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁hard ▁for ▁a ▁month ly ▁magazine ▁to ▁keep ▁up ▁with ▁him ". ▁One ▁of ▁Hugh es ' s ▁first ▁stories , ▁inspired ▁by ▁his ▁family ▁tri ps ▁as ▁a ▁child , ▁was ▁" V ac ation ▁' 5 8 ", ▁later ▁to ▁become ▁the ▁basis ▁for ▁the ▁film ▁National ▁Lam po on ' s ▁V ac ation . ▁Among ▁his