The last time People Magazine offerred a collector’s edition of a soap opera was in September 2011, when the mag celebrated the life and history of the then canceled “All My Children.” This time the magazine is celebrating the continued life and history of “General Hospital” with a special 50th Anniversary collector’s edition that finds Luke and Laura Spencer (Anthony Geary and Genie Francis), Maxie Jones (Kirsten Storms), Sonny Corinthos and Brenda Barrett (Maurice Benard and Vanessa Marcil), Duke Lavery and Anna Devane (Ian Buchanan and Finola Highes), and Jagger Cates (Antonio Sabato Jr.) gracing the cover.

In a Twitter posting just after midnight on Tuesday, December 4 (on the east coast), Maurice Benard revealed that he signed a new contract with ABC’s “General Hospital,” which will keep him in the role of Sonny Corinthos for the foreseeable future. In his posting the actor said, “I just signed my contract for ‘General Hospital.’ It makes me feel good that I’m not leaving my family.”