PBC Hall of Fame - Carol Imhof (1970)

One of my very favorite classic Playmates is the incredibly angelic Carol Imhof, Miss December 1970. Still one of the iconic Miss Decembers in Playboy's history, Carol holds a special place in my heart, as well as the heart of countless other Playmate fans.

Carol
Miss December 1970

Carol was not my pick for PMOY in 1971, but that's only because she was matched up by the beautiful Jen Liano, also a PBC Hall member. However, in any other year in the decade, Carol would have taken things by storm.

Carol really carried the torch and set the standard for women in the '70's, and was a perfect cap to the 1960's era of ladies. Unlike Miss Liano, Carol is more of an archetype of the era, more voluptuous and curvy while still maintaining the short and stout frame that was the norm. These weren't the overly polished women of today, but they still resembled Hollywood glamour like they just don't do nowadays.

Indeed, everything about Carol straddles the line between high-end starlet and everyday girl down the street. Her face, to this day, is the stuff of legends. Her eyes alone should be in my hall of fame, always filling a photo with a bright beacon and becoming the central focus of any shot. Carol's angelic look was transcendent, and makes you sit back and think. Since today we overvalue the shock value of some taut, fake breasts and closely exposed genitalia, we miss out on true starpower like we see with Miss Imhof. This is a relic of a bygone era, to be celebrated.

• Face: A+
  Carol's face is still one of the greatest in Playboy history, along with greats such as Cynthia Myers and Jennifer Liano. Her spectacularly deep eyes and subtle innocence make her one of the most endearing and beloved Playmates in history.
• Body: A-
  Having the curvaceous and buxom frame of Playmates in the late 1960's, Carol's follows the trend, with large, tangible breasts that are shot gorgeously throughout her pictorial. Almost perfectly shaped and never too large, they complement an otherwise nicely tapered physique.
• Talent: A
  A glance here, a flashing of the lashes there, a flutter of the hair or a serene and inviting look. Carol's style is classic and timeless, with understated beauty and passive posing executed wonderfully.
• Pictorial: A+
  As I said above, Carol's passive posing style plays to her strengths perfectly here. She never does too much to break the relaxed atmosphere of her photo set, and never gets in the way of her own innate beauty. She doesn't have to try too hard to look spectacular.
• Centerfold: B+
• Overall: A+
  Reminiscing about beauties of the early days of Playboy is a pleasure, and looking back at women like Carol are the reasons why. While what we find attractive has truly changed, with models' bodies and posing styles evolving constantly, one thing is certain: beauty sells. In that vein, Carol produced, and brought home some seriously sexy shots while just being herself. It's a mentality that many a model nowadays can learn from - keeping it simple can speak volumes.

PBC Hall of Fame - Jennifer Liano (1970)

Although perhaps not as famed as some of her 1960's Hall of Fame predecessors, the first entry to appear in the 70's was 22-year old Jennifer Liano from California. With all of the glamor and glitz of Playmate styles of the day, Jennifer was an oddball of the pack, a free spirit with a maturity and talent that made her one of the finest girl-next-door's in Playmate history.

Look back at Jennifer's oddly extensive Cyber Club pictorial, and you'll note one main thing - this woman looks like she belongs in the 90's. Jenn's look is way ahead of her time, with a darkness that overlays milky white skin that immediately draws you to her features. Her spectacular face isn't something you see every day - heck, we haven't seen anyone quite like her in all the decades  of Playboy's history.

Of course, some photos of her pictorial were immediately iconic. When Jennifer sported her pigtails and batted those long lashes around some of the most beautiful eyes a woman could have, it's almost ethereal. Even today, it's almost an experience in itself just looking back through this woman's work, which she did so effortlessly. Every move isn't too calculated, just natural. There's no hint of nerve anywhere, just a pure sense for the camera, giving Miss Liano one of the great pictorials of all-time.

• Face: A+
  There aren't really enough words to really describe just how fascinating Jennifer's face is. Her features are almost otherworldly in their balance and beauty, and it all starts with her amazing eyes. While the era was a great time for beautiful faces (we've gotten farther away from that tenet), Jennifer was above all of them in many ways. She had a dark, independent look that was emotional and almost lonely in several aspects. It was a face that drew you in and didn't let go.
• Body: A+
  Although the obvious issue of exposure is always there with past Playmates, you can't avoid it with this girl - Jennifer has a fantastic body. Even though all you see is her toplessness, the balance and curvature of her figure is way ahead of its time. Although it isn't strong and hard like bodies of today, the suppleness contributes to this model's sheer innocence.
• Talent: A
  As I said before, the overall darkness and almost gothic natural look of Jennifer was really what created her awesome persona. All of this wouldn't be possible without her strong penchant for the camera, knowing how to get just the right shots. While she benefited from stellar photography, Jennifer never got in her own way, which is more than can be said for several of today's ladies.
• Pictorial: A+
  Jennifer's pictorial boldly sits at the top of most of the finest work of the 1970's. Miss Liano took all of her physical gifts and ran with it, producing a varied and colorful set that oozed personality and set a low-key but intriguing tone throughout. It's on par with even some of the finest pictorials of our day. Although that comparison isn't always fair, this one can hold her own.
• Centerfold: A
  They just don't make centerfolds like they used to, and Jennifer's is a borderline classic. Those deep, sensuous eyes take hold. A tight pink pair of pants cling closely to her sleek waistline, hinting at much more underneath. It's just a fantastic shot.
• Overall: A+
  With Jennifer, we had a model who could truly do no wrong. Even among my hall of famers, that's not a sure thing, with missteps here and there. But with Jennifer, what we saw is what we got, with consistent posing coupled with physically one of the finest models in 1970's Playboy magazine. Indeed, they found an unbelievable talent in this one, and it all comes down to her near-perfect face and amazing persona. There has never been another Jennifer Liano.

PBC Hall of Fame - Cynthia Myers (1968)

1968's Cynthia Myers was another Playmate who didn't just reflect the trend of the times, but set the trend of the times. She was and is still an instant classic, and with her passing last year, it seems even more prudent that I write this post as an homage, as well as a tribute to one of the most popular Playmates ever.

Cynthia was more than a woman - the 18 year old model was Miss December in a year where she followed a strong performance by November's Paige Young. Connie Kreski eventually won the '69 PMOY title, but no woman would leave her mark on the Playboy world quite as much as Cynthia did, becoming one of the most recognizable girls from the 1960's.

Although Cynthia's pictorial set is meager by today's standards, you have to get a good feel for Cynthia to really appreciate what she brought to the table. She wasn't particularly edgier compared to other ladies of her time. It's really the pure beauty of Miss Myers that stunned her fans back then - large, glowing eyes combined with a voluptuous frame and spectacular, massive breasts that really anchored her persona. She was always understated in her presence, but physically, she was over-the-top in ways that still defy imagination today.

• Face: A+
  Undoubtedly still one of the most recognizable faces in Playboy's history. With all of the cookie cutter Playmates that littered the scene in the mid 2000's, it's nice to look back on a true original that is Cynthia. Those eyes have still never been matched.
• Body: A+
  Even by today's standards (or perhaps especially by our standards), Cynthia's body is bombastic and over-the-top in many ways. She was perfectly tapered, with a great structure, but it always comes down to her breasts. Cynthia's huge, natural boobs are a relic of the past, sadly. Making overly large breasts look so good is a delicate balancing act, and no one did it quite like Cynthia.
• Talent: A
  Although it's difficult to gauge her talents from her pictorial offering, it's still apparent that Cynthia is always comfortable in her own skin. Understated albeit her outstanding body, Cynthia's game is to keep it simple.
• Pictorial: A-
  Great, original photos, with perhaps not the quantity that we're used to now. Cynthia's movie star looks and intimate zeal always shine through.
• Centerfold: A+
  With a meager pictorial, it all came down to this. Cynthia's centerfold photo is arguably the greatest centerfold of all time. Just this photo could vault her into my hall of fame alone. With an exceptional overhead shot showing off every 'showable' curve on her interesting body, and a wonderful look at those glamorous and deep eyes, this centerfold is the textbook for how all centerfolds should be done. Big, bold, and sensual.
• Overall: A+
  It's really obvious to have Cynthia in any 'top Playmates' list, and it's not just as a nod to nostalgia. The youthful Miss Myers, the first Playmate to be born in the 1950's, stunned the Playboy world and launched a career that would make her one of the most exposed women of he era. She was as big a superstar as a Playmate could get. Even when we look back now, we're dumbfounded by her gorgeous eyes or her amazingly balanced body. Even with the vast physical gifts, she remains a grounded, subtle young lady in all of her photos. And now, she will be missed. To Cynthia!

PBC Hall of Fame - Angela Dorian (1967)

As my fans know, all Playboy models who garner an A+ rating from me are on the right-hand side of this blog, featured in my Hall of Fame. To honor these ladies in retrospect, I'm doing a review of each one, using my usual 5-category letter rating system. Enjoy!

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In the early second decade of the Playmate era, back when women took on a whole different look from the girls we see today, the times truly reflected the display of the female body in art and print. The early 1960's featured Playmates who were shorter, with girls of 5' 5" and shorter being the norm, with a less balanced body type than we saw throughout the 80's to the present. Women had a thicker upper body, with generally larger breasts and smaller hips.

One girl that truly rocked the blueprint for the 1960's archetype was Miss September 1967 and 1968 Playmate of the Year, Angela Dorian. Angela was a true shoo-in for being the year's overall winner, facing minimal competition from the likes of Lynn Winchell and Kim Farber. It was not a particularly strong era in Playboy history, with a sea of very pretty faces masking the fact that there wasn't very much talent to go around.

Angela broke the mold, in every sense of the word. First, figure that Angela's body was immaculate and unheard of at the time. Her bombastic proportions were truly unseen (36"-21"-35", a 0.6 waist-hip-ratio), especially among the body types of the time. Heck, a 0.6 ratio would put a fight into most of the ladies nowadays, with far wider hips and narrower waists in general.

It's hard to isolate Angela's sheer quality by just looking at her unusually toned and slim body - her overall look is mesmerizing. Angela's face is angular in all the right ways, being perfectly symmetrical and having a level of mystery that was lacking at the time. Her overall look and talent was undeniable, as she put on one of the best shows of the time.

• Face: A+
  Angela's face was one of the most attractive of the entire 1960's, and that's saying something. The era was one of the best times for spectacular mugs, with Angela's uniqueness shining through. Her eyes are wonderfully interesting, with a perfectly shaped face and gorgeous, flowing hair.
• Body: A
  Angela's body was unusually tight for the time - the typical 1960's body lacking a decent butt and such a shapely set of breasts. Angela brought a nuanced, curvaceous body with slim contours reminiscent of girls in the 70's and later. Her body was ahead of its time, which truly set her apart.
• Talent: A+
  Angela's style is that of subtle talent. While never being a bombastic, over the top Playmate in following suit of the girls of her time, Angela also brought a level of sophistication and sensibility in her posing, taking control of every photo. She looks otherworldly in some of them, becoming an instant star.
• Pictorial: A
  Miss Dorian's superb pictorial truly set her apart from other ladies in 1967, en route to her PMOY win. The pictorial had great variety in posing and costuming, and while it lacked the true punch of Playmates of the current day, it was far beyond the passivity of the old days.
• Centerfold: A
  Although not the best centerfold of 1967 (that honor goes to Fran Gerard, who had one of the greatest pics in history), Angela's would have otherwise shone through all the way. The outstanding shot of her laying in a hammock was exemplary of the high-quality centerfolds of the time. The dark lighting and great silhouette are mind-blowing.
• Overall: A+
  Angela did not redefine the Playmate of the 1960's - she came in at the tail end and truly broke the monotony. She was ahead of her time by years, and perhaps a full decade. Angela's strengths lie in all aspects of her as a model, from her body to her posing style, which was never aggressive, but always just right for her persona. Her innate beauty was unmatched, and along with Cynthia Myers the next year, she carried the torch for outstanding 60's Playmates. Even today, Angela's pictorial is a breath of fresh air, choosing to go for art and style rather than outright, brash nudity.

The One To Beat

I haven't posted in a little while, and Playboy's been mostly quiet on new releases... for the most part. While we've seen a new entry in terms of Playmates (that's a little inconsequential), I want to comment on a girl that I'm seeing as a turning point for another big contest for 2010: Cyber Girl of the Year.

If any of you follow the Playboy world, you obviously know that it's Bethanie Badertscher, Cyber Girl of the Month for June 2010. Just to put

it out there, this young lady is easily the best Cyber Girl we've seen since Jamie Graham of last year, and possibly the greatest talent in the CG world since Jo Garcia (who made some serious waves two years ago). Bethanie is a force to be reckoned with, for a whole series of reasons.

First and foremost, she is possibly the most surprisingly multi-faceted talent we've seen in a long time. Beth knows how to hit some tight, professional poses with relative ease. She knows exactly what looks good and how to play to the camera. There are countless photos of hers where she looks good, but what's amazing is that her girl-next-door personality and wholesome looks don't detract from the fact that she's wildly sexual. She hits some poses that make your jaw drop and wonder where all the "badness" came from. She can get as down and dirty as possible, and does it with extreme ease.

Of course, it doesn't hurt to have a body like hers. Bethanie is spun

ky and slim, which makes her a real pleasure to look at. The way she contorts that sinewy body to hit some really adult moves is beyond comprehension, but even when she's passively standing by, she glows like an absolute angel. Even with a whole lot of material in her CGOM shoot, she hits consistently amazing poses, like this one, which aren't overstated, but use her physical ability and subtle touch to deliver a breathtaking scene. Even her smile takes center stage throughout her videos, with a cute, young look that is stunning.

I could go on and on through Beth's material, showing just how consistent her posing prowess can be, but really it's even more than that. Miss Badertscher has some real star quality that sets her apart from everyone so far in 2010, and beyond. This is the sort of girl that we may only see once in a lifetime, and she should certainly be in the top spot for CGOY.

• Face: A+ Bethanie's glowing, cute smile comes across especially well in her video close-ups. It really completes her wholesome, girl-next-door persona, while still allowing her to go the distance with a sexy stare.
• Body: A Beth is slim and petite, but more than that, she can move herself in ways that accentuate her best features. Although she doesn't have the most pronounced butt, the overall trimness of her frame makes her absolutely gorgeous in front of the camera, and complements her persona quite well.
• Talent: A+ After a more traditional retro-style CGOW performance, few could see just how much firepower Beth had in her tank. She brought it in her month's pictorials, with flawless posing knowledge and body control. She's easily the most talented CG in years, with an intensity that rivals even the best Playmates.
• Material: A+ It's what makes the model, and Bethanie has plenty to offer. Her pictorials are varied, dramatic, and always develop into something more. She never sits idly and always has movement, and each picture and video is different from the next.
• Overall: A+ As if I haven't given enough reasons why Bethanie is in my hall of fame, I could still paraphrase it all. Beth is easily the greatest Cyber Girl since Jo Garcia won it all in 2007. She has immeasurable talent in posing, and seems like she was born to be naked. It's not even just a cliche - Bethanie just looks unbelievably natural in the nude, baring it all and then crooning for the camera with absolute ease. The lighting and production value carry her far, as they are as minimalist as possible when shooting such a naturally beautiful girl. Still, the bottom line is that Beth's firecracker sensuality is a shocker, especially coming from such a seemingly innocent young girl. It really all comes together in a tantalizing feast for the senses.

Welcome to the A+ club, Bethanie!

One For The Ages

We've seen great Playmates come and go in the past. Through the late 1990's through the early 2000's, we had some of the greatest girls ever to appear in Playboy appear, and they did a magnificent job. Year after year, girls like Shannon Stewart and Karen McDougal graced the pages, and these were girls in a class all by themselves. They were the embodiment of perfection in the art of nude photography, and in recent years, Playboy has lost this ability to produce consistently classic models.

Especially in the past 2-3 years, the American version of Playboy has been seriously lacking in impact models. Sure, there have been some solid classes, like the 2009 group that was great from top to bottom, but there were still no true stars that would endure the test of time... until this month.

To get straight to the point, Miss April 2010 is Amy Leigh Andrews, who climbed up the Playboy ranks with relative ease, given what she brings to the table. Amy got her humble beginnings as Coed of the Week in August of 2008. Even back then, you could see that this girl had some future star quality, but it's still tough to tell that she could be so good. After a stint as Coed of the Month, she graduated to Playmatehood, where she debuted this month.

Amy Leigh is a great model - there are no two ways about it. She executes every photo to

perfection, using stellar technique and always looking bright and radiant. She has the perfect Springtime look that makes her a great sight to see at this time of year, and her pictorials fit her personality beautifully. Amy always keeps the audience engaged with her active, dynamic posing style, which exudes professionalism like no other girl we've seen in quite some time.

I could go on forever just talking about Amy's posing prowess, but let's take a real look at her pictorial. Amy leads by showing off a few clothed pics, with this one setting the stage for Amy's schtick: she's a down-home, hard-partying college girl. The thing is, though, that her range is extraordinary, and she doesn't just resort to being the bubbly blonde all the time. This majestic photo kicks things off, with her face taking on a totally different look. Indeed, one of the strange things you'll notice about Amy's photos is that her face looks dramatically different in many of them, which is an unusual effect. This photo has a subtle, summery charm that is amazing and very appropriate. After she pulls off the covers, her body is exposed: a voluptuous, natural marvel.

So now, let's get to the coup de grace of it all... her body. Amy Leigh has one of the drop-dead sexiest bodies of any Playmate in quite some time. The next stage of her pictorial concentrates on her small frame and considerable curviness, like in this surprising shot. With her preview pictorial, I didn't notice how rotund and curvy her butt was, but it's definitely worth noting. Her smallish 5'2" frame does wonders to accentuate her twisting, winding figure. But through it all, the main improvement that Amy has made to her physique is her toning. Since her Coed of the Month/Week pictorials, Amy has seemingly slimmed down a large amount. You can see this in her photos, where although she has plenty of body to look at, her waistline is chiseled and spectacular. Her hard, washboard abs seemingly wrap her body in an hourglass form that tantalizingly brings the whole package together.

When Amy gets inside the bedroom, you can tell just how slim she is, albeit her size and curves. Her body is the epitome of perfection in the 21st century, with every little line and detail coming together with that gorgeous face of hers. And speaking of that face, it really comes across beautifully in these photos. She has an effect where she has a set of "smoky" eyes, which are cute and squinty. They are mysterious and attractive, and really put it all together. And when you combine that gorgeous face with those thick, gorgeous thighs, you have quite a sight to see.

The grand finale of Amy's extensive pictorial lies in her amazingly lit bedroom shots. First, she lays flat, exposing her full curvature. Then, she lays flat and flashes that incredible look of hers, but in this perspective, you get a whole different view of the way her thighs mesh with that amazing ass of hers. To finish it all off in dramatic fashion, she gets up and kneels, with a dark, artistic shot of her lower body contrasting with a bright, engaging smile with those pearly whites.

• Facial: A Amy's face is extremely unique, and it's what sets her apart from other models of her type. Her smoky, mysterious eyes are very interesting and engaging, while her face itself always looks new and refreshing in every pictorial.
• Body: A+ Miss Andrews has an impeccable build, with outstanding proportions, and a thinner waistline that comes across amazingly in photographs. Her slim, sleek abs beautifully complement a wonderful set of thighs that feed into a voluptuous, small frame.
• Talent: A+ Amy has an innate knack for the camera, offering a variety of refreshing poses. She is very dynamic in her photos (while not so much in her video sets), striking a vast array of poses in a limited number of photos.
• Pictorial: A Her photos followed a consistent theme, which took a bright, colorful approach given her Miss April status. Still, the pictorial picked up a more mature tone at times, which was fitting, since Amy does not always look her college-aged self, given the goods.
• Centerfold: A- Amy's centerfold is clean-cut and easy on the eyes, with bright colors and tones. It does a good job showing off her body, and allows her to exude a mature confidence.
• Overall: A+ I have gushed on and on in this post about Amy Andrews, and here is how I back it up. Amy is the first model to garner an A+ rating since Jo Garcia did back in 2007, and my 2nd A+ rating ever since starting this blog. On the right side of my blog, you'll notice my all-time A+ ratings, which constitute my "hall of fame." As you can see, no Playmate has received an A+ rating since Raquel Gibson in 2005. Amy is truly the best Playmate we have seen in years. She has outstanding talent and a congenial, accessible look that can draw in audiences with just a glance. Her physical stature is magnificent, with the effort she has put into improving her body being immediately visible. This is, in short, a wildly talented, once in a long time girl who positively shines in every photo.

It's taken quite long since my last A+ model. If you look at my list to the right, the last time we had a year without an A+ PlayboyCritic rating was 1996. Since Jo Garcia in '07, there have been no girls as talented and worthy of the title as Amy is. This year, we truly have a shoo-in for Playmate of the Year who would be unbelievably hard to top, unless we have yet another picture-perfect Playmate that busts on to the scene. Until then, enjoy the beauty that is Amy!

Like a Dream

I would normally wait for a girl's entire pictorial to come in before talking about her pictorials, but let me tell you, Playboy's found a real winner here that I can't wait to get out to you. Jo Garcia was recently named the October 2007 Cyber Girl of the Month, and I anticipated it from the get go. But I never could have understood just how stunning Miss Garcia is when she's given a chance to shine and blossom.

As a CGOM, Jo is magnificent. She's got two pictorials out already, and those are enough to drool over. They're absolutely perfect in a year lacking many good CGOY candidates. Besides Kortnie O'Connor, who I gave rave reviews, there's been little else to get me excited about the nomination of an annual winner. It took them seven more months, but they've found her.

In her first pictorial, titled "Savvy," Jo's body is immediately bronzed and eye-catching. Jo just looks incredible naked, plain and simple. But it's not just her DD natural breasts or sexy long legs that do it... it's mostly her attitude. Jo hits you with a relentless onslaught of sexuality, like in this photo, where her legs part and the sex just oozes. In her videos, Jo is even more amazing, flashing a stare that's tough not to melt over. The looks that she shoots towards the camera with her naughty eyes are the stuff of legends, and shots like this doggy style number are reasons for setting Jo in the upper echelon of Cyber Girls.

Still, I didn't get an impression of Jo's greatness until I looked at her second pictorial, "Daydream." This really does on a number on any fan. It's completely lit with natural light, and Jo is amazingly beautiful in each and every shot. Jo begins with a gorgeous, simple lacy lingerie outfit, with the natural lighting already showing off her luscious skin tone. She temptingly takes each layer off, stretching her body and showing the smoothness with which she flows. Jo's long legs and great height show in this photo, where her 5'7" frame comes in handy. George Georgiou's legendary photography adds to the sensuality of this pictorial, where every shot is brilliant, including this emotional one. All throughout, Jo's body is the fixation of the pictorial, and this laying down shot is magnified by looking between her lovely legs.

If you haven't seen the entire pictorial yet, check out "Daydream." It's one of the most impressive pictorials that Playboy has ever published. In fact, Jo is one of the most flawless women to appear in Playboy for months, maybe even years. I absolutely cannot wait to see what else she pulls out for the rest of this month, almost as much as I couldn't wait to give Jo a rating. She's certainly my choice for Cyber Girl of the Year so far, and unless Misses November and December are revolutionary beauties, Jo looks to be a major frontrunner. Sorry, Kortnie, but Jo just has a natural knack for posing in the nude. Absolutely amazing.

So without further ado... the only perfect score so far!



Consensus... A+ CERTIFIED HOT

Jo Garcia
Cyber Girl of the Month
Pictorials 1 & 2

October 2007