Cyberstars

Spring is a wonderful season, and historically has been a great time for Playboy's best to shine. It's the time when some of the best Playmates of the Month in history have been featured, and it is, of course, the great time of year when Playmate of the Year and Cyber Girl of the Year selections are made.

This year, though, with all the great recent influx of talent pouring into Playboy, it's no wonder that Playmates simply can't bear all the best all the time. There are simply too many beautiful girls who are interested in posing for the magazine. But now, we see that effect finally impacting the quality of Cyber Girls, with a Cyber Girl of the Year with tons of true potential: Jo Garcia.

Yes, it's official, Jo Garcia is Cyber Girl of the Year 2008. I've raved before and went on and on about how Jo is one of the greatest talents Playboy has seen in the past decade, and I'll stand by that. Her CGOY pictorial made its debut today, and it surely is the start of a fantastic year of naked heaven.

In her inaugural set of photos, Jo is, as always, sultry and dynamic. She never just takes the passive "stand and pose" routine, but always has something to say with her photos. She's always saucy, always aggressive. Jo hasn't gone unnatural on us by changing her breast size (something that upgraded Playboy winners are certainly prone to do), but instead just grew some pubic hair, which isn't a bad idea, giving her a more natural look. Her first pictorial shows her with a cute fishnet top, showering beachside. I didn't think the pictorial played to her strengths so well, but she does look very radiant and piercing as she did in all her pictorials earlier. After her shower, she climbs among the rocks, then takes a sexy stroll on the beach. This outstanding panorama shot is an almost glowing portrayal of her engaging skin tone and her sexy height. The end of the pictorial is somewhat of an ode to 2003's amazing CGOY, Merritt Cabal, because of the dimly lit beach theme.

All in all, a promising start for Jo. It didn't play to her strengths as well as I would have hoped, but we've still got 11 more pictorials to set our sights on. Jo is bound to be perhaps the most creative Cyber Girl ever. One of the biggest challenges to producing a full 12-month pictorial set is variety and keeping things interesting, something that the first two trials, Monica Leigh and Breann McGregor, weren't able to do very well. Jo, however, arguably has far more posing talent than those two ladies, so things are looking up for the new CGOY!



Consensus... B

Jo Garcia
Cyber Girl of the Year 2008

Pictorial #1




While the reign of a current CGOY is just beginning, a successful bid for the position of CGOY 2009 has just ended with every single expectation met. Trina Marie just finished her last week as March's Cyber Girl of the Month, and exited with a huge bang.

If you still haven't seen Trina's week four videos, watch them before you read on. Otherwise, you wouldn't be able to understand my praise for this young hottie. Trina, from day one, gave me a fantastic impression that she was going to be a star. Back in November 2007, her Cyber Girl of the Week pictorial came out, and I raved about it in my "Rising Star in the Spotlight" article, talking about how much potential she's got, and that she gave us perhaps the greatest CGOW pictorial ever.

Well, compare that and her audition footage to her current pictorials, and you can see a noticeable change. Throughout all the weeks, Trina has done an incredible job of showing just how hot she can get. How about a week-by-week recap:

Week 1: Trina started off a bit cold here, but still looked beautiful and radiant with her lovely eyes and hair. Trina has one heck of a cute face, and her natural posing ability shone. Still, not a great strip tease and a pretty unoriginal set of photos.

Week 2: After being apprehensive with the first week, I was afraid that Trina's talent wouldn't pan out. I had nothing to worry about, come week 2. The pictorial is all over the map, and her poses are so varied that she wows with every single move. Laying flat and flashing that HOT smile; I haven't seen someone so naturally talented and effortlessly sexy in a while. The pictorial then gets wild and playfully kinky, with Trina stripping off that underwear. As she went on, this was a shot that really did it for me, in the video as well. Very simple and natural, but showing off her excellent curviness and very unique face. This laying down shot was also a great one, showing off an air of elegance. That's juxtaposed with this frazzled and wild shot with Trina on her knees, a real hot one. She just looks so versatile from this pictorial, it's amazing.

Week 3: The pictorial in Week 3 didn't really convey the message here, but the video definitely did, so make sure to check that out. Still, Trina's hot highlighted hair and a steamy, effortless shower scene round it all out. Especially in the video, her profile is truly spectacular in the shower for some reason, and she hits all the right poses, so see that to find out just how awesome this pictorial was.

Week 4: A set of videos, so I can't really link to anything, but a definite must see! The first video has Trina climb up on her dresser and carefully strip off a sexy set of pink lingerie that complements her body type flawlessly. Throughout, she poses like an experienced veteran, hitting all the right spots, looking innocently at the camera, and putting on an overall unforgettable performance. In the second video, Trina is also out of this world, writhing in her bed like Jo Garcia in her final CGOM performance. It's sultry and awesome.

We've seen our little Trina grow up before our eyes in these last couple of pictorials, and you can see the progression. Week 1 starts off a bit cold and timid, unsure of what she is to do with herself. Then, week 4's videos show a model who is ultimately very comfortable in the nude, and knows how to use the atmosphere, setting, and costume to achieve a very memorable pictorial. Trina has worked hard enough to become a true early frontrunner for 2009's Cyber Girl of the Year, and even with only three months gone out of the year, she will be extremely tough to beat, barring yet another revolutionary Cyber Girl.


Consensus... A

Trina Marie
March 2008
Cyber Girl of the Month

Weeks 1-4

Playmate Sneak Peek

Since I'm doing this blog, I'm going to be here to help you all get a sneak peek into future Playmates. As I wrote in my post yesterday, Playboy's Playmates are often speculated about, since it definitely is a high and exclusive post to hold, and it is very tough to make it in. Well, the names I dropped yesterday can be substantiated with some sexy evidence...

I've got an optimistic view of 2008 all of a sudden. Sandra Nilsson and Michelle McLaughlin were cute but a little flat before Ida Ljungqvist made a splash with her awesome proportions and unique looks. Regina Deutinger of April also seems to be really promising, so we'll wait and see how great she'll pan out. Things are certainly picking up, though.

Check out this video:



It's a great insight from the "Girls Next Door" show on E! Although I don't keep up with that much, this is a great tidbit on the selection process and some future Playmates of 2008, especially Valerie Mason. Valerie sure looks HOT! Check out her MySpace page for more photos. It looks as if Valerie is locked as a Playmate in the not-too-distant future. As AJ Alexander is confirmed to be Miss May (check out AJ's MySpace here), she'll have to wait at least two months. In addition, the video gives rise to the confirmation that Kayla Collins is a future Playmate, as well. Check out her personal page right here.

Valerie looks like one hell of a Playmate candidate. Boy, is she sizzling. Look over her MySpace pictures, and you'll notice that she's got a very unique, sort of dark look that suits her excellently. Although she made some changes to her eye color and skin hue (as referenced in the video), she will definitely be a gorgeous Playmate with her brunette style (as long as that doesn't change, I'll be a happy camper).

AJ looks beautiful, as well, although some of her photos indicate she's a bit slim and "model-looking." There's nothing wrong with not having as natural a look, but I should wait to pass judgment on AJ before seeing her photos in a matter of weeks. Kayla is a bit of a mystery so far, as there's only a little bit of footage on the video and only a couple photos on her MySpace. We'll keep a close watch on all these ladies.

All in all, it's looking like a great future for the year 2008. If these trends keep up, we're looking at an excellent class... perhaps the best in several years! Valerie, Ida, AJ, and Kayla can make up a strong backbone in the class, and can fuel a serious, competitive race for PMOY. Stay tuned.

Power Performers / Future Playmates

The month we're having is great in terms of Playboy happenings. We've got some excellent monthly features going, including those of Trina Marie and Janine Habeck. We have word that Jo Garcia is going to be our next Cyber Girl of the Year, and on top of that, Regina Deutinger is going to make a fine Miss April 2008.

First off, Trina has done a wonderful job after starting out a little cold with her first pictorial, and I mean excellent! I raved about how fantastic Trina's Cyber Girl of the Week pictorial was back in November of last year, and after seeing her first pictorial, I was a little disappointed with how weak it was. I mean, she was, of course, beautiful as a model, but the pictorial lacks the pizazz of her CGOW masterpiece. In her new one, things are different. It's polished and perfect... she has a sort of bronzed glow to her skin that brings out every element that makes her so special.

I loved Trina's second pictorial the minute I laid my eyes on it. It starts out with this great head shot. I just love it when a head shot makes me excited about a pictorial. It really puts it all together when the girl's face is the focus, not the body as much. The fact is, Trina is fantastically engaging, her smile gorgeous. I would normally wait until a girl's Cyber Girl pictorial month is over, but I can't help but point out how HOT a photo like this one can be. Just look at the way her body tapers. It draws you in with her grace and her moves. A couple more highlights include this great butt shot and a wonderfully cute and intriguing kneeling photo. This wild and crazy kneel is a great example of how innovative Trina is. I'm telling you, we're seeing a star in the making. She puts it all on the line in each of her pictorials, and shows you something brand new with each picture. Have you ever seen a Cyber Girl throw in a spread as elegant and refined as this, right before showing off a facade of sex and lust in a raw pose? Trina Marie is the real deal, and I just can't wait to see two more weeks of material from her. With this pictorial, she's proven to be a major frontrunner for Cyber Girl of the Year 2009, but I'll still wait to pass judgment on her as a "lock" for the position.

Janine Habeck is also back in her Playmate Xtra pictorial after delivering a spectacular video in her second week. Those shower videos never disappoint, no matter the competency of the girl in question. There's something so active and intimate about the shower, and Janine benefited greatly. But how does she do when she's high and dry? Make sure to peruse her new pictorial here, and make sure to check out her fancy, lacy lingerie, that perky nude silhouette, and the wholesome nudity-infused enthusiasm. It's great to pay attention to the end of the pictorial, where Janine really works it and shows why she's a Playmate in the first place -- she looks AMAZING naked. It's as if she's only wholly comfortable once she's fully decked out in her birthday suit and ready to lay around, like in this sexual bedtop stare, or a risque legs-parted shot that shows off her ultra-smooth skin and luscious body dynamics. Janine was a great Playmate, but these pictorials really do her talent some real justice by allowing the audience to become more intimate with the perfection of her body. All the subtleties that make truly great Playmates are inherent in Janine, and that's what makes her so amazing.

Future Playmates
There's always much speculation on who's next in the Playmate world. The next Playmate, of course, is Regina Deutinger, who has an absolutely excellent preview pictorial out right now. She seems to have the whole German look down, but not only that, she does a great job in wearing her makeup and showing off her body with grace. She seems like she holds just enough back to make things interesting, and she looks like she might even continue the trend of strengthening the Class of 2008 after Ida Ljungqvist's great performance. I can't really point out a single photo in this pictorial that I liked more than others... they were just all so hot. Regina does a great job with facial expressions and conveying the mood. Just so natural! I can't wait.

As for Playmates of the more distant future, reports have indicated that Miss May 2008 will be the very beautiful A.J. Alexander. You can check out some of her material on her official website, which shows a vast modeling portfolio containing plenty of previous experience. A.J. is certainly a bit exotic and has something new to offer for Playboy, so I'm excited to see how all that pans out.

Future names include Valerie Mason, Laura Croft, and Kayla Collins (and perhaps Julliette Rose) as future Playmates, either speculated or announced under-the-radar. These have been gathered by numerous sources, but some of them are safe to say that they will be Playmates in 2008, such as Valerie or Kayla. The only question is when. In the meantime, do some of your own research to find some material on these enigmatic new women, and definitely post it in here if you do find some leads on these future Playmates. I'll always be interested to see fan findings.