Sunday, September 1, 2019

Favorite Pic of the Day for September 1st

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~Check out more of today's BIRTHDAYS HERE:~

Labored


Wishing everyone a safe and restful Labor/Labour Day Weekend!

One August Night


Check out more of Richard Rothstein's shots of Joe (above) and Michael (Below) at TherapyNYC's Sketchy Saturday on PAGE 2 HERE:


Tom Verica: Sponge Worthy?


'I went to podiatry school because I like feet!'
Doctor, Seinfeld

C.P.W (1995)

Today, actor Tom Verica is as well known for his work behind the camera as he is his work in front of it.  Shonda Rhimes fans know Verica for his role as Annalise Keating's (Viola Davis) husband Sam on How to Get Away With Murder, but acting his role on  HTGAWM isn't Verica's only job in Shondaland.


In addition to HTGAWM, Verica has also produced and directed other of Shondaland's shows including Scandal, Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice and For The People.  I first fell in love with the talented actor however back in the 90's when he was sporting his sexy goatee in the short lived night time soap Central Park West (C.P.W).  Although I no longer love goatee's, I not only found them incredibly hot when I was younger, I sported my own for a short time in the early 90's when first starting University. 

Seinfeld, The Conversation 

Verica's role on season fives 'The Conversation' wasn't a big one, but he was adorable as doctor, a podiatrist, a profession Elaine struggles to accept is actually a real doctor. Thanks to Jerry, who slips so fungicide in her purse, the relationship doesn't last long when the doctor finds it and quickly ends it.


If you watched any television in the 90's and 2000's, you know, or have seen Verica in a number of roles, including as Grace's finance Danny in the first season of Will & Grace.  Verica also made guest appearances on shows including; Providence, Home Improvement, NYPD Blue, The 4400 and his regular roles on The Naked Truth and American Dreams.




Home Improvement (1992)

Will & Grace (1999)

Providence (1999)

How to Get Away With Murder 

A Re-View: Shane Le by YogaBear Studio


'David was one of the first photographers who contacted me for photoshoots, and he is still one of my favorites.'


One of my favorite pieces from last year featured San Diego based model Shane Le and his work with YogaBear Studio (A Liberating Experience)  Regular FH readers know how much I love exploring the stories behind the shoots, models and artists that I feature.  The most interesting pieces of the story however, aren't just the who, what, and where.  The most fascinating pieces of almost every story are always the why and the how.


I ask models a ton of questions, but the two most important, the two the give the most insight, are why a model chose to pose, and how they felt, both during and after, the experience.   As the title of the first piece indicated, for Shane, shooting with David, especially shooting completely naked on the old train and tracks, brought forth feelings of liberation and increased confidence for Shane.


We tend to assume that models must already be confident to stand naked in front of a camera, exposed both physically and emotionally for all the world to see. Often however, that confidence comes after, from the experience itself.  Given his incredible physique, it's clear Shane is committed to his health and fitness and pushing his body to the limits.  Positive results however, aren't necessarily only seen by what's reflected in the mirror.  Often, they come from seeing the results reflect through the lens of another.


Working with David, and seeing the images they created together, certainly did that for Shane.  So much so, that during their most recent shoot together, they returned to the location of their first shoot back in 2011. Returning to the tunnel, not only provoked discussion on the changing appearance of the location, it also had Shane reflecting on his bodies physical changes over the last eight years.


'What is interesting about this recent photoshoot with David is that we had been to that same location a few years ago. On the way there, we were discussing how much new residential development had happened during the years. Of course the tunnel where we did the shoot had gone through several cycles of graffiti-cleanup, then covered with fresh graffiti. David and I were not intentionally recreating the same photos from years ago, however I did find a few that were shot in very similar angles and poses.' 


'It was very cool for me to have this chance of reviewing my growth (physically and mentally) through the last a few years.'


Since my late profile of David's work, he's moved to a new site, you can check it out, and more of his work with Shane in the gallery section of the new YogaBear Studio site HERE:

Check out David's physique themed studio shots of Shane on PAGE 2 HERE:



Favorite Pic of the Day (2) for September 1st

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Archie, Abs and Anti-Climatic Anticipation


When I was a kid, I always looked forward to the start of the fall TV season.  I loved the promos, the Entertainment Weekly and TV Guide magazine  Fall Previews, and the beginning of new episodes of my favorite shows.  As I got older, and television expanded beyond just the big networks, new shows start all year long and many of my favorite shows make their debut during the summer months.


That doesn't mean I'm still not a sucker for a good promo. (or a great gif featuring KJ Apa's butt crack)  KJ is my kryptonite, and the producers of Riverdale know we are suckers for shirtless shots of KJ and the cast.  The show usually delivers when it comes to showing skin, but although I love some of the characters, I haven't really been invested in Riverdale since season one.


I just actually finished last season about two weeks ago, slowly making my way through the last half of the season on Netflix.  The show is so narrowly focused on the 'fab four' that viewers who preferred the more ensemble focus of season one, only see their favorites in a few quick scenes every few weeks.  I have written before about hoping for change but if anything, it's only gotten worse.


But... this post, in addition to being a great reason to post some shirtless shots, is actually an introduction to the Blast from the Past post below.  When I was putting together the piece on another Archie actor, I couldn't think of a better intro than KJ and the car wash gang.


Blast from the Past: Christopher Rich


'All my life I’ve been called a hopeless romantic
Waiting for my prince to take me away
But when I found you I felt different
Than I’d ever felt before
Suddenly I was taking no chances
By walking through your door'


You take me away to Another World....

I've written on the site before that my fascination with soap hunks started with Another World.  Another World was the soap my mother watched.  Everyday after school, I'd arrive home, yell hello, then make a peanut butter sandwich and run down to the rec room to join my mother who already half way through the days episode of the soap.


When I was really little, I didn't really watch, I colored or worked on homework on the coffee table beside my mother.  Although I didn't watch, I did listen, and before I knew it, I was knew who Mac, Rachel, Ada and the rest of the Cory's and Frames were.  I watched on and off until I was about 10 or 11, when other after school activities took over.


I picked up again a few years later due to Anne Heche, and loved her turn as the twins Marley/Vicky.  By then, it was the late 80's, and was never home to watch after school, so taped the shows on our Beta, (yes, we were one of those family's who started with Beta) and watched late at night or on the weekends.  When Heche left the show, so did I.  I was in high school by then and never saw another episode.  The image below however, had me thinking back to many many afternoons in Bay City.


I was a little young to remember Sandy Cory, but I do remember seeing images of blonde hottie Christopher Rich in magazines.  I was intrigued by his role as a male prostitute on the soap, but back then, getting your hands on older episodes of soaps was impossible.  Today, some faithful viewers have uploaded old taped episodes on Youtube, but in the 80's, it was only through magazines and images that I knew of Rich.


Sandy & Jamie

I few year later I do remember seeing Rich in the sit-com The Charmings, as well as his role of Archie Andrews in the 1990 TV Movie, Archie: To Riverdale and Back Again.  Years later, I enjoyed Rich on Murphy Brown and his most famous role on Reba.

Archie: To Riverdale and Back Again



Whenever I see Rich today, whether it be in a magazine or on TV, I can't help but to flashback to those shirtless pin-ups, and the stories of his role as a prostitute on Another World.  Given it was a soap, and it was the 80's, I'm not sure how far the show went with the story.   Unlike prime time TV, and cable, which continue to push the limits, soaps have actually regressed when it comes to love scenes and male skin.  They most likely went further with the story then, then they'd dare do today.  It was actually more common to see a soap character in briefs on a soap (or even side nudity briefly in the 90's) then, than now.


The role of TV hunk is as we know cyclical.  In Reba, (2001-2007) Rich was playing the 'father' role, and it was Steve Howey who did the bulk of the shirtless scenes.  Although Howey has too moved on the father role on Shameless, his father is much more of a daddy, than your typical dad.



Richard Rothstein: TherapyNYC, August 17th

Joe

TherapyNYC made one of August hottest nights even hotter with Joe and Michael at Sketchy Saturday's.  I always enjoy Richard Rothstein's shots from the weekly event, but Joe and Michael have created some of the most erotically elegant poses.








Michael