Playbill

ASHLEY C. FORD

t: @ismashfizzle

A writer well acquainted with society’s construction of body image, Ford met with I Weigh founder Jameela Jamil for this issue’s Playboy Interview. “Jameela has certainly amplified the conversation about who gets to influence what we view as ‘beautiful’ or ‘normal’ bodies and how they directly benefit from the insecurities they encourage,” says the Brooklyn-based writer. Named one of Forbes magazine’s 30 Under 30 in Media in 2017, she’s currently working on a memoir, Somebody’s Daughter.

ALICIA GARZA

t: @aliciagarza

“Democracy is not a spectator sport. I hope the Symposium motivates readers to get involved,” says the #BlackLivesMatter co-founder and guest editor of the latest Playboy Symposium. The seasoned community organizer recently founded Black Futures Lab and co-founded Supermajority to empower black communities and women in politics respectively. She also serves as the strategy and partnerships director for the National Domestic Workers Alliance and is a frequent contributor to Marie Claire.

NADINE STROSSEN

e: [email protected]

In Words Matter, the New York Law School professor emerita and former ACLU president emphasizes the correlation between speech and progress. Strossen, who penned the 2018 book Hate: Why We Should Resist It With Free Speech, Not Censorship, argues, “The only effective way to encourage political correctness is through more speech. Civil discourse requires respectfully listening to ideas, as well as respectfully responding.”

GEORGE MCCALMAN

i: @mccalmanco

The vignettes bringing to life the voices in The Playboy Symposium are creations of this San Francisco–based artist. “The five figures are all fighters,” says McCalman. “They believe humanity can be better than it is. I tried to capture that essence in my illustrations.” His work can also be found in the San Francisco Chronicle columns Observed and The Usual, and in his debut collection, Illustrated Black History, out in August.

SASHA SAMSONOVA

i: @sashasamsonova

The Ukrainian photographer, known for her portrait work, has lent PLAYBOY her talents several times in the past year, shooting porn star turned whistle-blower Stormy Daniels, as well as makeup mogul Kylie Jenner and her then beau, Travis Scott. For The Empath, Samsonova turned her lens on Alicia Loraina Olivas, our tenacious June Playmate. “Alicia’s confidence and fearlessness just poured out of her,” says Samsonova. “She stood in ice-cold water and was like, ‘I feel great!’ She radiated so much energy—nothing inspires me more.”

MATT LASLO

t: @mattlaslo

What makes Cory Gardner of Colorado a unique figure in national politics? PLAYBOY called on veteran Washington reporter Laslo to find out. In Senator Gardner, Radical Centrist, he discovers that despite sharing a ballot with Republicans, Gardner often holds positions that diverge from his party’s. Of note: his support for cannabis legalization. “I was most surprised to learn Gardner—a champion of his state’s legal cannabis industry—has never even tried weed,” reports Laslo.

LONNIE MILLSAP

i: @lonniemillsap

The Reuben Award–nominated cartoonist and New Yorker contributor has a significant professional relationship with our Speech Issue’s theme. “As a cartoonist, freedom of speech is important because it gives you the ability to expand on any idea that comes to mind without having to answer to anybody,” he says. Millsap’s cartoons can be found in his annual art books, the latest of which is My Nib Is Cold!, and on page 61.

KRISTI BECK

i: @kristiiib

Our senior manager of partner strategy is no stranger to PLAYBOY magazine: Beck has been helping select Playmates for more than a year. “I’m passionate about female self-image and have worked to increase inclusivity in the Playboy brand. It’s exciting to help a meaningful franchise evolve.” For this issue, Beck expanded her role, recruiting I Weigh’s Jameela Jamil, a fellow champion of inclusivity, to serve as guest editor.

KILEY REID

i: @kileyreid

“I was thrilled to make PLAYBOY a home for this short story, since it’s one I’ve spent longer on than any other short piece,” says the Iowa Writers’ Workshop graduate and Truman Capote Fellow of her inaugural PLAYBOY fiction piece, Your First Pet and the Street You Grew Up On. In 2019 the Philadelphia-based writer released her debut novel, Such a Fun Age, landing herself a spot on the New York Times best-sellers list.

RICHIE TALBOY

i: @okrichie

“I was hoping to rewrite history while capturing the iconic hypermasculinity of men’s fragrance campaigns from the 1980s and 1990s,” says the photographer of his shoot for The Future Is Dorian Electra. “Dorian was perfect for that, because they have a natural campiness that’s ideal for creating imagery.” Talboy portrays all his subjects—his clients include the high-fashion brand Prada as well as such high-profile celebrities as Kim Kardashian—with a distinct air of eccentricity.

TINA HORN

t: @tinahornsass

For SFSX: The Dirty Mind Guide 2 Talking Dirty, Horn collaborated with illustrator Alejandra Gutiérrez to bring her comic series to life for PLAYBOY. “Alejandra helped me dial down the serious nature of my sci-fi comics and accentuate the playful fizziness, sight gags and absurd horniness instead.” In addition to working in comics, Horn is a nonfiction writer, Rolling Stone reporter, podcast producer and host (Why Are People Into That?!) and sex-work educator.

OSMAN CAN YEREBAKAN

i: @osmancanyerebakan

New York magazine and Artforum are just two of the publications Yerebakan contributes to in addition to PLAYBOY. For this issue, the writer traveled to Chicago to meet Nick Cave, subject of our artist feature Body & Soul. “Meeting Nick at Facility, where he lives and works, was a unique experience,” says Yerebakan. “It gave me the opportunity to witness his everyday life. It’s those intimate moments that illustrate Cave’s prolific nature as a thinker, maker and human.”