#17 - Lisa Dergan

Lisa Dergan was Miss July 1998, in a competitive period of Playmate elite, when several fresh faces came out to make a name for themselves. Lisa was no exception. Indeed, in a class complete with Heather Kozar (PMOY), Julia Schultz, Marliece Andrada, Deanna Brooks, Angela Little, Vanessa Gleason, Laura Cover, Tiffany Taylor, and the Dahm triplets (whew! is that all for one year?), Lisa found a way to stand out in her own, unique way. In fact, not only was she unique for '98, she was one of the greatest ever.

Lisa's name could have been lost in the annals of Playboy. She was as revolutionary and sexy as any other, but her name didn't carry the late 90's the way that a McDougal or Kozar did. Although her fame didn't permeate, her looks sure did. Lisa was known among Playboy enthusiasts as a mature, intelligent looking girl, albeit only 28. She crashed the scene with so many younger stars, only to emerge as a gorgeous blonde bombshell with posing power like you wouldn't believe. And the best thing about Lisa? She wasn't just your prototypical "Hefmate," but a new type of blonde that shook Playboy at its core.

Take a look at Lisa at the golf course, where she's wild and crazy with all the right looks. Lisa's biggest strength is that she was such a dynamic poser, picking up this picture right after, and transforming her look with just one move. It's the sauna pictorial, however, that gets Miss Dergan the 5 stars she needs to be one of the greatest. Take a look at this photo, or this one, with all the perfect lighting and contouring to deliver the ultimate sexy look. Lisa's photos are timeless because of their setting and production value, which can rarely go out of style. This serene scene captured Lisa's intimacy and serenity, as well as her mature charm. The classic Pic 13 takes us back to the golf course, where Lisa's tight butt is eye-catching and her stare is sharp and tantalizing. Look closer at Lisa's eyes for a second... they're completely unique, like nothing you've ever seen. They penetrate and deliver charm at the same time. When Lisa gets completely nude and lets it all hang out, she's composed and curiously strong, unlike many younger women who can seem overly vulnerable, even as Playboy models.

An aside has to be granted to the middle section of Lisa's pictorial, which cemented her as one of the all-time greats. Pic 30 is one of the finest shots of a woman's ass that has ever been taken. Just the posture and the stare meshing together... brilliant! But it's Lisa's venture in the sauna that made her famous. This one gets it primed, with Lisa releasing a sexual longing in a steamy, moist shell. The poses she strikes by stretching her amazing bronzed body are unbelievable, and as she flashes a quick stare, she screams femininity and power all at the same time.

As if I can't get any more enthusiastic, make sure you see this photo, which is a triumph of Playboy photography history. No other woman but Lisa Dergan could have pulled off this shot. It's just perfect timing, and with those long lets and those cat-like eyes, it was captured. It leads into this other unique and intimate shot, followed by a wet, dripping closer that's almost too hot for words. In Lisa's pictorial closing, she has a notable side profile shot, an excellent photo in a lacy bustier (for those lingerie fans out there... sorry, Lisa likes to be completely nude most of the time) and there's that awesome "come hither" look to close things off... in the sauna, no less.

I could go on and on about Lisa, but the point is this: Lisa took the game to a whole new level by revolutionizing the art of intimate sexuality in pictorials. She didn't need props, clothes, or gimmicks. She's one of the best and most underrated Playmates of all-time, and a personal pick for me. I'm inviting you to see and understand the gold mine that Playboy produced in years past, and I'm doing exactly what this countdown was meant to do: to expose true Playboy stars and golden girls, even the ones without the spotlight names. Lisa is #17 on my list. Only 17! That means that there's plenty more to come and more to discover, and rest assured that there are plenty of twists and turns along the way.

Rising Star in the Spotlight

So as Playboy was doing their usual thorough search over the country to find the latest and greatest, they presented us with Trina. This beauty from the San Mateo casting call amazed me with this photo, and I didn't hesitate to give my feedback on this find.

Well, sure enough, Playboy worked their magic on a potential superstar, and Trina Marie is Cyber Girl of the Week! I won't even go so far as to rate her pictorial right now, because I think she's a shoe-in for CGOM right away, especially after seeing Kristy Joe close off the month. April Ireland of week 2 might be of some competition, but I don't think she even compares to Trina.

Why else would I rave so much about a CGOW so soon? Playboy has been hitting on all cylinders with their weekly girls lately. Trina's pictorial takes on the flash and sexiness of a monthly pictorial, especially with that wild outfit. As she gets naughty, you see that she's got the Playboy treatment since her casting call, with highlights in her hair and a smoothed out skin tone. She looks like a superstarlet, and she's definitely Playmate of the Month material. You can see Trina's curves come out in this photo, where her cute face and huge DD-sized natural breasts take center stage. It was just immediately obvious to me how much talent Trina has for posing and teasing the camera. She can lift her shirt and flash those gorgeous eyes, and then lean back, narrow those eyes and give the sexiest stare around. The pictorial ramps up for an incredible climax when Trina gets into a doggy-style position, with her great butt in focus. She then lays down, spreads those golden thighs, and oozes all the sex out of her body for one last hurrah.

There's no question that Trina is eye-poppingly sexy. She has an ability to pose like a professional, and I'm incredibly enticed to see what else she's got in store. Not having her as CGOM would be a horrible travesty... I'm counting on you, Playboy!

#18 - The Bernaola Twins

Carol and Darlene Bernaola were the surprise twin "millennium Playmates," who ushered in the 2000's with sparkle and wonder. The late 90's into the early 2000's were a memorable time for Playboy fans everywhere. Carol and Darlene ushered in a class of 2000 littered with famous names like Suzanne Stokes, Nicole Lenz, Brande Roderick, Brooke Berry, Shannon Stewart, Neferteri Shepherd, Nichole Van Croft, and Buffy Tyler... all in the same year! It was definitely the start of a new golden age for Playboy, and the start of it all was nothing short of amazing.

Playboy offered to kick off the millennium with twins. The Peruvian beauties rivaled anything Playboy had done before with a twin-girl monthly ticket. Carol and Darlene are sensual and fantastic. What really makes twins great, though, is awesome chemistry. A great sense of interactivity between the two girls can make a world of difference, especially when you see that the girls are having fun and taking their posing to another level by helping each other. And that's definitely what makes the Bernaola twins perhaps the greatest duo in Playboy's history. They work together so well, and can even be comfortably sexual with each other, giving the pictorials a kinky, otherworldly feel that is just plain naughty. Not to mention that these girls have bodies that are nearly perfect, and two of them just makes it gratuitously outrageous.

You start off with the pictorial knowing what the motif is for these twin models... sparkle, pomp, and glitter. These ladies are in-your-face from the get-go, starting with clear mesh tops strewn on their bronzed bodies. Carol and Darlene intertwine their bodies throughout the pictorial, giving a sense of closeness and sexuality that you just can't have with a single girl. As the girls begin to get wild, dancing and partying, their pictorial becomes grandiose and becomes a major production. But it's not there where these girls really get their kicks. When they calm down and turn down the lights, like in Pic 10, they really start to shimmer. The twins are sexy and sultry all the time, with their nothing outfits showing their substantial features. Talk about identical twins! These ladies are buff and lean, and both are identically flawless. Pic 11 shows off their brilliant chemistry in a delectably close shot, where the sisters share some quality time, touching and feeling. And their South American heritage mitigates any sense that their intimacy is awkward. It simply can't happen when you have such exotic girls being so comfortable with each other. This photo is a fantastic rear shot, showing off the girls' Latina behinds with just a bit of vagina showing through their mesh dresses. It's outrageously sexy, and the fact that there are two of them makes it all the more fantastical. Another curvy side shot is Pic 21, a great symmetrical montage of these superb figures. Their ability to balance out any shot and work together prevent them from ever having a bad one. The playfulness is what sets them apart, always smiling and having a good time, and having the advantage all the while of being able to expose the front of one and the back of the other, giving almost a 360-degree view of one beautiful model. The interactivity and closeness of the twins is seen in photos like this one, where the nude undertone is fantastically juxtaposed with sisterly love. It gets even closer here, and it almost makes you want to drop your jaw and marvel at their compatibility, and embrace their in-your-face sexuality as well.

After all of that, go take a look at one of the finest centerfolds Playboy has ever made. Again, we have the all-around view of these ladies, as we see a perfect embrace and a picturesque pair of women that took the bar and raised it more than just a few notches.

Carol and Darlene were nothing short of amazing in their photos. They were a pair of bubbly sweethearts from Peru who took interactive sexuality to a whole new level. On top of all that, their personalities showed in their photos almost as well as their bodies dazzled their audiences. There's no question why they share the #18 spot as some of the greatest Playmates of all-time, as their impact in the Playmate world can still be felt today, from lesbian pictorials to any girl-on-girl affair.

#19 - Raquel Gibson

Raquel Gibson was Miss November 2005, a girl who stuck out among a great group of girls in the early millennium, in the great turn-around of the post-Playmate "golden era" of the late 90's. Raquel was a Filipino-Italian wonder with a unique Floridian look and a penchant for incredible posing. As our first Playmate of the countdown in the new millennium, Raquel was a shining star when she came out. Her knockout body is beyond words, and is something only an interesting mix of ethnic qualities can provide. She makes it on the list by breaking in with an exceptional look.

Raquel stormed in to the class of 2005 against contenders like Destiny Davis, Jamie Westenhiser, and PMOY Kara Monaco. But it's Raquel who should have been Playmate of the Year in this tightly-contested race. Her bodily proportions are extraordinary (34C-24- and an amazing 35" hips!), and her sexuality and out-of-this-world look made our jaws drop. So what was it about this angel that makes her one of the best ever?

It's easy to see if you start from behind. Those 35" hips show in this photo, and many thereafter, as Raquel's butt is beyond words. But it's very true, Raquel was just dead sexy. In pic 11, a magazine spread shows off her admirable height (5' 4") and the thick thighs and vouptuousness that comes with it. Just take a look at Raquel's face, body, and total package. Her eyes intimate an Asian flair, and her tanned body is creamy and as smooth as butter. Let's just say that she's absolutely stacked. Her curves are phenomenal. This shot is an interestingly artistic shot which is unusual in a Playmate portfolio, but is pleasantly sexy, as it shows off the perfect flow from the small of Raquel's back into her amazing buttocks. The artistry continues in pic 18, where an overhead shot shows the profile of Miss Gibson's great breasts. Raquel's pictorial is very appropriately themed, as her wet, exotic nature meshes well with her unusual appearance. Once you finish browsing her tantalizing pictorial, check out her centerfold. It's simple, hot, and the look on Raquel's face, as well as those pouty lips, is priceless.

And if you still can't get enough of Raquel, I'd recommend her preview pictorial. It has a bust shot that's beyond compare, a profile shot that's one of Raquel's very best, and pictures like this one, that make it obvious why Raquel is one of the most amazing Playmates in history. Be sure to see it, because it puts a clean, plain setting for Raquel to play around with, and she does a fantastic job.

It's very tough to argue why Raquel shouldn't be even higher on this list, but trust me there're plenty more girls to see! But it's true that Raquel is one of the best Playmates we've seen in years. She's a more recent girl, but she was so surprising that she belongs in the annals of Playboy history. And since she's been ranked higher than girls like Westcott, Sorenson, and Bonner, we're already giving Raquel the respect that's due. She's cracked the top 20 for a reason, and that's because she's simply perfect.

#20 - Julie McCullough

Julie McCullough was Miss February 1986, in an era where she turned the Playboy world upside-down. The late 80's marked a total shift in thinking from the Playmate style that permeated the 80's... big hair, tight clothes, sweat, and makeup. But it took girls like Julie to change things to a more modernized, natural feel, taking away the element of the "processed" girl and putting in a new type of lady. Before Julie, the 80's were in full swing, but she marked a change, after which names like Lynn Austin, Ava Fabian, Sandy Greenberg, and the oh-so-unique Kata Karkkainen took over and made the art of being a Playmate into a refined practice.

But it was Julie who started it all. One of the most important Playmates of all-time, she was graceful and gorgeous, smooth and delectable all at once. Her long body and Hawaiian-born charm made for an incredible Playmate. With a petite 115 lb. frame and 36-24-35 proportions, Julie was a blonde bombshell with plenty of spunk to light up a pictorial, and boy did she ever. It's tough to explain Julie's immeasurable appeal without looking at her photos. Her face is unlike any other. She doesn't resemble the typical blond cookie-cutter Playmate of Playboy lore. She's something unique, and was a treasure in the annals of Playboy. So let's take a look.

Julie's pictorial begins with photos like Pic 02, which is a candid look at a sense of sexuality that didn't yet emerge until the late 80's. But Julie's real essence isn't felt until midway through the pictorial, where she gets into her "map" photos. This photo is a playful McCullough classic, where her crotch is easily visible, and a careless mood in a lacy little nothing is carried very well by such a beautiful girl. The blowing of her hair in the wind and the outdoor atmosphere adds to it, as well. Julie can look like a mean, lean starlet when she wants to, like in Pic 18. This photo is an edgier side of Julie, and she can mix it up with a sexy, girl next door look with those exotic eyes. The thing that made Julie awesome was her wistfulness, and ability to convey emotion through her photos. She was satisfied and confident at all times. But one pictorial theme clearly sticks out: the at-home lingerie posing. This photo kicks it off, and immediately you can see why Julie was one of the best. She oozed sex in these pictures, as she turned her shirt, exposed her firm breasts, and posed with amazing posture. Julie's fitness and proportions show off in this photo. Julie finally surrenders, laying in a feminine, alluring pose.

What Julie brought to the 80's was passion and heart. She took posing as a Playmate to a whole new level, and that's why she's my #20 greatest Playmate of all-time. A true legend in her own right, this Hawaiian-born natural beauty leaped into the hearts of readers and fans all around. She's also the only the start, as we're only a fifth of the way through our countdown. Can more classics be on the way? Or will we see Playmates of the golden era of the late 1990's dominate?