| The following piece was to appear in a Miami | | | | our Dame has either cancelled without telling me, or is |
| magazine (which shall remain nameless) that never got | | | | lost. You can only pose a guy so many different ways |
| beyond its first issue which was to include a story on | | | | on a chopper before it becomes impossible to avoid |
| a Miami chopper builder, a downtown jeweler, and a | | | | posing him for some kind of gay publication-- not that |
| local bikini designer. The parentheticals are my | | | | there is anything wrong with that as Seinfeld and |
| comments after-the-fact.Let me tell you a true story | | | | Castanza have reminded us over countless |
| about a young woman who got up early one morning | | | | reruns.Home is only a short drive away. I decide to go |
| looking for a fish market and ended up on the cover | | | | back and see if I can get hold of our female model via |
| of a magazine.It's six o'clock on a Sunday morning. The | | | | an email. While I'm on the net, I call her cell phone. Still |
| sun still isn't up and I'm waiting below the Watson Island | | | | nothing. I haven't a clue where she is. I drive back |
| bridge between Miami and Miami Beach feeling a little | | | | thinking we can't just have a guy posing in the |
| foolish holding a bejeweled bra in my hand and a little | | | | magazine. We're already skating on politically incorrect |
| uncomfortable watching the homeless emerging from | | | | thin ice as it is what with pin-ups for crisesakes, but |
| the shadows with the stray cats. I'm there to shoot the | | | | having just a guy and not a girl really would paint a |
| cover and pin-up pages (okay, so it wasn't very | | | | different kind of picture of what the magazine is all |
| politically correct-- at least we offered both sexes), | | | | about. So, it's with great relief when I turn onto the dirt |
| alone in the dark with the rats, the cats, homeless | | | | road beneath the bridge that I see Dennie talking to a |
| zombies looking for a smoke, and an over-the-top bra | | | | woman. I can't believe it, but our model finally showed |
| in my hand that would make a jaded Las Vegas | | | | up! I park, jump out and rush over to shake her hand |
| showgirl blush with envy.The bra is made of red acrylic | | | | but the young lady stops me short with "I'm not her." I |
| and covered with Swarovski crystals. It's on loan from | | | | look at Dennie. He's smiling broadly. Seems this woman |
| a downtown jeweler for the photo shoot which, God | | | | was looking for the fish market on Watson Island. She |
| willing, will happen in a few minutes. I'm looking for cops | | | | had gotten up early to score some fresh fish for |
| patrolling the island but there aren't any because it's too | | | | dinner that night. She grew up in Miami but hadn't been |
| damn early!I know my faith in mankind is being tested. | | | | back in ten years. Since she was away, the city |
| The photographer who had agreed to do the shoot, | | | | moved the fish market and the commercial fishing |
| bailed at the eleventh hour. In desperation I turned to | | | | boats. In the short time I was away, Dennie convinced |
| Dennie and DK Cody of Cody Photo who shot our | | | | her to pose for our magazine.She's only wearing |
| first cover. They agree to help me and suggest we | | | | flip-flops, shorts, and a t-shirt-- and no makeup. But we |
| schedule the shoot for 6am under the bridge to catch | | | | don't care. She's adorable, smart, and has a great |
| the early morning light on the downtown skyline. This | | | | self-deprecating sense of humor.And she's brave, the |
| probably had something to do with Dennie's pioneer | | | | kind of personality that says "yes" to new adventures; |
| spirit bloodline (he's a descendent of Buffalo Bill) where | | | | the kind of person that has helped this magazine get |
| no one ever gave a thought about getting up before | | | | published (Little did I know that this courage was not |
| sunrise.I know the Cody's will show, but I'm not so sure | | | | shared by the publisher). She's perfect. Her name? |
| about the others. I've never met them. I've only spoken | | | | Alecia Walker. She's on vacation, visiting her brother in |
| to them over the phone. Knowing that they are trading | | | | Miami. Her home is in Maryland where she works as a |
| their time only for publicity and copies of the magazine | | | | Surgical Technologist.Within moments we have her |
| makes me wonder if they will really show. The longer I | | | | ditching her t-shirt and wearing the "bejeweled bra." |
| stand there alone in the dark, the less I'm sure they | | | | When I see the light bouncing off those Swarovsky |
| will.Dennie and DK are the first faces to appear out of | | | | crystals, I know it was meant to be. If we had shot the |
| the darkness that don't ask me for a cigarette or | | | | pictures with Alecia any earlier, we wouldn't have |
| money. I hear myself paraphrasing the Cowardly Lion, | | | | gotten that startling effect. Call it serendipity-- I can't let |
| "I do believe in people, I do believe in people." Now, if | | | | go of my Cowardly Lion tail long enough to say it was |
| only the rest will show so I can shake loose of my | | | | meant to be. That might be assuming too much. Only |
| Cowardly Lion tail: the owner of Miami Choppers who | | | | time will tell. (I made the mistake of letting go of the tail |
| agreed to bring one of his custom bikes down to the | | | | at the launch party for the magazine that followed this |
| shoot, and the models.Patrick Jones is the first model | | | | shoot a week later).I also can't promise if you say |
| to arrive. All the way from Ft. Lauderdale. He turns out | | | | "yes" to the magazine your life will change for the |
| to be a great guy with lots of enthusiasim for so early | | | | better. I don't know how being on the cover of our |
| in the morning. I suspect he's from pioneer stock too. | | | | magazine and becoming the second ever Downtown |
| Before long, Miguel Suarez and his lovely wife Yami of | | | | Dame will make your life better, but hopefully for this |
| Miami Choppers drive up with the first light of the day | | | | young spirited Ms. Walker, the Cody's, Patrick Jones, |
| and I feel my faith in humanity rising with the new day's | | | | and the Suarezes, something good will come out of |
| sun.Since the pin-up pages are single, full-pages | | | | saying "yes" to us (or at least to me).D.C. Copeland is |
| devoted to a "Downtown Dude" and "Dame," we start | | | | a writer and award-winning artist. When visiting |
| shooting Patrick on the bike immediately to catch the | | | | Copeland's personal website and blog you will discover |
| kind of light only insomniacs, milkmen, intrepid fishermen, | | | | that Wayne Cochran is the Patron Saint and that |
| farmers, buffalo hunters, and people living in Ft. | | | | many people consider it to be "The Rodney |
| Lauderdale who have to get up early for the commute | | | | Dangerfield of Blogs. |
| into Miami will see. An hour later I'm beginning to think | | | | |