What’s not to love about Kendra Wilkinson? Popular E! reality TV star. Former Playboy Mansion fixture (and ex-Hugh Hefner girlfriend) with the infectious laugh. Self-branded business woman. Fearless Dancing with the Stars wind-breaker. Erstwhile tomboyish grade-schooler who once asked a Ouija Board if she’d ever have big boobs. (The answer: “Y-E-S.”)

Add “loud-and-proud San Diego native” to the love-her list of this ingratiatingly earthy, near-ethereally sexy 26-year-old guy’s gal, and you’ve achieved celebrity nirvana.

“I love San Diego!” says Kendra, who grew up in Clairemont and spent many fun times (and more than a few irresponsible ones) hanging out around Mission Bay and hitting the San Diego County Fair. “There’s no other city like it…and I know, because I’ve been in a lot of different places. It’s like a big small town, with so much to offer. Everybody’s active, everybody’s outside. I always lived on the beach—it’s in my blood. Life couldn’t get any better than living in San Diego.”

While Kendra’s mom, brother and grandmother still reside here, and she visits America’s Finest whenever she can, she’s busy making a home for her own family—husband Hank Baskett, a free-agent professional football player, and their two-year-old son Hank IV—close to the production headquarters of her reality TV show, Kendra, and other business interests in the Los Angeles suburb of Calabasas. And it has become her most important role.

“This is our first home together as a family,” Kendra says. “Before Little Hank was born, my husband played football and never had a long-term contract. So we were bouncing all over the country, living out of our suitcases. It was an adventure—we lived in South Jersey, in Indianapolis—but when the baby came, it wasn’t so fun anymore.”

When it came time to resettle in Los Angeles last year, the clan looked at many spectacular homes, but none appealed to Kendra’s nesting instincts more than their present digs on a cozy cul-de-sac in a secured community (one she feels best approximates the qualities of San Diego).

“It’s comfortable and balanced for all of us,” she says of her five-bedroom mansionette, with its large, grassy backyard, luxe pool and spa, and plethora of flowering shrubs. “It’s very kid-friendly, yet it’s also adult-friendly. Little Hank has his playroom, and we have ours.”

Kendra and hubby call the latter, formerly an upstairs guest suite, their “man cave.” “It’s our sex room,” she explains matter-of-factly. “It has fuzzy walls and Hank’s football helmets everywhere, plus a big-ass screen TV. There’s a place for my stripper pole. Hank and I love to keep things fun; we love games. And we put a lock on the door.”

Not that the adjacent master bedroom, sporting romantic touches like genuine African wedding baskets on the walls, doesn’t see its share of action.

“We give each other massages,” Kendra says. “We use oil and it leads to other stuff, so having a massage table in the bedroom is very important. After two years of marriage, you’re not going to just be like, ‘Oh, I love you, baby—let’s light some candles.’ We love candles, but we also like to play with lingerie.”

Valentine’s Day is extra-special for the pair: each year, the Wilkinson-Basketts go to the Big Island of Hawaii to relax and watch whales leaping from the sea. “It’s the most romantic thing ever,” she says.

Fun and romance are spousal essentials. But Kendra also acknowledges that marriage and motherhood have shifted her priorities.

“I had lived to the fullest since my early teens,” she says, referring partly to her old, often drug-fueled partying days (chronicled explicitly in her recent best-selling memoir Sliding into Home). “Then I had a crazy, fun time at the Playboy Mansion. At twenty-four, I was ready to get married and have a kid—I didn’t see the point of going and partying for nothing anymore.”

Marrying Baskett in June 2009, and giving birth to their son six months later, was “the piece that was missing to my life,” Kendra says. “Now it’s time for me to provide for Little Hank. And I will do whatever it takes to make sure his road in life is paved 100 percent right.”

While Kendra awaits word from E! on a possible fifth season of her show (a ratings blockbuster when it debuted three years ago), she’s anything but idle.

She’s overseeing interior decorating at her home and blogging constantly on her website, kendrawilkinson.com. And she has just developed and launched a line of adult romance products, LoveCandy, in partnership with Evolved Novelties—now available online (mylovecandy.com) and in stores. Have she and Hank fully road-tested LoveCandy’s sexy scents and lickable lotions? “Of course!” she laughs.

Kendra thanks none other than Paris Hilton for inspiring her business sense. “When I was on [the Playboy Mansion-set reality series] The Girls Next Door, seeing her business side encouraged me step away on my own. While I loved Playboy and Hef, I learned how to brand myself as Kendra.” And she likes where her evolution has led.

“I was a straight-up tomboy growing up in San Diego—and I went from that to an adult dancer to the Playboy world,” Kendra says. “I’ve never been a girly-girl, but I still have a sexy side of me that I’m going to keep in the spotlight. And that side will never fade away.”

Affairs of the art

Peaceful Chaos
Paintings by Sarah Stieber
Feb. 11 – Mar. 6
Cirello Gallery
3803 Ray St., North Park
cirellogallery.com

Passion becomes adventure in Sarah Stieber’s paintings as she douses her subjects—nude and seminude couples embracing, flirting and laughing—in vivid color. The striking images create a carefree aesthetic that exudes lust and love.

Sculpture in the Garden & Valentine’s Evening at the Garden
Feb. 14 (sculptures on display now through Apr. 16)
San Diego Botanic Garden
230 Quail Gardens Dr., Encinitas
sdbgarden.org

Spark Valentine’s Day romance with a sunset stroll (5-8 p.m.) through San Diego Botanic Garden’s “Sculpture in the Garden” exhibit, featuring the works of 26 regional artists set amid the park’s 35 lush acres. (The pieces on display are for sale, with proceeds benefiting the foundation that maintains the beautiful property.) Cap the evening at the Garden’s soiree, offering champagne, hors d’oeuvres, chocolates, live entertainment, mood-setting music and a souvenir photo of you two lovebirds. Price: $75 per couple.

Love (Live)

Courtesy of San Diego Symphony

A Valentine’s Romance
San Diego Symphony
Feb. 10–11
Copley Symphony Hall
750 B St., Downtown
sandiegosymphony.org

Tony Award-winning Broadway star Jennifer Holliday (Dreamgirls) and powerhouse film and stage composer Marvin Hamlisch (The Way We Were, A Chorus Line) combine creative forces for this performance straight from the heart.

Courtesy of the artist

Tony Bennett
Feb. 16
Pala Casino Spa Resort
11154 Hwy. 76, Pala
palacasino.com

Find out why your parents (and their parents) fell in love with the eternally hip crooner Tony Bennett—the 15-time Grammy winner whose signature song is “I Left My Heart in San Francisco”—when the former World War II infantryman brings his smooth, jazzy stylings to Pala Casino right after Valentine’s Day.

Photo by Manuel Rotenberg

Romance
San Diego Ballet
Feb. 10–12
Lyceum Theatre
79 Horton Plaza, Gaslamp
sandiegoballet.org

See passion in motion, and love personified, in the graceful lifts and leaps of this compilation of highlights from San Diego Ballet’s past seasons. Directed by famed choreographer Javier Velasco, the eclectic program will feature selections from A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Romeo et Juliet along with numbers set to the vocals of Nat King Cole and Patsy Cline.

Photo courtesy of artist

Art Laboe’s Super Valentine Love Jam
Feb. 18
Valley View Casino Center
3500 Sports Arena Blvd., Sports Arena
valleyviewcasinocenter.com

A legendary voice on the radio since the 1940s, the boundlessly energetic Art Laboe will introduce this cavalcade of funky and soulful acts including Zapp, Rose Royce, Heatwave and The Originals—proving that love-infused “Oldies” (and the antique disc jockey himself) never fall out of fashion.

Photo by Adolfo Pérez Butrón

Lila Downs
Feb. 26
Balboa Theatre
868 Fourth Ave., Gaslamp
sandiegotheatres.org

Hailing from Oaxaca, Mexico, singer-songwriter Lila Downs adds dashes of jazz and blues to traditional Mexican music to create a passionate celebration of her heritage. Performing in Spanish and English, Downs’s powerful delivery invariably draws vocal accompaniment—and tears—from her audiences. ¡Te quiero!

All you need is love

Copyright 2012 MPL Communications Inc.

Kisses on the Bottom
Paul McCartney
Debuts Feb. 7

Paul McCartney’s latest album is a loving ode to his musical influences, with endearing covers of songs by Fats Waller, Ella Fitzgerald and Nat King Cole, as well as appearances by Eric Clapton and Stevie Wonder. The album also features two McCartney originals, including the jazzy “My Valentine,” which is rumored to be the song McCartney sang to his wife Nancy at their wedding last October.

Multiplexual Relations

Provided by The Weinstein Company

W.E.
Opens Feb. 3

In this fantasy drama, pop-star-slash-movie director Madonna stays behind the camera to spin the tale of how England’s King Edward VIII (James D’Arcy) relinquished his throne in 1936 to marry an American divorcee (Andrea Riseborough). The story is told from the perspective of a present-day woman (Abbie Cornish) whose extramarital affair and obsession with the historic pair color her vision of romance in ways even Madonna’s own trespasses couldn’t.

Provided by Sony Pictures

The Vow
Opens Feb. 10

Rachel McAdams and Channing Tatum star as a young married couple who get into a car wreck that leaves the wife amnesic and unable to recognize her spouse. The plot chronicles hubby’s attempts to help his mate remember him and their love. (That nagging sense of déjà vu you’re feeling can be sourced to McAdams’ similarly tear-jerking 2004 drama The Notebook.)

Provided by Lionsgate

Tyler Perry’s Good Deeds
Opens Feb. 24

The tireless one-man brand known as Tyler Perry has written, produced and directed—and taken the male lead in—this feel-good flick about an engaged businessman whose brush with an office cleaning person (Thandie Newton) changes his life. The protagonist’s unlikely connection with this single mom leads him to question his values and what he’s sacrificed in the pursuit of wealth, showing him that the path to true happiness is anything but tidy.

Provided by Universal Pictures

Wanderlust
Opens Feb. 24

This R-rated yukfest from the makers of Role Models stars Paul Rudd and Jennifer Aniston as uptight Manhattanites who, finding themselves unemployed, flee The Big Apple for Atlanta—only to wind up in a swinging 1970s-style commune. Devoid of urban stress (and most forms of dress), they’re free to be themselves and to find out if they’re romantically broken as well as being broke.

Romancing the tome

As if San Diego weren’t sexy enough, the city also happens to be a hotbed for romance novelists. With about 100 members, the local chapter of Romance Writers of America (RWA) claims a chunk of the $1.3 billion national romance publishing market.

Yearning, lust and sex are what launch these novelists’ paperbacks off store shelves, but at least one of the group’s writers doesn’t cop to being so calculating.

“Whenever I write a romance, I don’t think about adding in the sex scenes at the end,” says HelenKay Dimon, who has penned 28 titles, including her Mystery Men series from Harlequin Intrigue. “They are intrinsic to whatever else you’re writing.”

Despite their reputation for cookie-cutter plots and clichéd couplings, romance novels encompass many subgenres. Books range from Amish love to erotica, gothic to steampunk, mystery to historical, and plain-old gay and lesbian.

There’s even a NASCAR series. As with the romance novel’s TV equivalent, the soap opera, no setting, course of action or character type can be deemed too outlandish.

“Whatever kind of love story you like, you can now find a million books,” says author Lisa Kessler, RWA San Diego Chapter president.

As in every publishing market, the romance novel survives on basic quality. Compelling prose and strong narratives are crucial. And key to its contemporary target audience (women, age 30 to 54), female protagonists are no longer helpless heel-breakers—they are independent and strong-willed.

“We still might have those fantasies of wanting to be saved, but in today’s romance novels the heroine isn’t waiting for the guy to save her,” notes successful local author Christie Ridgway, whose titles include Berkley Sensation’s Can’t Hurry Love. “She will do a lot of the saving herself.”

While the scenarios may change, the bodice-ripping siren song of romance novels remains the same. And they always have a happy ending.
rwasd.com

"Another Day at Swami's" by Jason Yusypchuk (shot in Encinitas)

"No Customers" by Ashi Fachler (shot in the Gaslamp)

"The Bloody Meadow" by Brian Doll (shot in Lake Cuyamaca, Julian)

"Nature" by Pearl Preis

"Backyard Air" by Misha Osinovskiy (shot in Bay Park)

"Stormy Park" by Scott Murphy (shot at Petco Park, East Village)

"Solo Surfer" by Cameron Fous (shot at Scripps Pier)

"Expired" by Jason Bates (shot Downtown)

"Untitled" by Jessie Clapp (shot in Ramona)

"Security Blanket" by Trevor Adler (shot at San Diego Zoo)

"Glasses & Sunset" by John Audley (shot at Brockton Villa, La Jolla)

"Untitled" by Nick Ricoy (shot in Mission Beach)

"Untitled" by Tyler Reid (shot in Oceanside)

"Untitled" by Kaitlyn Shrove (shot at The Whaley House, Old Town)

"Butterly Girl Blends In" by Gavin Broatch (shot at The New Children's Museum, Downtown)

"Sea Glass" by Anthony Ghiglia (shot at Black's Beach, La Jolla)

& the winner is….

"Untitled" by Fermin Padilla (shot in Ocean Beach)

History is both a record and a touchstone of our lives. And San Diego lensman Tim Mantoani has found his own artfully unique way to double-expose it in his new book Behind Photographs: Archiving Photographic Legends (Channel Photographics; mantoani.com).

A landmark not just of photography but of cultural iconography, the oversized volume showcases 158 well- and lesser-known photographers posing with their most famous or serendipitous images.

Characterizing the book’s making as a “monstrous task,” Mantoani, a successful commercial photographer known especially for his portraits of professional athletes, conceived the project five years ago partly in response to the medium’s by-then entrenched digital revolution

“At the end of 2006, I realized I had not shot a single piece of film that year,” says Mantoani, 43, a graduate of the Brooks Institute of Photography in Sana Barbara. “I was like, Wow, there’s something missing here.”

Lamenting the loss of “magic” in photography, Mantoani did something impulsive that December when he visited his Bay Area childhood stomping grounds. “There were these rare Polaroid 20×24-inch large-format cameras available in New York and San Francisco, so I rented one before I even considered shooting something that would mean something to me.” At an added cost of $75 per print (the camera has a built-in film processor that produces an instant poster-size print, accounting for part of its beastly bulk), using the equipment would be expensive.

Mantoani called two local photographers, legendary music lensman Jim Marshall and sports shooter Michael Zagaris, and invited them to a studio with their most iconic photos in tow. “Jim, a fiery personality and a maverick in photography—he shot the famous Johnny Cash flipping-off-the-camera photo—walked in, saw the camera and said, ‘What’s this for?’ I said, ‘I want to do a portrait of you holding your best image.’ He said, ‘You’re fuckin’ nuts.’”

After photographing Marshall and Zagaris, Mantoani asked each of them to write a bit of back story about their featured photos at the bottom of their respective Polaroids. Seeing an “equal weight” between photographer and photograph within his images, he knew he was onto something.

“All of these ideas just really came flooding in,” he recalls. “What if I could call Steve McCurry and photograph him with his shot of the ‘Afghan Girl’ that appeared on the cover of National Geographic? And what if I could call Nick Ut and get him with his [Associated Press] photo of the Vietnamese girl burned by a napalm drop?”

Every photographer who responded positively to Mantoani’s emails and letters opened doors to others. By March 2007, when he traveled to New York for the first time to photograph several subjects, a network of referrals— including highly influential fashion eye Walter Chin and pioneering San Diego skateboard photographer J. Grant Brittain—had given the project a life of its own. “I let the journey take me where it wanted to go,” he says.

There was a bump in the road when Polaroid announced it would cease making film for the 20×24 camera, and the price of a single exposure shot up to $200. (Fortunately, a film stockpile remained available.) To cut down on costs and trips to San Francisco and New York, Mantoani spent $15,000 on a Wisner 20×24—an “ugly stepchild” of the original Polaroid camera that uses the same technology and, at about 100 pounds, is more portable. Mantoani also developed a comfortable working relationship with the device.

“When you shoot with a large-format camera, you’re next to the lens engaging with your subject,” he explains. “The main difference is that you don’t have this barrier in front of your face like you do with a 35 millimeter camera. It allows you and your subject to converse. And when you decide, you push the plunger and—pop—the flash goes off.”

Apart from the creative challenges, the photographer, who lives with his wife Lynn and son Lucas, 11, in Point Loma, had personal motivations for completing Behind Photographs.

“When you realize life is short, you just go for it,” says Mantoani, a cancer survivor. “I learned from these photographers that the rewards of life are what you do every day. Long after I’m gone, somebody can go into a museum or an exhibit and walk up to these giant prints and not only see the photograph, but the faces that documented history in a way that will never be done again.”

HAUTE CAT-URE: Savannah Cat Shoppe at Del Mar’s Flower Hill Promenade sells Savannah cats, a cross between a wild African Serval and a domestic house cat, for $4,000 to $25,000 each. Exhibiting playful, doglike behavior, some Savannahs can grow to about two-and-a-half times the size of a typical cat and reach 30 pounds or more. The breed is relatively new and has been registered with The International Cat Association since 2001.

Inclined to accessorize with a purebred Bichon Frisee? Fancy the thought of a hybrid Savannah cat prowling the domestic wilds of your apartment?

If you are unable to find your dream pet at a community shelter, contact the American Kennel Club or The International Cat Association for a referral to a reputable breeder.

Linda Michaels, a mobile dog behavioral consultant covering North Coastal San Diego and Rancho Santa Fe, recommends that those pursuing pets of a certain pedigree visit both the dam (female parent) facilities and the kennel grounds to ensure that they are clean, all the animals are well-treated and the adult animals don’t display fearfulness or aggression. “Be patient, too,” says Michaels, “as a good breeder will not release an animal until seven weeks of age and will also limit the number of litters in a year.”

Michaels also advises against buying mail-order puppies online: “You want to be able to verify the breeding protocols, and that you will receive a healthy puppy.”—CLK

“These groups need marketing and money,” says Hoover, whose adoption of two rescued pit bulls moved her to action. “I wanted to take better photos of rescue animals to improve their chances of getting adopted.”

Hoover turned her lens on the furry charges of The Barking Lot, a shelter in El Cajon, and Friends of the Humane Society de Tijuana, a San Diego volunteer organization that provides rescue and other services in the Mexican city. Her resulting line of sustainably produced greeting cards—introduced last spring in partnership with her husband, Justin Ternes, and graphic designer Justin Clark—has expanded to include shelters across the country. (Fifteen percent of profits support the featured pets.)

Hoover’s work impressed the San Diego-based, non-profit Petco Foundation, which has chosen Rescued Cards to lead its annual Tree of Hope holiday fundraiser for animal shelters and rescue organizations. A six-card set is offered in exchange for a $20 donation at more than 1,100 Petco retail locations nationwide (and at petcofoundation.org).

“I’m not a hero,” Hoover says. “I’m just trying to expose the selflessness and dedication rescuers have in saving the lives of so many animals.”

—Dean Lamanna

By Catharine L. Kaufman

With hundreds of thousands of abandoned cats and dogs awaiting a new leash on life at shelters nationwide, eyeing a furry new friend as a gift to oneself or to others can be irresistible during the holidays.

“There are so many animals right here in San Diego that need loving homes,” says Kelli Herwehe, public relations coordinator for the San Diego Humane Society and SPCA (SDHS). “The holiday season is a great time to add a new member to your family, and we encourage everyone to adopt.”

Despite the annual furvor, Herwehe cautions against surprising loved ones with a new kitten or puppy—recommending that all family members meet and interact with the animal beforehand to determine compatibility. “Part of the joy of adopting a rescue animal is feeling that special bond when you know you’ve foundthe right pet,” she says.

To help prevent rash decision-making, consider giving a pet in the form of an adoption certificate from Muttique, the online and retail stores operated by SDHS. Or pay a pre-holiday visit to a reputable local shelter that can address your questions, offer guidance and provide animal spaying/neutering and needed vaccinations.

One such shelter is Helen Woodward Animal Center in Rancho Santa Fe. Named for the late philanthropist who established the nonprofit with a group of friends in 1972, the organization has sponsored an ever-growing annual adoption campaign called Home 4 the Holidays since 1999. This year, the drive involves more than 3,000 participating shelters and organizations worldwide, all collaborating to secure 1.5 million cat and dog adoptions by January 3.

According to Helen Woodward spokesperson Beth Chee, pet adoptions during the holidays can be very successful—especially if members can take time off from work to bond with and help the animal acclimate to its new environment. Chee dispels the suggestion that shelters don’t have quality pets, noting that such facilities are well-stocked with healthy kittens, puppies and purebreds.

(Purebreds, per ASPCA statistics, account for up to 25 percent of the dogs entering shelters. For adopters whose hearts are set on a particular breed, Helen Woodward will search shelters and canvas breed-specific rescue groups to help find the ideal companion.) The plight and cuddliness of rescue animals, warn some experts, make love at first sight a potential pitfall.

“All puppies are adorable, but consider pet size, activity level, hair length and any special needs of the breed,” says dog psychologist Linda Michaels, proprietor of Wholistic Dog Training and a mobile behavioral consultant in North Coastal San Diego and Rancho Santa Fe. Michaels works in partnership with celebrity dog trainer Victoria Stilwell, host of the hit Animal Planet TV program It’s Me or the Dog, and practices the “All-Positive/Non-Aversive” dog training approach endorsed by her. “Make a list of ‘must-have,’ ‘flexible’ and ‘won’t- have’ pet traits—like ‘already housetrained,’” she says, “and stick to your criteria.”

To avoid barking up the wrong tree this holiday season, follow these tips (from the experts consulted for this article) prior to adoption:

Hit the Paws Button: Cuteness is seductive, but choose the pet that best suits your lifestyle, family and home environment. Housing a Golden Retriever in a one-bedroom condo, for example, won’t work.

Furriest Impressions: Make sure all family members meet the prospective new pet in advance—and that the pet, in turn, meets with everyone’s approval.

Here, Kiddie, Kiddie: If the pet is primarily a gift to children, don’t count on them to walk the dog or clean the litter box. Define and divvy up responsibilities beforehand and educate children in safe and proper pet handling.

Welcome Waggin’: Introduce the pet into your home by pre-stocking food, chew toys, a water bowl, a leash, etc. This will help you provide the attention your new family member requires—and enjoy each other’s company.

Visit the San Diego Humane Society and SPCA (and its online store, Muttique): sdhumane.org

Perry Chen, pen in hand, reviews at Cinepolis Luxury Cinemas

At an age when most grade-schoolers are twiddling their thumbs (or, between fits of digital fury on their Wii systems, still sucking them), Perry Chen has become known for turning his up or down.

The 11-year-old Torrey Hills Elementary student is earning notice regionally and nationally, writing film reviews for The San Diego Union-Tribune, the online publication Animation World Network and his own blog. His local entertainment opinion pieces have earned him two consecutive journalistic excellence awards from the San Diego Press Club, of which he is the youngest member.

Chen’s publishing path was established three years ago by his third-grade teacher, Joli Harris, and his parents. His Chinese-born mother and father, Zhu Shen and Changyou Chen, both Ph.Ds, challenged him to write a review of Jon J. Muth’s Zen Ties, a philosophical children’s book about a kindhearted panda.

He surprised them with an almost high school-level essay. “I kept writing book reviews,” says Chen, “until one day my mom saw me watching a movie and decided, ‘If he can do book reviews, then why not movie reviews?’”

Shown film columns by Pulitzer Prize-winning critic and author Roger Ebert, Chen wrote his first movie review, at age eight, about the 2006 version of Charlotte’s Web. He followed that with a series of critiques on family and animated features that conclude with a moral, including Up (2009) and How to Train Your Dragon (2010).

With a promotional assist from Mom, Chen captured the interest of San Diego print and online editors, who loved his five-starfish rating system and were eager to give him editorial page space. Thanks to interviews on the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric and National Public Radio, his star (and confidence) rose quickly.

Meanwhile, a meeting with Oscar-nominated animator Bill Plympton and producer-director Kevin Sean Michaels at Comic-Con 2009 sent the youngster’s mind in another creative direction.

PINT-SIZE PUNDIT: Chen (pictured with his parents, Dr. Changyou Chen and Dr. Zhu Shen) isn’t animating short films, such as the award-winning Holocaust story Ingrid Pitt: Beyond the Forest. Photo by Ian Holaday.

“Bill drew a drawing of a dog for me,” says Chen, “and I drew one next to it really quickly. He and Kevin thought it was good enough for me to animate a film.”

With approval from Chen’s mother, Plympton and Michaels storyboards for Ingrid Pitt: Beyond the Forest, a true story about an eight-year-old girl who escapes from a concentration camp.

“I learned a lot about the history of World War II and the prisoners’ lives during the Holocaust,” says Chen, who had to learn how to use computer-based animation tools for the project.

Having exhibited on the film festival circuit to considerable acclaim, the moving, six-minute short—narrated by Pitt herself before she died last year—has been acquired for worldwide distribution and potential Academy Award consideration.

Ingrid Pitt and another Chen collaboration with Plympton, Guard Dog Global Jam, have attracted Glendale-based DreamWorks Animation, which is hosting Chen for a screening of his work and a Q&A session in December.

Even with Hollywood calling, being a kid critic has its disadvantages—like not being able to glimpse the movie screen when adults are seated in front of him. “I just stretch my neck really long like E.T. so I can see over their heads,” Chen says.

His agent will no doubt be phoning home for him, too.

Kritic’s Korner

Name: Perry Chen
Age: 11
Occupation: entertainment critic and animator
Favorite movies: Up, How to Train Your Dragon
Favorite concession snacks: pizza, popcorn, Junior Mints
Hobbies: drawing, playing imagination games
Awards: Excellence in Journalism, San Diego Press Club (2010, 2011); Special Jury Award, Animated Short: Ingrid Pitt: Beyond the Forest, Flyway Film Festival, Wisconsin (2011)

40th time's a charm: San Diego's own WD-40.

By Catharine L. Kaufman  /  Photos by Brevin Blach

From a miracle solvent that repels pythons to sporty shoes that attract Sarah Palin, a surprising array of household-name brands are headquartered right here in San Diego.

Thanks to these Finest City companies setting up shop in our backyard, “shop local” are words we can be proud to live buy.

Let Us Spray

The squeaky wheel (and pooping pigeon) gets the degreaser

In 1953, a trio of scientists at San Diego’s fledgling Rocket Chemical Company embarked on a mission to create a rust-busting solvent that would prevent the skin on NASA’s SM-65 Atlas Missile from corroding. After 39 failed attempts, the scientists struck gold on number 40 with their winning Water Displacement solvent, hence the name of the now ubiquitous lubricant, WD-40.

“We create positive, lasting memories by solving problems in factories and homes of the world—from squeaks in China to rust in Russia,” says Garry Ridge, president and CEO of the San Diego-based WD-40 Company. “We have an honorable product that delivers in a simple yet effective way, at under $5 a can.”

WD-40’s 2010 sales of about $322 million represents more than a billion ounces of the company’s secret formula (which is written on a notepad locked a San Diego bank vault) being sold through nearly 170 countries worldwide.
wd40.com

Lube Jobs
The company’s website boasts 2,000-plus uses for WD-40, which include not only liberating snakes—in Asia, a bus driver used WD-40 to dislodge a python wrapped around his vehicle’s undercarriage—but also loosening zippers and removing (incriminating) lipstick stains.

The multitasking mixture also keeps pigeons off balconies (they’re repulsed by the smell); removes black scuff marks from floors and crayon marks from walls; lubricates squeaky door hinges, bikes and other moving parts; removes splattered grease from stoves and grime from barbeque grills; untangles jewelry chains; keeps bathroom mirrors from fogging; cleans and lubricates guitar strings and does about 1,990 other things.

CND nail polish—good enough for flight attendants, Katy Perry and J-Lo.

Nailing It

A local nail polish company gains the upper hand

Founded in 1979, Vista-based Creative Nail Design (CND) has become the Gucci of the nail industry, producing fashionable shellacs, polishes and tips sold at salons, beauty supply stores and online.

CND’s Shellac Power Polish has added flash to the fingertips of Katy Perry, Rihanna and Jennifer Lopez. Available exclusively at salons, the polish is cured under ultraviolet light for 10 minutes, leaving clients with a mirror shine and nails that won’t chip for two weeks.

“With nails, you have 20 opportunities to thrill yourself,” says CND co-founder and style director, Jan Nordstrom-Arnold, who, aided by CND’s research team, looks at trends in fabric and home design to create each year’s fresh crop of nail colors.

“Our recent CND Shellac has validated a place for nails alongside the best in hair and make-up,” Nordstrom-Arnold says, “and our secret to defending that position is innovation,”

CND’s Colour & Effects line, favored by Oprah’s bestie, Gayle King, includes 50 cream colors that can stand alone or be kicked up a notch with 15 shimmering top-coats.

“It’s almost like an adult box of Crayolas,” Nordstrom-Arnold says.
cnd.com

Facts at your Fingertips
All CND products are conceptualized, developed and tested at the company’s laboratory in San Diego.

CND co-founder Jan Nordstrom-Arnold has personally buffed the fingernails of Ricky Martin, Fergie (the Black Eyed Pea, not the Duchess of York) and Slash (Guns ‘n’ Roses guitarist).

Nordstrom-Arnold’s family began creating CND formulas in their basement in Oceanside in the late ‘70s. Her father, Stuart Nordstrom, a dentist and organic chemist, developed the company’s first product, SolarNail Liquid, during Jimmy Carter’s solar panel crusade.

CND’s first poster girl was Susie Coelho, Sonny Bono’s third wife.

CND products have adorned nails on runway models for Louis Vuitton, Donna Karan and Vivienne Westwood.

Virgin Atlantic Airlines’ official nail color for flight attendants is CND’s Shellac Wildfire.

Whether you're feeling naughty or nice, you'll be sylin' in a pair of Naughty Monkey's leopard print pumps.

Monkey Business

Fashionable shoe company takes a big step ahead

Launched in 2004, Rancho Bernardo-based Naughty Monkey Shoes gained a foothold in the athletic shoe arena, gradually wedging itself into the market as a “playful, sassy, fashion-obsessed footwear brand,” says shoe-biz veteran Jonathan Mohseni, president of Naughty Monkey’s parent company, Brand Headquarters.

Naughty Monkey’s kitschy yet classy leopard print and “mixed media” flats, sandals, wedges, platforms and boots can be purchased at Nordstrom, Macy’s, independent boutiques and on e-commerce sites such as zappos.com.

“The success we are seeing is based on seven years of keeping the brand true to its original message,” says Naughty Monkey brand director, Jay Randhawa, “essentially ensuring that the looks being generated are different from the competition—ahead of trend but still understandable to the fashionable consumer.”
naughty-monkey.com

Foot Notes
More than 200,000 pairs of Naughty Monkey shoes were sold in 2010.

Cosmopolitan magazine deemed Naughty Monkey’s five-inch-heeled Retro Glam loafer one of the sexiest workplace heels.

Naughty Monkey strode a political “platform” in 2008, when Sarah Palin wore a pair of its Double Dare red pumps during John McCain’s speech that announced the Caribou Barbie as his running mate.

Paris Hilton was photographed rocking Naughty Monkey’s Out of Line camouflage pumps in Los Angeles.

One of Callaway's RAZR Tour irons.

Slice of Life

Local golf companies keep their eyes on the ball

In 1981, golf enthusiast Ely Callaway sold his Temecula winery to Hiram Walker for $14 million (at a profit of $9 million), quickly transitioning from grapes to birdies.  

At age 60, Callaway paid $400,000 to purchase the California-based company that manufactured his favorite hickory-shaft golf club, pinning his name to the brand.

“Ely moved the headquarters to Carlsbad for perennially perfect conditions in which to develop and test new equipment,” says Callaway Golf Company’s director of communications, Tim Buckman. “Callaway was the first company to meld the golf industry with aerospace and technological innovation, and remains the dominant force within (the industry’s) DNA.”

In 1991, the revolutionary Big Bertha driver was launched with endorsements by Celine Dion and Bill Gates, driving Callaway’s sales past the $800 million mark by 1999.
callawaygolf.com

TaylorMade's new white R11 driver.

TaylorMade, another Carlsbad-based golf manufacturer, is hoping to chip away at its competitors’ market share via sales of its new white R11 driver.

The club’s satin-white finish is designed to help golfers align the club more easily and to reduce hot spots and glare often associated with glossier, more reflective drivers.

“A new chapter is being written in the golf equipment industry,” says David Abeles, TaylorMade’s executive vice-president. “White technology is here to stay.”

TaylorMade was founded in 1979 by Gary Adams, inventor of the metal driver (aka “metalwood”). At the time, most drivers were primarily made of wood. Today, the company offers a line of metal woods, irons, putters and golf balls, as well as golf apparel and footwear.
taylormadegolf.com

Making the Green
Callaway sells more clubs than any other manufacturer, snagging the lion’s share of the world’s $3 billion golf equipment industry.

Callaway’s annual revenues exceed $951 million, with total assets topping $876 million.

Callaway was the first golf manufacturer to use titanium and carbon fiber in its clubs, which are sold in more than 100 countries.

More PGA Tour pros use TaylorMade’s drivers than those made by Callaway, Cleveland, Cobra and Ping combined.

TaylorMade hit the $1 billion revenue mark in 2006, the second time in history a golf brand has achieved this milestone.

TaylorMade’s most expensive club, the $999.99 r7 CGB MAX Limited driver, includes three interchangeable shafts and three interchangeable weights, offering the equivalent of nine drivers in one.

Taylor's model 614ce acoustic guitar.

Pick A Winner

A first-string guitar company rocks with the best of them

Founded in 1974 by visionary stringed-instrument craftsmen Bob Taylor and Kurt Listug, Taylor Guitars has evolved into one of the world’s most prominent guitar manufacturers. Combining innovative computer technology with a master craftsman’s attention to detail, Taylor is the guitar of choice for Dave Matthews, The Killers, Beck, Jason Mraz, Taylor Swift and Social Distortion frontman, Mike Ness, to name a few.

“With a variety of acoustic and electric guitar models and a wealth of customizable options,” says Chalise Zolezzi, the company’s public relations manager, “not only are Taylors expertly crafted and beautiful to look at, they are sonically inspiring to play with a sound that’s all their own.”

Taylor Guitars are the top-selling acoustic brand in the nation. The company’s 2010 sales chimed in to the tune of $70 million.

Take a free tour of the Taylor Guitar factory, 1 p.m. Monday through Friday, at 1980 Gillespie Way in El Cajon.
taylorguitars.com

No Fiddlin’ Around
Taylor Guitars range in price from $398 to more than $20,000.

Taylor Guitar’s top seller is the 814ce acoustic-electric, which retails for between $2,500 and $3,000.

The company’s 2010 sales were about $70 million.

Taylor produces roughly 500 guitars each workday, for a total of 100,000 units per year.

Kashi breakfast cereal.

I Mean, Cereally

Local cereal company thinks outside the box

In the early 1980s, grain-loving La Jolla residents Phil and Gayle Tauber created a puffy breakfast cereal that has become a staple of healthy lifestyles.

Giving refined wheat the shaft, they concocted a “breakfast pilaf” of seven whole grains and sesame, forming the cornerstone of the Kashi Company.

Purchased by Kellogg Company in 2000, the company continues to operate in La Jolla, selling all-natural and organic products ranging from GOLEAN hot and cold cereals to frozen entrees and whole grain crackers.

Kashi recently launched a back-to-school challenge with author/chef Domenica “Mom-a-licious” Catelli to get kids to swap junk food for healthier snacks.

“The foods that kids eat when they’re younger may affect their taste preferences as they grow up,” Catelli says. “By introducing them to healthful yet deliciously prepared foods, parents have an opportunity to help shape their choices.”
kashi.com

Grains of Knowledge
The name Kashi was formed by a blending of “kashruth” (or kosher) and “Kushi,” the surname of the pioneers of macrobiotics.

Kashi’s other cultural meanings include “porridge” (Russian), “energy food” (Japanese) and “happy food” (Chinese).

Kashi’s annual sales exceed $200 million.

Protien-packed Bumble Bee tuna: your biceps' best friend.

They Sure Can

San Diego’s tuna companies make a splash

In 1914, Frank Van Camp purchased the California Tuna Canning Company, renaming it Van Camp Seafood. At the time, fisherman used the idiom “chicken of the sea” to describe the delicate taste and white color of albacore tuna. The popular catchphrase soon replaced the company’s original name.

Today, the Sorrento Valley-based seafood company continues to market assorted items under the brand, including cans and pouches of salmon, sardines, clams, crab and mackerel.

“We have a long-standing history of providing healthy, nutritious and convenient products to consumers,” says John Sawyer, senior vice president of marketing and sales. “Our brand and iconic Mermaid are well-known throughout the world.”

Apparently, songbird Jessica Simpson wasn’t clued-in to the can’s contents.

During a 2003 episode of the MTV reality show Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica, Simpson pulled a classic blonde gaffe while consuming the product, blurting, “Is this chicken what I have, or is this fish? It says chicken… by the sea. Is that stupid?”

The blunder launched a publicity boon for the brand. Later that year, Simpson was invited to the company’s U.S. sales conference, where she was educated on the product and entertained a sea of sales executives by singing the company’s jingle:

Ask any mermaid you happen to see
What’s the best tuna?
Chicken of the Sea.

With or without Simpson’s help, Chicken of the Sea’s annual sales exceed $600 million.
chickenofthesea.com

Meant To Bee
Originally founded by a group of Oregon Salmon canners in 1899, Bumble Bee Foods is now headquartered in San Diego (near Interstate 15 and Aero Drive) and owned by British equity firm, Lion Capital.

Though generations of Americans have grown up with Bumble Bee canned tuna, today, the company also markets salmon, sardines, clams, mackerel, an assortment of crustaceans and ready-to-eat meal kits.

Bumble Bee’s focus is “providing quality products to meet consumer demand for healthy, nutritious, affordable and convenient foods harvested in a sustainable manner,” says Dave Melbourne, senior vice president of marketing.

With annual sales scaling $1 billion, the company is a leader in North American and global fish markets.
bumblebee.com

Gone Fishing
Americans consume an average of 2.5 pounds of tuna per person per year.

The most popular kind of tuna, whether in a can or pouch, is chunk light, comprising 68 percent of annual consumption.

People consume 30 percent more tuna in the summer, the biggest tuna season of the year.

(Left to right): Tech Coast Angels board members Jack Florio, Bob Fried, Stephen Flaim, Doug Giese and Jay Kunin. (Photo by Brevin Blach)

By David Perloff
and Pat Sherman/
Photos by Brevin Blach
and John Mireles

Angels don’t need wings to help businesses fly. They need money and expertise. The private investors of the non-profit Tech Coast Angels (TCA) have both—and they give them to entrepreneurs.

“Our purpose is to facilitate (TCA members’) ability to invest in early-stage companies,” says Stephen Flaim, president of TCA’s San Diego network.

By analyzing companies and constructing their term-sheets (documents that outline the value of a company and the means by which an investor can buy in), TCA provides entrepreneurs a roadmap to fundraising.

For an entrepreneur, such assistance from a seasoned veteran—one who has not only the wherewithal to write a check for $25,000 but also a network of colleagues who can do the same or more—can feel like a heaven-sent gift.

The help doesn’t stop there. TCA members/investors also mentor entrepreneurs, guiding them through fundraising and beyond, in some cases directing them toward either another round of financing or the sale of the company.

With roughly 300 members spread across five Southern California chapters, TCA is the nation’s largest angel investment network.

“We’ve invested over $100 million of our own money,” says Flaim. “The companies we’ve invested in have gone on to raise over a billion dollars in follow-up financing.”

Despite all the cash they put in, however, TCA members don’t strike gold every time: Flaim notes that getting a good return on one in 10 investments is a solid track-record. About one out of every 100 investments, he adds, becomes a “massive deal.”

“We had a company we invested in seven years ago called Green Dot, which owned the technology for rechargeable gift cards, basically. That went public, and the people who invested at the very beginning got 180 times their investment back. They are very happy.”

“Very happy,” in this case, describes the feeling one gets when an investment of $25,000 (the minimum chunk a TCA member can cough up for a deal) yields a return of $4.5 million.

The next investment on track to make TCA members very happy is AnaBios Corporation, which has developed technology enabling researchers to conduct drug trials on human tissue, versus human subjects. Previously, researchers who had proven the efficacy and safety of their drugs on animals would then have had to take a leap of faith (and cash) to begin testing on humans, which Flaim says is expensive.

“You need to plunk down the $5 million it’s gonna take to do the first human clinicals, and a lot of times those fail,” he says. “What these guys are doing is exciting for the fact that it’s going to help a lot of companies basically get drugs to the market quicker and cheaper.”

(Somebody loan me 25 grand, quick.)

Less-wealthy, non-angel San Diegans also have something to be excited about.

“Anabios will get a lot of contracts,” Flaim says. “They’re going to hire a bunch of people, so we’re going to see jobs created around that company here in San Diego.”

Putting together deals of this magnitude must take some brainpower, but Flaim doesn’t regard himself a genius.

“I’ve never considered myself to be very smart,” he says, “but I realize that I’m willing to roll my sleeves up and work. If you want to be successful, even more now than ever, you have to be willing to work for it.”

Meet five entrepreneurs whose hard work has paid off in the form of investment from TCA, angels who not only write checks… but also take entrepreneurs under their wing.

techcoastangels.com

Allylix CEO Carolyn Fritz. (John Mireles)

Capital Gains
A number of successful, San Diego-based companies received an early cash infusion from the Tech Coast Angels’ (TCA) San Diego network. Here, company founders and executives share how TCA was indeed an angel on their corporate shoulder—helping to launch their products and technologies or boost their business to the next level

A Scent to the Top
Fledgling fragrance innovator passes the smell test

In 2007, the budding San Diego fragrance and flavor ingredient manufacturer Allylix wowed a group of local TCA members—so much so that they encouraged members of the Pasadena Angels and the Life Science Angels (not part of the TCA) to join them in investing more than $3 million in the company.

“That was the key funding round for us to be able to start scaling up our platform and getting our products closer to market,” says Allylix’s chief executive officer, Carolyn Fritz, who joined the company in 2004.

In 2010, TCA spritzed another $2 million at Allylix as part of a venture capital round of nearly $9 million.

“Not only did they give us a good, solid initial investment, but were there to help us continue to build,” Fritz says.

With 22 employees and a research facility in Lexington, Kentucky, Allylix manufactures a class of organic compounds known as terpenes, which are produced naturally by a variety of plants.

While terpenes are found in oranges and grapefruit, extracting them from citrus is expensive. Allylix produces its terpenes more economically, using yeast strains fermented in stainless steel tanks. Its first two terpene-based products, valencene and nootkatone, are used in the manufacture of products ranging from citrus-flavored sodas to household cleaners and high-end perfumes.

The company is currently developing a replacement for DEET, an active ingredient in insect repellents that can cause skin irritation and has been linked to seizures.

“We believe there’s a significant opportunity to provide substitutes that are safer and equally effective,” Fritz says.
allylix.com

Orthera CEO Thomas Pichler. (John Mireles)

Gaining a Foothold
Angels give lift to a local company’s shoe insoles

When Thomas Pichler decided to launch his company in 2002 (in the shadow of the dot-com crash), big-time investors weren’t racing to put their money in untested shoe supports.

“The bigger venture capitalists who like to give a few million were pretty much dried up,” says Pichler, chief executive officer of Orthera, a manufacturer of medically engineered orthotic shoe insoles. “If your friends and family don’t have a lot of money, you’re basically looking for angel investors.”

Pichler found one in TCA.

Orthera’s insoles offer an affordable alternative to the pricey custom shoe orthotics prescribed by doctors, which, though effective, are rarely covered by health insurance.  “They can cost anywhere from $200 to $600, and that’s a lot of money,” Pichler says.

Orthera insoles cost around $15 a pair.

Pichler’s initial pitch to TCA in 2004 was well received but did not result in funding for the Harvard Business School grad.  Undeterred, Pichler stayed in touch, providing TCA with updates every couple months. He took their advice to heart, building the business and his client base before interviewing with TCA a second time.

“They went through all the levels of due diligence, talked to different customers, looked at the books and everything around it,” he says.

In the end, TCA invested $250,000 in Orthera, allowing Pichler to grow his business.

As a condition of his recently inked contract with one of the largest warehouse retailers in the U.S. (which Pichler chooses not to name), Orthera moved its production stateside from Colombia. It also went from fewer than 20 employees to about 100 at its production facility off Miramar Road and Interstate 15.

“We’re probably (making) three or four times last year’s revenue,” Pichler says. “We’re probably one of the fastest-growing companies in San Diego right now.”
orthera.com

Swarmology CEO Michael Bohm. (John Mireles)

Swarm Wishes
Data-mining entrepreneurs strike gold

Since launching Swarmology at the end of last year, Malcolm Bohm has raised about $750,000 for his company—the majority of it from TCA.

The company analyzes conversations taking place across social media networks, providing a context for the digital dialogue that can serve as an invaluable marketing tool.

“It’s strategic market intelligence from social media,” says Bohm, Swarmology’s CEO.

Swarmology first garnered buzz in the healthcare industry, which sees the technology as a way to enter into existing conversations about healthcare taking place online.

“Ninety-one percent of U.S. adults look for health solutions on the Web,” says Bohm, who previously served as a global development team leader for Viagra. “Over 30 percent of them are talking about health solutions in the social networks.”

Initially, TCA members didn’t swarm around the concept—Bohm first had to prove himself.

“I was prepared to do this great presentation,” Bohm says. “I got there and one of the guys came over and said, ‘We prefer to just talk.’ So I sat down at this long table with all these new faces, and we had a quick Q-and-A session. It was challenging—these are pretty sophisticated individuals.”

Bohm and his partners eventually passed muster, earning the confidence of TCA. Beyond the money his company received, Bohm says he gained much insight.

“Angel funding is actually a very important early step for smoothing out the model for companies at our stage,” Bohm says. “(TCA) certainly wants to put their hands in and give you the opportunity to take their assistance. What they don’t do is force themselves on you.”
swarmology.com

AgileNano CEO and Tech Coast Angels board member, Doug Giese. (John Mireles)

Shocking Success
TCA member taps into own network to lessen IED blast impact

When Doug Giese was seeking a cash infusion for his company, AgileNano, he needed look no further than his fellow TCA members—who invested about $600,000 in his company.

AgileNano produces an energy-absorbing liquid-and-silica mix that is used in athletic shoes and military helmets. The product, named AgileZorb, has proven particularly helpful in reducing the blast impact of an improvised explosive device (IED).

During such a blast, the liquid is forced into the normally empty pores of the silica, absorbing and then releasing a significant amount of the pressure and vibration that would otherwise be transferred into a soldier’s body.

“Hundreds of thousands of soldiers have been affected with traumatic brain injury,” says Giese, noting that helmets made with AgileZorb were tested via lab blasts conducted on crash test dummies. “This material appeared to be a really good way of absorbing high-energy blasts, so we focused on the military market.”

The technology was invented by Dr. Yu Qiao, UCSD Associate Professor of Materials and a member of AlgileNano’s management team.

Though Giese usually dispenses advice to TCA beneficiaries, he says fellow members served as “a good sounding board and second opinion, bringing up things I may not have thought of.”

Giese says he ultimately wants to, “as the angels say, have a nice, profitable exit—sell the company for a good amount of money.”
agilenano.com

MicroPower Technology's founder and COO, Brad Wallace. (John Mireles)

One to Watch
New technology reduces video surveillance energy needs

TCA beneficiary MicroPower Technologies manufactures wireless data transmission systems that can transmit video footage while using up to 95 percent less energy than current technology.

The company’s first target applications are video surveillance cameras used to monitor freeway traffic and parking lots, which currently require either bulky batteries and large solar panels or power cords laid beneath the concrete.

Brad Wallace, MicroPower’s founder and chief operating officer, says his cameras require dramatically less energy thanks to the hardware’s design and a proprietary wireless link that makes video transmission more efficient.

“Video is the biggest bandwidth hog and the biggest challenge in doing wireless,” Wallace says. “We operate on the Wi-Fi band, but it’s non-specifically Wi-Fi; Wi-Fi is power-hungry.”

Wallace says the 4-inch by 10-inch solar panels used on his outdoor cameras (and the batteries used inside them) are also nearly 95 percent smaller, requiring no outside electricity or cabling.  “They can accomplish the same thing for one-tenth the (normal installation) cost,” he says.

Though Wallace says the U.S. Department of Justice is  interested in utilizing his technology, when he and co-founder Jon Siann launched MicroPower in 2008, venture capitalists still reeling from the stock market crash were looking for companies further along in development.

“Gone are the days where the venture capitalists will fund a concept on the back of a napkin,” Wallace says. “They like to see proof of concept—and revenue. The sweet spot for angels is to come in earlier: They’ll take more risks, but they’ll get a better (return).”

After filling out an initial funding application through TCA’s website and meeting several times with the group’s investors, Wallace and his partner secured $365,000.

“They were willing to take the risk without much more than our laboratory testing and being able to convince them our product would work without an actual prototype. That takes a lot of faith.”

Wallace says the potential applications of his technology are limitless and include providing police officers and other emergency responders with a wearable camera the size of a Bluetooth headset that is capable of transmitting live video anywhere.

In the future, Wallace sees MicroPower moving away from manufacturing and into the sale of its technology.

“We’re kind of looking at the Qualcomm business model,” he says. “They introduced products that proved their technology worked. Now, it doesn’t make any of those products.”

micropowerapp.com