Run... it's  Bears in Space ... yes, run after the Bears, not from the Bears!... This is a new monthly Bear dance party run by Chris Bowen at Akbar on Sunset Blvd in Los Angeles, CA. The event is going to start off during the Gay Pride LA Weekend - June 14th, and then they will be gathering every 2nd Sunday of the month. There is no cover this time and they have a 'Beer for a Beard' at the door ~ if you have a beard, well the first beer is on them (hint - stop shaving now).

The following is from the Bearracuda's (website - articles - profile) newsletter: "In a couple of weeks, an ambitious group of Bears called Team Be-cause (Bears with a Cause), along with 2,000+ riders, will be cycling from San Francisco to Los Angeles as part of AIDS/LifeCycle 8. It's a 562 mile bike ride to help raise critical funds for the San Francisco AIDS Foundation.

Team Be-cause needs your help! Each rider is required to raise at least $3,000 in order to participate in the ride. After months and months of rigorous training, please don't let these Bears be denied! Please go to the Team Be-cause website and donate today".

The extremely handsome Joe Mannetti aka Joe Falconi (articles - photo - profile) has been very busy of late. I asked Joe if he could let us in on what he's up to, and this is what he sent. From Joe:

"After winning the Mr. International Daddy Bear 2009 title at IBR in San Francisco, I have been keeping busy with outreach and fund-raising events. I do have a few issues that I consider top priority. One of my main concerns is the HIV/AIDS situation. As an HIV Testing Counselor, I got to witness that people testing HIV-Positive are getting younger and younger. We are losing an entire generation of teenagers and 20-something-year-olds to HIV/AIDS who are getting infected. Older people who are living longer with HIV/AIDS are also experiencing the combination of medical side effects from long-term HIV medication use, living with HIV/AIDS long-term, plus the health issues that many of us experiencing from simply growing older. None of this is good for anybody. I think that we need to start a dialogue with our LGBT youth. We need to listen to them, and we need to do a better job of mentoring them as adults. Ignoring or avoiding a frank discussion about sexuality with youth that are showing high rates of teenage pregnancy and HIV infection is ludicrous! Clearly, they are sexually active! Deal with it! So far, I have given three public speaking presentations in which I got to address youth about homophobia, the importance of diversity, sexuality and LGBT issues. One was at Bienestar La Casa LGBT Center in East Los Angeles at their 15 year anniversary reception on March 20th. The other two were at W University High School in Los Angeles and Pierce College in Woodland Hills, CA, where I met with their campus GSA (Gay/Straight Alliance).

I have a few fund-raising events planned for the future. My first event will be my very first step-down from one of my Bear titles. On May 2nd (Saturday), I will be co-emceeing the Mr. Bear/Cub Gay Pride Long Beach contest at Pistons Bar in Long Beach, California! This marks the first event co-hosted by The International Imperial Court of Long Beach and BearsLA ! It is also my step-down as we announce a new winner. On May 8th (Friday), I will be co-hosting an event called Saddle Up LA  with Mr. Long Beach Leather (Matthew McLean) and The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence at The Bullet Bar in North Hollywood, CA.  The money raised goes to support The Life Group which provides outstanding support services for people infected and affected by HIV/AIDS. I am leaving for Connecticut in June to be there for their Gay Pride Weekend. At the end of July, I will be in Columbus, Ohio for their Bear Camp Christmas  in July event which should be a lot of fun. I am organizing a fund-raising event tentatively scheduled for August to promote and raise money for the Community Clinics Campaign . I feel very strongly about making this event a success since it is about supporting much needed improvements in clinical care provided to our Transgender friends in Los Angeles. Life is good! More to come!".

Joe Mannetti aka Joe Falconi (articles - profile) has been seriously busy within the Bear and Gay community of late, it's almost kinda hard just to keep up with him. And all the while he's running around gathering funds for charities, he's also been winning a lot of Bear titles.

The following is from Joe: "I cannot believe that I won the Mr. International Daddy Bear 2009 title! A big thank you to all the great men that were a part of 'Team Bear' (website - articles) that weekend! The Bears of San Francisco (BOSF) selected the best organizations as the beneficiaries this year. The Transgender Law Center, Positive Resource Center, and the International Gay & Lesbian Human Rights Commission represent the diversity in our LGBT communities beautifully. BOSF proved that their city is still 'the progressive city' by choosing them as the recipients for the funds that were raised at IBR.
 
I have never been more proud to work side by side with a more caring and attractive group of individuals in a more wonderful city. Thank you for letting me be a part of your family, and thank you for offering me the chance to give back to our communities. Please, let me know what I can do to help out in any way, and I will do my best to be there for you.

In other news - John Clifton has graciously offered to hold a champagne reception at Pistons in Long Beach on Saturday, February 28th to welcome me back to LA! You are all welcome, and I would love to celebrate with you there! I would also like to give a heads up that a documentary film-maker named Julian Dahl will be present and filming there that evening. Be ready to volunteer to be a part of a documentary titled 'HEAVY' that he is filming that evening if he chooses to shoot you, and you are willing to be a part of it! The documentary is about larger sized people in the community. But it is also about diversity, acceptance, and support for others who do not fit certain stereotypical standards of beauty".

Click here for some recent photos of Joe.

Make your plans to head on over to the Eagle LA (website - profile) on February 13th as they are planning a 'Gar Night with the guys who run Maximus (website - profile). There will be cigars available. Come in your fetish and layered leather gear. The Eagle LA bar is located on Santa Monica Blvd in Los Angeles, CA.

The extremely Bear friendly leather bar Eagle LA (website - articles - profile) is going to hold their Mr. Eagle LA contest tomorrow evening ~ on January 10th. However things are starting off tonight - Friday, January 9th - with Maximus (website - articles - profile) having their cigar social, then on Sunday they are having their brunch. Looks like a good time, I'll be looking out for the photos. The bar is located on Santa Monica Blvd in Los Angeles, CA.

Leather men and Bears smoking cigars at the Eagle LA (website - articles). Does that sound like something that could turn you on? The cigar social group Maximus (website - articles - profile) are going to be part of the Mr. Eagle LA Contest with their 'Cigar Smokers and their Admirer's' event. All this will be taking place on January 9th and the Eagle LA is located on Santa Monica Blvd, in Los Angeles, CA.

[Members, click here] I honestly do not know how Mr. Spankee does it, but he can take some serious spanking punishment. He's this super cute husky 43 year old Bear in Los Angeles who gets spanked like 3 to 4 times a months by Dads and Moms. Over the knee or bound to a spanking chair, he's able to withstand more and more whippings even when his butt is gleaming red.

What's great about this is that Mr. Spankee has taken a lot of photos of him getting spanked by a variety of guys. There's some guys smaller than him and some guys bigger than him, and all the guys that are doing the spanking have a certain 'glow' on their faces (some guys just like dishing it out to other guys), yet it's the smile on Mr. Spankee's face that... well... is wild to see. I have no clue how he takes it, a simple slap on my bum and I'm squealing (I'm a wuss, I know), but I can't even fathom what Mr. Spankee must be experiencing.

Anyhow, enough about me... head on over to the Bear Gallery #6 to see his sets. He sent in 555 pics which you can check out in the following 5 sets: Set #1 (preview); Set #2 (preview);  Set #3 (preview);  Set #4 (preview);  Set #5 (preview). And if you're into spanking yourself, then why not send him off an email to let him know how cute you think he and his Bearish butt is.

You've been a very bad, bad Bear and now you must get on my lap and I must spank you until the tears come running down your face and you beg me to stop.

Make sure to gear up for what looks like a fun weekend. The Eagle LA is putting on their Mr. Leather Contest '09 which will be taking place on January 10th however they have events planned the whole weekend long. Eagle LA is a seriously Bear friendly site, they were the host to the launching of the new BEAR magazine party back in August (article). Just check here to see all of the great events they have in store for this bar on Santa Monica Boulevard .

His real name is Joe Mannetti however many of you know him as Joe Falconi (photo - courtesy of Lee Friend of Talk Magazine) . He has been the heartthrob to many a Bear lover as he's appeared in quite a few photo shoots, magazines and Bear movies. You might even remember seeing him for a few seconds on Conan O'Brien (altho much to the dislike of CyberBears).

Well Joe has been a very busy Bear of late, especially with the ton of work he puts into the GLBT community. You should check out this article on The Complete Bear (website - profile) to see all the things he has been up as well as all the things he'll be doing.

Oh - he also just won the Mr. Los Angeles Bear '08 title held by BearsLA at Oil Can Harry's last September 13th. A huge congratulations goes to him.

On a personal note, I have always found Joe super duper cute ever since I first saw his photos on BearBound (preview pics of Joe - articles - profile). There's something about him that just captures your eye... and keeps it focused on him. I'm sure we'll be hearing more from him in the upcoming future.

Over at our VOD page (Video on Demand with PPVNetworks), they have added some old BearFilms favourites however they have been redigitized, these being 'Woof!' and 'California Bears'.

"Woof! - Announcing our brand-spanking-new video, fresh from the guys at BearFilms. Woof! is nearly 2 hours of steamy sex with 13 hot Bears and Cubs! Redigitzed for optimal playback! And 'California Bears' - we've got over two hours as well of sweaty Bears getting it on at the Lone Star in San Francisco and all over LA. These frisky husky hunks sure had a good time and we know you will too! Redigitized as well".

"The revival of BEAR Magazine (website - profile) is upon us! Come down to the Eagle LA (website) on August 29th to celebrate the rebirth, along with the release of 3 classic Jack Radcliffe movies on DVD for the first time ever! Those movies are: 'Palm Springs Vacation', 'Leather Bears at Play' and 'Big Bear Trucking Co'. Not only will participants receive a free issue of the new issue #65 and a BEAR bumper sticker (while supplies last), the man himself Jack Radcliffe will be available to sign copies and photos! This is a rare opportunity since Jack Radcliffe has been formally retired from the adult industry for the past several years! BEAR movies and gifts will also be raffled off to lucky winners!".

Team Bear has added a new look to their website. They have added more photos to their gallery and there's a new discussion forum as well. They have also raised a ton of dough for the San Francisco AIDS foundation - 145k.

"Team Bear is a community project of PrideWorks, a San Francisco-based non profit organization. PrideWorks absorbs administrative, marketing and development costs so that 100% of all net proceeds raised by Team Bear goes to AIDS LifeCycle, benefitting the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and the Gay & Lesbian Center of Los Angeles".

In other news, they need volunteers for the Hairrison. "Several fundraising efforts for Team Bear will take place over the Labor Day Weekend during Hairrison Street Fair this year. We need volunteers 1) to staff the Team Bear Beverage Tent (selling drinks during the fair), 2) to act as bar managers for other Beverage Tents, 3) to sell Bear Tags, and 4) to help out at fundraisers that week".

There's a bit of news to share from artist Danny Babineaux. First off, he's updated his site Danny Boy Studio with some new drawings since the last time we've mentioned his work on this site (articles). He's also been selling his stuff internationally and he ships all his work all over the world. He has a new mailing list that is growing and he sends out images of his newest works. Just email him to join. He has also recently painted a picture of Kathy Griffin, gave it to her and she signed it and had it auctioned at an AIDS event in Los Angeles.

A must see for anyone who enjoys the look of a Bearish man is the Art by Minoru. His work kind of makes me think of how Michelangelo would have drawn Bears if he were alive today... then again... Minoru has his own very distinct style, especially when it comes to detailing faces. There are several Bearish guys I recognize that he has drawn which makes it all that more exciting to view his work. Prints are available of his work, all you have to do is email him.

Here's a little bit about Minoru, from his site: "Minoru was born in Shimonoseki City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. He attended Asia University in Tokyo and received his Bachelor's Degree in Business. He also attended the Bunka Fashion Academy in Tokyo where he studied Fashion Design as well as Fashion Illustration. He worked in the fashion industry in Japan until 1979 when he moved to Los Angeles.

Minoru has taken various life drawing classes at East Los Angeles College, Pasadena City College and finally Glendale Community College. Also while at Glendale Community College, he also took classes in illustration, oil painting, water color and print making. He has been given various First Place awards at student art shows for his works in life drawing, water color and print making. Currently, he lives in Burbank, California.

Minoru's unique style shows in all his work from his erotic pieces to his non-erotic fine art. For more than six years, rarely has a day gone by that he has not worked on his drawings. When you see the detail in his work, you'll no doubt agree it has been time well spent".

The following is from SeventyOne Productions: "My name is Jina Park and I am a Freelance Producer in San Francisco. With the ad agency GSW Worldwide and the photographer Robert Mizono, we are working on a campaign for the pharmaceutical company Roche Fuzeon/Invirase and we are looking to find a 'Bear' talent who is HIV positive for their ad campaign. It will shoot on Thursday, November 29th. We are working with the Morgan Agency in Los Angeles to find HIV positive talent but the choices for individuals who are 'Bears' and HIV+ are slim. We are looking for a Caucasian in the age range of mid 40s. We would need to see a current pic, face and body. The rate we can pay for talent is $3500. The usage is for 3 years, US only, all pharmaceutical industry trade uses (print, collateral, trade show and display, web and electronic uses). He will need to be held exclusive to the HIV treatment product category so we're sure he doesn't pose for any other HIV jobs while we're licensing his photo".

The following was sent in by BearFilms (click here to see the preview pics): "You can still hear the trace of an accent when Marco Vee opens his sexy mouth to speak. But Los Angeles is now home for this 26-year-old transplant from Eastern Europe. Marco now works at a local bank and at the Faultline Bar but has always wondered about trying his hand at porn.

Marco showed up for the shoot at a home in the Hollywood Hills with a bag of clothes and a little bit of nervousness. He soon relaxed as the camera captured his beefy, hairy Cub body and sensuous smile. Then he slipped into the tub and let the arm water soak his stiff cock and tight ass.

Marco says he loves hung muscle Bears and daddy Bears, especially the hairy ones. So if you fit the bill, this cute Cub could be looking for you".

From the Bears on the Run site: "Over the last few years, outlets like Bear Radio Network, Bearapalooza and Woobie Bear Music, along with a host of supportive Bear runs, bars and podcasts, have given Bear musicians, songwriters and performers a place to share their talents. This fall, 6 performers will head out in a van for the 1st ever Bear tour which will span 12 cities and 7 states including Texas, Alabama, Georgia, Ohio, Illinois, Missouri and Oklahoma.

The tour is called Bears on the Run and showcases the talents of Bobaloo (a comedian from Los Angeles, CA - TubeBear profile), Kendall (a songwriter and performance artist from Buffalo, NY), Matthew Temple (a folk singer/songwriter from Nashville, TN), Nakia (a Blues singer/songwriter from Austin, TX), Elijah Black (a rock singer and songwriter from Akron, OH) and Shannon Grady (a singer and songwriter from Minneapolis, MN). Along for the ride will be two videographers who will capture performances as well as life backstage and on the road to be edited into a documentary.

The tour's founder Shannon Grady (a singer and co-host of the popular podcast bTALK) hopes that the tour will grow and open up doors for other Bear artists and find new audiences for their work".

Maximus is a social event for cigar smokers that are beefy, real and raunchy from Bears to Leather men. Maximus was created by LeatherBear 2002 titleholder Joe Smith and DJ Reed (TubeBear profile).

From their site: "The first Maximus smoker they put together, on September 20th 2003, was such a success - drawing, beyond their wildest expectations, stogie studs and briar brothers from all over the USA - they decided to continue holding smokers on a more-or-less quarterly basis (and then some)".

They have their social gatherings in such areas as Palm Springs, Long Beach and Los Angeles. Check out their calendar for their next upcoming events, and also check out their galleries as well as their great array of flyers. Great site and although I don't smoke, I still have high respect for a man who knows how to smoke a cigar well.

There's new pics to be seen over at ButchBear.com as their newest featured model is Ross Taylor who epitomizes fur, tan, muscles and Daddy. And you can also see Ross Taylor in Butch Bear's latest DVD Tap Out (full cover image here). Here's a description they sent in: "Based on the wrestling entertainment industry, masculine muscle mayhem rules as the men of Muscle Wrestling Entertainment (MWE) thrill a crowd of horny, cigar-smoking tough customers who cheer for these modern-day gladiators in no-holds-barred matches. 'Tap Out' to survive and submit to the aggressive sexual will of the winner. Tap in to the behind-the- scenes, crusty, hard-body action of the MWE, as a shady promoter takes and gets what he deserves".

There are also planning release parties for 'Tap Out' around the country in major cities beginning at the Eagle in June 30th in Los Angeles, CA. Other release parties will happen in NYC, San Francisco, Fort Lauderdale, Atlanta, Dallas, Seattle and Provincetown throughout the summer.