The history of American Curves:

 

2002 phone call between Bob Kennedy,

publisher, and his chief photographer, Rob Sims.

 

BK: Simsy, How are you?

RS: I’m great Bob. How are you doing?

BK: I don’t know whether to fire you, or pay you more money!

RS: Pay me more-- because I’m worth it! Why, what’s happened?

BK: Do you want the good or bad news first?

RS: Always the bad, Bob.

BK: You have gotten MuscleMag kicked out of all the newsstands, Walmart, and Target!

RS: Holy shit! How the fuck did I do that?

BK: By shooting Karen Zarumba with a golf ball up her ass!

RS: Bob, the golf ball was between her cheeks and you published it-- I only shot it.

BK: Yeah, Simsy, but I publish everything you shoot.

RS: So what’s the good news, Bob?

BK: This month’s MuscleMag is the highest selling issue we’ve EVER sold!!!

RS: Congrats! So what’s the plan?

BK: I have over 800 of your photos that I’ve paid you for but never published. We have to get MuscleMag back on the newsstands, so I’m taking out all the girls and putting male body builders back into MuscleMag. Between you and me, we are going to start a new T&A fitness magazine with all the hot photos you have shot. I need you to do all the advertising for me, and once it’s out there we will look at extending your contract for another five years.

RS: When do we start? So I can be you head photographer for your publishing group?

BK: You got it. I’ve already started, so catch me up.

RS: OK, so what do I need to do?

BK: You are going on TV immediately!

CALL ENDS.

 

Over the winter and spring months of 2002-03, while Bob worked with the art director, Rob Sims appeared on a multitude of channels, Entertainment

Tonight, and Access Hollywood, promoting the new men’s fitness magazine, American Curves. American Curves hit the newsstands in late 2002, and quickly became the number one selling men’s magazine in the world. After Bob Kennedy sadly passed in April 2012, American Curves was let go.