Pinup culture is deeply intertwined with car culture and motorcycle culture in American history, so it makes sense that Flint’s signature car and bike events this summer, Back to the Bricks and Bikes on the Bricks, both featured vintage pinup pageants. And those pageants just so happened to be organized by a Flint native.
“We are also keeping car and bike culture alive (through the pageants),” said Stephani Hascall, founder of Vehicle City Vixens. “And people see us up there as confident women, we’re supporting each other and smiling and laughing and having a good old time.”
The pinup culture and aesthetic dates back to the 1940s, and was initially tied to war time or servicemen. Pinup women painted on bomber planes based on images by artists like Gil Elvgren or Alberto Vargas are commonly associated with World War II-era imagery. By the 1950s, pinup style became more deeply connected to hot rod and car culture and rockabilly style.
Today’s pinup pageants often pay homage to those historical roots, but Hascall, whose performer name is Fanny Bruiser, wanted to provide a modern twist when she founded her organization, Vehicle City Vixens, around 2019.
“I was going to shows and seeing that, it was maybe the more vintage girls that were chosen (for pageants), and not girls with tattoos or colored hair or gauges,” she said. “So I wanted to create a safe place where women of all ages, all shapes and sizes and hair colors and everything else could feel good about each other and have a real sense of community.”
Pinup pageants typically have judges who evaluate different criteria based on the pageant’s rules or themes. Contestants have opportunities to answer questions, show their personality and interact with the crowd, and judges look at things like hair, makeup, and outfits to see how well they fit the theme of the competition. Some pageant themes are focused on historical accuracy, but others mix in modern elements – for example, an upcoming pinup show in Saginaw has a Tim Burton theme.
“If it were a vintage show, it (the criteria) is are you accurate to the period? A rockabilly theme, you would want the victory rolls or the poodle hairstyles or the ponytails,” Hascall said. “The judges look at your hair and makeup and how well your outfit is put together, that you’re not mismatching, that it all flows together well. And then they look at their confidence, how they engage with the crowd. So it’s not crowd applause, but are their answers fun or quirky or do they make the crowd and judges laugh? And then they’re scored 1 to 5, and we tally the scores.”
Hascall first became interested in pinup pageants after going through some life changes and seeking a creative outlet. She had friends who traveled to other parts of the country for tattoo conventions and introduced her to pinup pageant culture.
“I thought, man, that does look like a fun time,” she said. “And so that’s how I started doing it. I started buying my clothes at Goodwill and doing a lot of research and over the years you just evolve and you become this persona that you’ve put together. I wasn’t always Fanny Bruiser, but it’s a persona that got me outta my comfort zone, and allowed me to feel like myself and be confident and a little silly.”
Over the years competing in pageants, Hascall has won more than 50 awards. However, now she’s transitioned into more often hosting the pageants herself rather than competing, and helping others who are expressing themselves.
“Now it’s like, seeing others succeed and teaching them how to get that confidence,” she said.
Hosting also requires her to be on the stage the entire time, rather than just when it is her turn for questions. She has to know details of each contestant’s character or persona, and set them up well with their questions as well as manage the logistics backstage for the event.
“There’s a big difference from hosting to competing,” she said. “When you’re competing, you’re posing in the mirror, working on facial expressions, your different outfits you feel good in. When you switch to host, you’re putting on the whole event. I have to make sure I have everyone’s bios with note cards with them on there. I have to make sure I mention my sponsors. I have to make sure everyone knows exactly where they need to be at what time. So I switch over to business mode.”
In the recent Bikes on the Bricks pageant, there were 13 contestants with three recognized by judges. Jesse Dames was named Miss Bikes on the Bricks 2025, Angel Cakes 1st Runner-Up, and Ragdoll won 2nd Runner-Up and Vixens’ Choice. Prize packages were donated by event sponsors, including Vehicle City Harley Davidson.
Hascall has organized and participated in pageants all over the state over the years, but as a Flint native who grew up in the northeast part of the city near Stepping Stone Falls, doing shows that highlight the pinup artform in her hometown are extra special. She’s performed at Bikes on the Bricks before, but performing at Back to the Bricks for the first time in 2025 was a huge goal she’d set out to reach.
“That was a 10-year dream of mine to be at Back to the Bricks,” Hascall said. “There are so many good things that come from Flint, and I just love being downtown and being able to bring a nice, fun, family-friendly event to Flint.
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