THE SECOND ANNUAL “Cool 100” issue of Houston CityBook begins hitting newsstands and mailboxes tomorrow, highlighting the magazine’s ranking from 1 to 100 of the coolest Houstonians of the moment.
A handsome young local actor — Johann Fitch, who made a big splash in a small role in last fall’s Netflix hit Obliterated — appears on the cover. Fitch, coming in at number 79 on the 2024 list, turned in a revealing performance as a stripper. But the 23-year-old artist, also an accomplished soccer player, is much more than the Champagne Room show-off he plays in zany cop comedy. He graduates this month from UH with an economics degree, and he’s soon headed west to pursue acting full-time in Hollywood.
“We wanted the list to be surprising, sexy and fun,” says Editor-in-Chief Jeff Gremillion. “That’s what led us to Johann. He’s a great guy, and the camera loves him. He makes an ideal coverguy. We’re excited for his success and can’t wait to see what he does next. In some ways, he’s the epitome of the risk-taking, hold-nothing-back Houstonians who populate our Cool 100 list each year.”
Jhane Hoang, long a go-to photographer for CityBook, shot the young actor for the cover. Hoang also shot the previous cover of the magazine.
The rest of the list, including the number-one coolest person in Houston now, will be revealed soon. Sponsors for the Cool 100 include Exclusive Furniture, Le Tesserae, Jackson & Company, Bentley Houston, Insólito tequila and Avenue 360 Health & Wellness.
The new issue also includes stories on Houston’s best French restaurants and, in the travel section, reviews of fabulous new hotels in Paris and London.
Yvonne Chen