No one ever says "I want to be the director of communications for a vintage porn studio when I grow up," but here I am. Over the past three years I've watched from my black leather swivel chair as the granddaddy of gay porn studios moved from relic of the past to struggling start-up, to its current station as the leader in Latin hardcore. And now, from that same seat, I'm gearing up to launch the biggest campaign of my career.
In the coming months, AMG will completely overhaul its web presence and archiving system and embark on a crusade to gain exposure for AMG founder Bob Mizer's color work. For those who've never heard of Mizer, or his pioneering brainchild, Physique Pictorial, the obvious question is "So what?" Well, aside from its importance to the company coffers, this campaign means protecting and disseminating a crucial part of gay history.
My first memory of AMG, which launched Tom of Finland's career and influenced the likes of David Hockney and Robert Mapplethorpe, is a campy "documentary" about an eccentric man and his many birthday-suited pool boys entitled, Inside AMG. I found the video as a confused college student, searching for some discreet porn at the video store. Inside AMG wasn't exactly porn, but it stirred something in me that I've never been able to shake. I thought I'd discovered something truly unique, something so bizarre that only I could love. And while I may have been right about the film itself, I was only one in a long line of gay men who took inspiration from Mizer's photography.
Like the many men who trekked to L.A. to meet Mizer - among them, contemporary artist and reluctant AMG model Jack Pierson - I made the journey out to San Francisco to find the AMG archives. What I discovered was a staggering collection. Rows of shelves, packed to capacity, filled the room that houses the collection (estimated at one million photographs and more than five thousand films) to this day. When I walked into an adjoining room to find a large video monitor showcasing a close-up of a hairy, pulsating asshole, I knew I had to work at AMG.
I was hired a few days later, and within a year I'd moved up from part-time graphic designer to head of promotions. I've worn many hats since, finally settling on my current post as the director of communications. With each title I've become more aware of the obstacles that face a studio like AMG. The most notable of these is the content. It's about 99% softcore. Mizer claimed he never produced pornography - he also claimed he never tricked with his models, which is total BS.
Anyway, when you're selling content that looks like Pollyanna next to chart-toppers like Cumsloppy Buttholes, you have to be meticulous about every move. So what does it take to sell mid-20th-century smut at the dawn of the new millennium? The answer is simple: patience, licensing and a modern hardcore brand. Really, we wouldn't be where we are without AMG Brasil and its unique approach to Latin hardcore. Likewise, if it weren't for the myriad licensing opportunities (which we are privy to precisely because our content is softcore) with filmmakers, book publishers and even media powerhouses like HBO, I don't know that we could have survived, much less thrived.
It's been five years since Dennis Bell took charge at AMG, and there's been a considerable amount of trial and error, but if the state of my calendar is any indication, 2009 is our year. First, we're relaunching our website. This incarnation will rival the major studios' in scope and accessibility. It's a total overhaul, including a complete redesign, a database-driven interface and high-def streaming video. In time, every single slide, every inch of film, from both AMG Classics and AMG Brasil, will be accessible online.
Then there's the big color push. 2009 marks the beginning of our campaign to garner attention for Mizer's oft-overlooked color work. His color photographs have already started appearing in porn rags and art publications across the globe; later this year, one of the most respected art publishers in the world will release a hardcover tome dedicated to these rare images; and as I write this, we are in the midst of compiling slides for a gallery retrospective.
Today, as I sit in my black leather swivel chair, sorting through slides and reflecting on the past three years, it's no wonder to me how I ended up here, or why. In fact, the only thing on my mind is what's next.
See a gallery of some of AMG's superstars.
