BEVERLY HILLS—A premier party for editor Dian Hanson's latest creation, 'The Big Butt Book,' was held Wednesday evening at publisher Taschen's retail store on North Beverly Drive, and to say that it was standing room only would be an understatement.
Present for the event were Hanson, cover(butt)girl Alexis Texas and other models who chatted with guests amid waiters carrying trays of beverages and loads of patrons looking over the store's inventory, much of which is sexually oriented, and taking pictures of themselves and their friends with either a model or just the cover of the 372-page volume. The "coffee table" size art book retails for $59.99.
AVN took a look through the more than 400 shots of beautiful (and occasionally not so beautiful) women with luscious asses, and was pleased to find an entire chapter devoted to The Buttman himself, John Stagliano, which features an extensive interview with the director/photographer about his long-time obsession with asses, and includes photos Stagliano himself had taken of some of his models, showcasing a bevy of darkly beautiful Brazilian babes and even his former girlfriend, the late Krysti Lynn.
Also interviewed were Italian film director Tinto Brass (of Caligula and Salon Kitty fame) and graphic artist Robert Crumb, whose chapter featured some original cartoon works along with selections from his underground comix.
Also accorded chapters are "bootylicious butt queens" Buffie "The Body" Carruth, beautiful blonde Coco, spanking enthusiast Eve Howard, and "Watermelon Woman," all of whom display their ample nether regions for Taschen's cameras.
The book is divided into sections by year, opening with photos of asses from the early 20th century up to 1950, the vast majority of which carry the legend "Unknown" where the name of the model would be. Nonetheless, we did spot a couple of shots of the iconic Bettie Page and another popular '50s model, Jackie Miller, along with multiple shots of models Gloria Dawn, Lulu Wilmot, Dawn Johnson (not to be confused with the former nominee for White House Counsel), Melody Eaton, Stacey Walker, Marilyn Brinkmann and Linda Wilson. Names of others whose asses are on display, who would be familiar to porn fans, include Ryan Connor, Nina Hartley, Rene Bond, Vanessa Del Rio and Pamela Anderson.
One chapter begins, "The 21st century may well be the age of ass"—and who are we to disagree?
