LOS ANGELES – Erotica LA, that crowd-pleaser and media magnet, was still going great on its second day at the Los Angeles Convention Center. (photo gallery 1 and 2)
The 2009 edition of the consumer show was smaller in terms of exhibitors, especially top porn studios, but as far as the public goes, the crowds were just as large as ever (expected to top out at around 40,000) and eager to make contact with the porn stars of their dreams.
“It’s a little bit smaller, but the enthusiasm is still up,” said Steve Nelson of AINews.com. “The fan enthusiasm is just as strong as ever.”
“I though it was going to be bigger,” one female fan was overheard saying, “but there’s a lot of stuff going on here.”
Indeed.
A few years ago the mass of novelty booths served as a background for the porn companies. This year it’s a handful of studios popping up like oases in a vast ocean of glass dildos, male sexual supplements, erotic chocolates, bongs, massagers, Fluffy Bunny Whips and all kinds of wacky stuff, including Creeps Selling Garbage.com.
The most congested part of the floor was right up front where long lines of fans formed for the neighboring booths of Wicked Pictures and Jules Jordan Video.
At Wicked Jessica Drake and Alektra Blue went above and beyond the call of duty greeting fans until Stormy Daniels showed up to help out around 1 p.m. The attractions at Jules Jordan Video included Dana DeArmond and a spectacularly trim and buff Gianna Michaels. (“She’s been going to the gym,” said JJV’s Jeff Marton).
Jordan had the biggest booth presence in terms of sheer height. But actually, he said, it cost a lot less to install than the popular “Pornitentiary” set that he saves for AEE in Las Vegas. “It’s good branding,” he said. “The media was all over the place last night.”
“I thought there would be more manufacturers,” Jordan remarked, “but a lot of the big companies don’t want it to look like they’re downsizing.”
Jordan’s two-story high banners listed a brand new production company: Vince Vouyer® Unleashed. JJV will be distributing all of Vouyer’s new work. First release, next week, is Anal Junkies on Cock.
At the much smaller but no less busy Evil Angel booth, Karen Stagliano said, “It’s definitely worthwhile for us to be here,” while the indefatigable Belladonna signed and posed for long lines of her fans.
Lexington Steele, presiding over his Mercenary Pictures booth, said, “I thought it would be down because of the economy, but we’re dong all right. Last night it was moderate, but the weekend should be a lot better. Our novelty line is expanding, and we now have four products in our supplement line.”
Smaller companies included the ambitious bi-national startup Bluebird Films, which was sponsoring a raffle for a Nano I-Pod. Voluptuous Indian-American favorite Sunny Leone met fans at her Sunlust Pictures, whose first release was Dark Side of the Sun; next up is Undress Me.
Other studios on the floor included Justin Slayer International, Pink Kitty, Black Market Entertainment, Asia Bootleg, and Joanna Angel’s popular Burning Angel.
A ray of sunshine at the tiny corner booth for Eric John’s Erotique Entertainment was pretty brunette Kiera King, a newcomer with about 30 titles to her credit and a very active website. Expected later that evening was up and comer Tanner Mayes. “She’s doing a Hustler shoot this afternoon.”
There were also portraits in frustration. Director Jim Enright, stacking DVDs at a row of tables for Cezar Capone, said that Capone had evidently decided not to fly in from Miami, leaving Jim holding the empty booth. “He was going to bring banners and girls. So far, no banners, no girls.”
At the LA Direct Models booths porn fans had plenty to choose from: four girls, side by side. Alanah Rae and Brynn Tyler were side by side with Kagney Linn Karter, AVN’s June 2009 cover girl; only Phoenix Marie hadn’t shown up yet.
They were getting set for the evening’s big event, the Miss Erotica LA pageant, a collaboration with LA Direct. The winner will get quite a gift bag, including representation by LA Direct,, a Suze Randall still shoot, a movie role with Wicked Pictures, a website created by Premium Cash, and an AVN cover.
The evening’s other big event, the fourth annual FAME Awards, was being prepped at a booth supervised by hardworking Alexander “Monstar” Raymond, with sexy Angelina Armani as the fan magnet.
Standing out in terms of media was adult movie legend Christy Canyon, who maintained her longtime presence as queen of the mic for Playboy Radio, broadcasting live all day.
The most novel of the novelty booths was that for The Mustang Ranch, billed as “America’s #1 Legal Brothel.” The Nevada institution was peddling t-shirts and knickknacks and trawling for potential customers. Talk about branding!
Any consumer show wouldn’t be complete without The Free Speech Coalition and Bill Margold’s P.A.W. (Protecting Adult Welfare). Margold was awaiting the arrival of adult legend Debi Diamond, who is happily back in the trenches again (“and more power to her,” said Bill, who was really looking forward to the midnight screening of two Marilyn Chambers classics at the New Beverly Cinema).
The Pleasure Chest-sponsored seminars were just getting underway around 1:30 with The Practical Stripper Workshop. Miyoko Fujimori demonstrated how ladies can give their husbands or boyfriends a good arousing lap dance.
The workshop drew a packed house, testifying to the powerful, never-ending attraction of all things sexual to the general public. One thing is sure: As long as I Love Vagina can set up its perennial booth and rack up its accustomed sales, there will always be an Erotica LA.
