In 2002, I was working for AVN, and stopped at West Coast Productions for business. Immediately, I was rushed into the owner’s office and sat down. “I spend a lot of money on ads for AVN, what do I have to do to get featured in your magazine!?” he demanded. This may have been the first of many times I’d coach owners and publicists of adult companies on how to get published in the magazine and how to get placed on our publication’s site.
Shortly thereafter, I met Sherry, who had worked for KLOS and with Hollywood rock bands. I helped her start Black and Blue Media. This was how she met Eddie Van Halen, and we’d be over at his house late at night, helping him with adult film projects like Vampire Chronicles 2 and The New Neighbors. Keep in mind, Eddie was having custody issues with Valerie. Wolfie was underage. Part of our job at the time was to keep Ed’s name away from the projects until Wolfie was 18. I was headhunted to work for SLLAB, his adult video company, and would later make the phone call to Red Light District so Eddie could connect to Michael Ninn.
Janie takes the credit for publicity for Van Halen’s first official porno, Sacred Sin, but more importantly, she takes the credit for marrying Eddie. This left Sherry and I short of a client, and Michael Ninn short of a publicist. Janie connected Michael with us, making for one of the most exciting adventures Sherry and I had in adult.
Inspired by the marketing campaign for Cloverfield, we did the first adult industry alternative reality game to promote Ninn’s The Four. We animated our first cartoon character spokesperson, and even did a book on how to start an adult video business.
For a long while after, Sherry took point. I had pet clients like New York Rubber Ball, and of course, Mistress Cyan of DomCon & Sanctuary LAX. But this opportunity gave me an opening to experiment. Unlike most publicists, my background is in art and graphic design. So I set up FetishArtist.net as a test bed to try new things before putting them before a client. We shot video, set up our own influencer sites, and reached out to YouTubers. Meanwhile, my art showed in world famous locations like La Luz de Jesus and Dirty Show Detroit.
Sherry died of cancer in 2020. With 2021 comes many fresh starts, and this is one of them. Buckle up, I’m about to put the hammer down.