J. C. Adams
Encyclopedia
J. C. Adams is an author, magazine editor and reporter whose work focuses on the adult gay pornographic industry, and a director of gay pornographic films.
. His father was a teacher. He has two brothers, one older and one younger.
He attended local Catholic elementary and secondary schools before graduating with a bachelor's degree
from La Roche College
.
in 1992. He began writing articles on various sex-related topics for Sex Vibe, an occasional magazine published by AIDS Project Los Angeles
. He continued to contribute to the publication until its demise in 1998.
In August 1995, Adams began writing reviews of gay porn films for Adult Video News (AVN), a trade industry publication covering the straight, gay, bisexual, and transsexual porn industry. In 1997, the Adam Gay Video Directory, an annual publication of gay porn film reviews produced by Knight Publishing Corp., hired him to write reviews for the next edition of its annual film guide.
His work for AVN brought him to the attention of the gay adult film industry, and in 1995 he worked as a coordinator for the Gay Erotic Video Awards
(GEVAs), an annual gay porn industry awards show sponsored by Gay Video Guide. In 1997, he became judging and nominations coordinator for the GEVAs, and continued in that role until the final awards show in 1998.
In 1998, Adams began reviewing gay porn films for RAD Video, a major online retailer of gay, straight and bisexual mainstream and adult films. That same year, Adams began writing a monthly column for the company's Web site in which he reported on industry events, technology, scandals and other newsworthy topics.
Adams' first published mainstream work was a portrait of gay adult film agent and former rock promoter David Forest, which appeared in Genre
magazine in October 1999.
Adams also began writing for Unzipped magazine (formerly Advocate Classifieds) in 1998, contributing articles, reviews and interviews with gay porn stars. He was hired as the publication's editor in June 2000 after the editors decided to relaunch the biweekly publication as a monthly, and produced the first issued of the new Unzipped (August 2000 issue). He left the magazine in January 2002.
Adams began syndicating his gay porn industry news column in March 2002. It began running on adult film Web sites such as NakedSword.com, but also on sites such as the mainstream GLBTQ portal site, OutinAmerica.com.
Adams did a great deal of freelance work for various gay porn studios during this time as well. He helped Sports and Recreation Video publish a print magazine, Inside Porn, from 2001 until it folded in 2003. And he did freelance publicity work for several gay porn studios, including All Worlds Video and MSR Videos.
He was hired by MSR Videos as a full-time publicist in November 2002. In 2003, he became a production manager for the studio. He left MSR Videos in October 2004 (the studio folded in January 2005 after the death of its founder and owner, Tony Alizzi).
In 2004, Adams wrote an article for the peer-reviewed academic publication, Journal of Homosexuality. The article, "Sex Pigs: Why Porn is Like Sausage, or the Truth is That-Behind the Scenes-Porn Is not Very Sexy," discussed why adult film sex work is, in fact, work. The article was published as a chapter in the book Pornucopia: Eclectic Views on Gay Male Pornography, published by Haworth Press
in 2005.
Adams has continued to work for the "Adam Gay Video Directory" since 1997. In June 2005, the company hired him as editor of its monthly gay porn review magazine, XXX Showcase, and as editor of their annual directory. The first issue of XXX Showcase he edited came out in August 2005. The first annual directory he edited covered gay adult films for 2005, featured Hot House Entertainment
on its cover and was published December 2005. His second edition as editor featured Raging Stallion Studios performer François Sagat
on its cover and was published December 2006. Adams' third edition as editor was published in December 2007 and featured COLT Studio Group
performers Adam Champ and Carlo Masi.
Adams is at work on book titled It Just Happened, an oral history of the gay adult film industry.
The "home base" for Adams' column is currently GayPornTimes.com, a Web site which he also helps manage and edit.
Adams' growing familiarity with adult film production, a by-product of his work reporting from gay porn sets, soon led to writing and directing duties.
Adams' first credit adult film script was The List, produced by MSR Videos in 2003. He served as production manager in the film, and produced three other titles that year as well.
In early 2004, Adams directed his first credited gay porn scenes, including the film Shooters from MSR Videos. The film was co-directed with Alizzi. Earlier that year, he had his first solo turn as a director, helming the All Worlds Video Catch Me. In 2005, Adams directed Sex With Strangers for All Worlds Video before returning to RAD Video, where he directed and produced Friends With Benefits.
In August 2006, Studio 2000
owner David McKay
hired Adams as his new chief of production. Adams replaced Scott Masters
, the award-winning director and co-founder of Studio 2000 who retired after selling the production house. McKay announced that Adams would manage all the studio's productions, while adult film performer and director Chad Donovan
would handle talent development.
The first film he managed for the studio, Big Boat, was released in January 2007.
and Romaine Patterson
, on SIRIUS OutQ
Satellite Radio.
Early life and education
Adams was born in 1970 in Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaPittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
. His father was a teacher. He has two brothers, one older and one younger.
He attended local Catholic elementary and secondary schools before graduating with a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
from La Roche College
La Roche College
La Roche College is a private college in McCandless, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Pittsburgh. It was founded in 1963 by the Sisters of Divine Providence as a Roman Catholic college and now sits on an campus in McCandless. The current president, Sister Candace Introcaso, CDP, Ph.D., was installed in...
.
Writing career
Adams moved to Los Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
in 1992. He began writing articles on various sex-related topics for Sex Vibe, an occasional magazine published by AIDS Project Los Angeles
AIDS Project Los Angeles
AIDS Project Los Angeles is a 5013 non-profit organization, "dedicated to improving the lives of people affected by AIDS disease, reducing the incidence of HIV infection, and advocating for fair and effective HIV-related public policy."...
. He continued to contribute to the publication until its demise in 1998.
In August 1995, Adams began writing reviews of gay porn films for Adult Video News (AVN), a trade industry publication covering the straight, gay, bisexual, and transsexual porn industry. In 1997, the Adam Gay Video Directory, an annual publication of gay porn film reviews produced by Knight Publishing Corp., hired him to write reviews for the next edition of its annual film guide.
His work for AVN brought him to the attention of the gay adult film industry, and in 1995 he worked as a coordinator for the Gay Erotic Video Awards
Gay Erotic Video Awards
The Gay Erotic Video Awards were awarded annually for gay and bisexual pornography by the Gay Video Guide , a pocket-sized newsstand magazine that catered primarily to fans...
(GEVAs), an annual gay porn industry awards show sponsored by Gay Video Guide. In 1997, he became judging and nominations coordinator for the GEVAs, and continued in that role until the final awards show in 1998.
In 1998, Adams began reviewing gay porn films for RAD Video, a major online retailer of gay, straight and bisexual mainstream and adult films. That same year, Adams began writing a monthly column for the company's Web site in which he reported on industry events, technology, scandals and other newsworthy topics.
Adams' first published mainstream work was a portrait of gay adult film agent and former rock promoter David Forest, which appeared in Genre
Genre
Genre , Greek: genos, γένος) is the term for any category of literature or other forms of art or culture, e.g. music, and in general, any type of discourse, whether written or spoken, audial or visual, based on some set of stylistic criteria. Genres are formed by conventions that change over time...
magazine in October 1999.
Adams also began writing for Unzipped magazine (formerly Advocate Classifieds) in 1998, contributing articles, reviews and interviews with gay porn stars. He was hired as the publication's editor in June 2000 after the editors decided to relaunch the biweekly publication as a monthly, and produced the first issued of the new Unzipped (August 2000 issue). He left the magazine in January 2002.
Adams began syndicating his gay porn industry news column in March 2002. It began running on adult film Web sites such as NakedSword.com, but also on sites such as the mainstream GLBTQ portal site, OutinAmerica.com.
Adams did a great deal of freelance work for various gay porn studios during this time as well. He helped Sports and Recreation Video publish a print magazine, Inside Porn, from 2001 until it folded in 2003. And he did freelance publicity work for several gay porn studios, including All Worlds Video and MSR Videos.
He was hired by MSR Videos as a full-time publicist in November 2002. In 2003, he became a production manager for the studio. He left MSR Videos in October 2004 (the studio folded in January 2005 after the death of its founder and owner, Tony Alizzi).
In 2004, Adams wrote an article for the peer-reviewed academic publication, Journal of Homosexuality. The article, "Sex Pigs: Why Porn is Like Sausage, or the Truth is That-Behind the Scenes-Porn Is not Very Sexy," discussed why adult film sex work is, in fact, work. The article was published as a chapter in the book Pornucopia: Eclectic Views on Gay Male Pornography, published by Haworth Press
Haworth Press
Haworth Press was a publisher of scholarly, academic and trade books, and approximately 200 peer-reviewed academic journals. It was founded in 1978 by the publishing industry executives Bill Cohen and Patrick Mclaughlin. The name was taken from the township of Haworth in England, the home of the...
in 2005.
Adams has continued to work for the "Adam Gay Video Directory" since 1997. In June 2005, the company hired him as editor of its monthly gay porn review magazine, XXX Showcase, and as editor of their annual directory. The first issue of XXX Showcase he edited came out in August 2005. The first annual directory he edited covered gay adult films for 2005, featured Hot House Entertainment
Hot House Entertainment
Hot House Entertainment is a San Francisco-based gay pornography studio founded in 1993 by director Steven Scarborough. The company has several video lines and web properties. In 2002 Scarborough was honored at the GayVN Awards where he was inducted into the Hall of Fame; he also earned a spot on...
on its cover and was published December 2005. His second edition as editor featured Raging Stallion Studios performer François Sagat
François Sagat
François Sagat is a French male pornographic actor who has appeared in gay pornographic movies. He is best known for his rugged looks and scalp tattoo. He has also appeared at times as a fashion model and starting 2009, he also landed on cinematic roles in films for the general public including...
on its cover and was published December 2006. Adams' third edition as editor was published in December 2007 and featured COLT Studio Group
COLT Studio Group
-Overview:It has produced all-male erotica for over 40 years. Started in New York City in 1967, moved to Los Angeles for twenty five years and is now based in San Francisco, California...
performers Adam Champ and Carlo Masi.
Adams is at work on book titled It Just Happened, an oral history of the gay adult film industry.
- "I was going to call it an oral history," Scuglia tells me, "but people kept giggling. It's about how the Falcon aesthetic has infiltrated the mainstream via advertising and popular culture. Look at any fashion magazine and you see those naked, hairless, androgynous male models—and where does the aesthetic come from? Falcon movies! If you want to predict the next trend, just look at gay porn."
The "home base" for Adams' column is currently GayPornTimes.com, a Web site which he also helps manage and edit.
Film work
Adams' career producing and directing gay adult films began in 2000. Real to Reel, an adult film company, hired him to direct but the movie was never completed. However, one scene, featuring Christopher Young and Leo DeSilver, eventually appeared in the film Hitchhikers Delight released by Natural Wonders Productions in 2002.Adams' growing familiarity with adult film production, a by-product of his work reporting from gay porn sets, soon led to writing and directing duties.
Adams' first credit adult film script was The List, produced by MSR Videos in 2003. He served as production manager in the film, and produced three other titles that year as well.
In early 2004, Adams directed his first credited gay porn scenes, including the film Shooters from MSR Videos. The film was co-directed with Alizzi. Earlier that year, he had his first solo turn as a director, helming the All Worlds Video Catch Me. In 2005, Adams directed Sex With Strangers for All Worlds Video before returning to RAD Video, where he directed and produced Friends With Benefits.
In August 2006, Studio 2000
Studio 2000
Studio 2000 is a gay pornographic film studio based in San Francisco, California. It was founded in 1992 by producer Scott Masters and director John Travis. It is currently owned by two former Falcon Entertainment executives who purchased the studio in April 2006 upon the retirement of Masters and...
owner David McKay
David McKay (adult studio owner)
David McKay is the owner of gay adult company Studio 2000, one of the largest such companies in the world. Prior to becoming co-owner of Studio 2000, McKay was vp of marketing for Falcon Entertainment...
hired Adams as his new chief of production. Adams replaced Scott Masters
Scott Masters
Scott Masters is a gay pornographic film director and studio owner active in adult film since the mid-1960s.Masters, whose real name is Warren Stephens, used the nom-de-porn "Robert Walters" when he founded Nova Studios. He later shuttered Nova Studio and became head of production at Catalina...
, the award-winning director and co-founder of Studio 2000 who retired after selling the production house. McKay announced that Adams would manage all the studio's productions, while adult film performer and director Chad Donovan
Chad Donovan
Chad Donovan is an American performer and director of gay pornographic films. He has won numerous awards as a performer and director, and is a member of the GayVN Awards Hall of Fame and the Grabby Awards Hall of Fame....
would handle talent development.
The first film he managed for the studio, Big Boat, was released in January 2007.
Trivia
Since 2003, Adams has been a regular guest on the "Derek and Romaine Show," hosted by Derek HartleyDerek Hartley
Derek Hartley is an American talk show host, who serves as co-host of the Derek and Romaine Show, a talk radio show on Sirius XM Satellite Radio's Gay/Lesbian channel, OutQ. The show has a national audience with a potential reach of 18,000,000 listeners. The show can also be heard worldwide on the...
and Romaine Patterson
Romaine Patterson
Romaine Patterson is an American gay rights activist, radio personality, and author. She first received national attention for her activism at the funeral of murdered gay student Matthew Shepard; the two were friends in high school...
, on SIRIUS OutQ
SIRIUS OutQ
OutQ is a news, talk and entertainment channel on Sirius XM Radio, geared for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender audiences. The channel is available to Sirius and XM subscribers in both the United States and Canada....
Satellite Radio.