CockyBoys

History

CockyBoys was founded by Kyle Majors in 2007. Based in Los Angeles, Majors' version of the site took a voyeuristic approach focusing heavily on jocks, tattooed guys, and southern California culture. Majors wrote of his vision: "No complicated stories, just a great location with hot boys fucking – no lavish costumes or stupid uniforms – just cock pounding ass."

In early 2010, CockyBoys was sold to New York-based filmmaker Jake Jaxson, becoming one of only two major gay adult studios in the city's five boroughs. The site briefly went offline to undergo a complete transformation, and re-launched with a new design, full HD content, mobile device compatibility, and a streamlined sign-up process. A new roster of exclusively signed models was recruited including Mason Star, Gabriel Clark, and Tommy Defendi. The look and feel of the films also changed drastically, with more attention to cinematography and editing.

The inner-workings of the studio came to light in August, 2012, when New York Magazine profiled self-taught web designer Benny Morecock and his relationship with Jake Jaxson and RJ Sebastian. The article, He & He & He, was later adapted into a play titled "Gay Sex" for a Vassar College student's senior thesis. The writer led a panel discussion with Morecock, Jaxson, and Sebastian on life, love, and their art porn movement.

In June 2013, Jaxson garnered international headlines when the New York Daily News revealed that his former business partner was Glenn Greenwald, the journalist behind the National Security Agency scandal. Additionally, CockyBoys signed a professional dancer they named Jett Black in 2013 who was subsequently expelled from the Royal Winnipeg Ballet for his work with the studio. Both Jett Black and CockyBoys became the center of an international news story when CBC News in Canada interviewed Jaxson and Black for a feature that ran online and on television about the whole scandal.

In October 2014, CockyBoys announced that two of its films were selected to screen at the 2014 Berlin Porn Film Festival: Fuck Yeah Levi Karter, a documentary featuring an intimate look at the CockyBoys star's life and fast rise to porn stardom composed entirely of footage from his own phones, computers, and cameras, and Answered Prayers: The Banker, part one of an allegorical morality play set against an ancient family feud and the follies of men. The six-part miniseries was profiled in The Village Voice with a multi-page story detailing the inspiration behind the project.

Feature Film Productions

CockyBoys has built a reputation for its avant-garde approach to gay sex, often incorporating mainstream genres and personal anecdotes from both the models and the filmmakers with porn. In describing Jaxson's creative impact on the adult industry, Bradford Matthews of Fleshbot wrote, "There's plenty of filmmakers that have explored pornography in independent films, but I can honestly say Jaxson is one of first pornographers I've seen successfully work in the opposite direction, exploring the art of creative filmmaking through pornography."

Name of the Game

In New York City, the name of the game is survival. Moonlighting as an escort, Tommy Defendi is an aspiring artist who has to hustle for every dollar. His friend Phenix Saint is a maverick tattoo artist yearning to take his art to the next level. Together they induct doe-eyed Mason Star, a newcomer to NYC, into their group. All three guys have one thing in common: they will do whatever is needed to achieve their goals... even if it means fucking their way to the top. Also starring Marc Dylan, Kennedy Carter, Gabriel Clark and Turk Mason, "Name of the Game" is the first scripted feature from CockyBoys.com. It's a story of how three friends would do anything—and fuck anyone—in order to survive in the city that never sleeps.

Project GoGo Boy

In the summer of 2012, CockyBoys reached critical and commercial acclaim for Project GoGo Boy, a pseudo reality TV-style miniseries described as "Real Housewives of New Jersey meets xTube" following a rivalry between New York City nightlife personalities Jake Bass and Max Ryder. The film went on to win four Grabby Awards in 2013, including Director of the Year and Movie of the Year, earning especially high praise for breakout stars Bass and Ryder. Additionally, the film won three TLA Gay Awards and Best Sex Scene of the Year at the 2013 Cybersocket Web Awards.

The Haunting

Jaxson diverted from the reality TV genre with his next film, The Haunting, an erotic ghost story. The film was praised particularly for its character development, plot, and attention to detail. The cinematography and musical score were also described as comparable to those of Stanley Kubrick. The Haunting was nominated for eight Grabby Awards, winning Best Screenplay and Best Cinematography.

Max & Jake's Road Strip

A light-hearted follow-up to Project GoGo Boy was released in mid-2013, Max & Jake's Road Strip, starring Bass and Ryder as they travel around the country in a camper, triggering an adventure packed with hot sex and the pair's signature slapstick comedy. An R-rated version of the four-part miniseries was edited into a feature-length film and screened at the 2013 Philadelphia QFest.

A Thing of Beauty

Later in 2013, CockyBoys released a new genre film titled A Thing of Beauty starring models Colby Keller, Dale Cooper, Gabriel Clark, and JD Phoenix. The film was recognized for its use of poetry, cinematography, and music. Jaxson coined the film's genre as "eroti-doc," and was later hailed by Salon as "the Walt Whitman of gay porn."

Answered Prayers

In July 2013, Jake Jaxson announced on his official Tumblr page that model Jett Black had been fired from CockyBoys due to a violation of contract terms. The post included the quote, "More tears are shed over answered prayers than unanswered ones." In November, The Village Voice ran an article about Jaxson's newest project titled Answered Prayers, describing it as an interpretive take on the feelings of betrayal, misrepresentation, secrets, and lies Jaxson says he experienced when he became convinced Jett Black was stealing from his company. Part one of the six-part miniseries debuted on the site days later and was a success, drawing comparisons to filmmakers Stanley Kubrick, Derek Jarman, and Peter Greenaway. This project was the last appearance for Max Ryder.

Meeting Liam

CockyBoys and Jake Jaxson present Meeting Liam, an erotic four part found footage horror and ghost story which takes the "found footage" genre to a new level of fear and flirtation starring Liam Riley, Levi Karter, Tayte Hanson, Ricky Roman with appearances by Bella, Michael Milano and Jake Jaxson.

Meeting Liam is an experience that delivers scares, chills, and intricate storylines twisted together with merciless, hardcore sex for a one of a kind ghostly story! Come experience the events that took place before and during the mysterious events that unfolded on that fateful Halloween night in 2014. The story combines the experiences with inanimate objects with minds of their own, a dog with her own personal agenda, disappearing Ouija boards, supernatural portals deep inside closet doors, and lots of casual fucking with 4 horny men and 1 ghost. This is a timeless story that will live on each halloween to come!.

Fan base

CockyBoys has a cult following of fans described by Jaxson as "fan girls, moms, teenagers, older gentleman, male and female couples, male and male couples, bisexuals and transgender people." In 2013, CockyBoys was the only exclusively gay male porn producer included in a Cosmopolitan article listing the very best porn for women. Jaxson described CockyBoys' uniquely large following of female fans as "porn moms" in a 2014 interview with The Daily Telegraph.