The Secret to Joyful Gay Sex?

Photography by RJ Sebastian

"Many have said what we are doing is 'art porn,' " Jake Jaxson of CockyBoys explains. "But by no means are we calling this art. We don't come at it in that way. We're doing what we're doing because it first excites us creatively. Then it is based around the relationship we have the with performer, creatively building projects around their personalities. It bubbles up from there. This is why I love the space we're working in, because nobody has any expectations other than 'Is it getting me off?' or 'Are the guys hot?' Nothing makes me happier than when folks tell me our films make them laugh and cry... or think! Because then you are being entertained!"

Now the studio is continuing to deviate from the industry's thrust-moan-cum curriculum vitae by breaking barriers on how many define porn with their new coffee table book, Sixty Nine: Joyful Gay Sex. The book includes 84 explicit images along with eight companion essays which serve as personal reflections on the relationship between Jaxson, Sebastian, and their third partner, Benny (who himself is the head of technology for the company). The photo book collaboration serves to give a peek into lives of the throuple as well as the inspiration behind their work.

Started in 2007, CockyBoys was originally focused on the Southern California guys with an "Is he straight or isn't he?" vibe. They removed themselves from the straight guy "sandbox" in 2009, when Jaxson and his partner, RJ Sebastian, took the reigns of the company, pivoting it toward where it is today, an adult site unapologetically celebrating gay sex.

"I thought taking over the site would provide me the liberty to have creative freedom to do other things I want to do on the side because it would make me the kind of money and allow me to finance my own projects," Jaxson admits. "However, when the recession hit, it became clear the old adage 'porn is recession-proof' was no longer true. So we looked at the landscape and asked ourselves, How do we start being more creative?"

Taking on the once-popular method of creating studio exclusives, CockyBoys has created marquee names of performers such as Jake Bass, Levi Karter, and Tayte Hanson. As adult film stars, the guys have amassed social media followings bubbling into the hundreds of thousands and now earn top dollar for club appearances and special events worldwide. Walking down the street with them, they're regularly stopped by adoring fans, both male and female.

I n today's world -- where talent is weighted alongside social media influence -- these guys carry clout.

"There's a lot of crap porn out there. I should know, I come across a lot of it," says Scissor Sisters frontman Jake Shears, punctuating his statement with a laugh. "But what's special about CockyBoys is how they not only transcend the genre with interesting conceptual devices, but bring the personalities of their stars to the forefront. It's what Jaxson as a filmmaker has in common with Warhol or Waters: The persona and personality that actually come through to the viewer give the impression of actual creativity taking place. There's something about this that makes the whole thing feel almost wholesome, almost as if you know these guys."

So what are the ingredients that make up a CockyBoy? "He's proud, confident, and comfortable in their own skin. They're not trying to be the perfect anything," according to Sebastian, who along with a co-ownership in the company, is the main videographer for the operation. In addition to their regular slate of releases, the studio is currently developing Showgurls: A Gay Porn Parody, Meet the Morecocks, a POV docu-series chronicling the behind-the-scenes of their lives and making of what they do, and Porn Again, a musical set within the world of porn and musical theater (all the songs are Christian hymns," explains Jaxson matter-of-factly).

"A lot of gay porn studios have given up," says Zach Sire, editor of Str8UpGayPorn.com. "They know that their 25-minute scenes are going to end up on a free tube site, so there's literally no effort or creativity put into anything they produce. CockyBoys is the only studio producing content with real stories, narrative arcs, acting, and cinematography-along with hardcore gay sex and eroticism-and consumers can't really find that on a free tube site. Plus, people who do appreciate art are generally willing to pay for it and not illegally stream or download it, and CockyBoys has done an extraordinary job at reaching out to and connecting with those fans via social media and all their live events. They're like a big family."

Sixty Nine: Joyful Gay Sex is available now. Watch the exclusive SFW book trailer below: