Page 38 - AVN December 2016

MILESTONES | | By Brady Jansen
Fine Cup of Joe Joe Gage celebrates his 40th year as a gay porn icon
in the same year Gage celebrates his 40th year in the industry.
“It was a happy coincidence that played perfectly into the marketing for the film. We have the
largest library of Gage-directed films in the industry and are very proud of that fact…from our
research, we believe he is the longest running gay porn director in adult history,” he says.
“Besides the Working Man Trilogy, my favorite old-school Gage film is the original Closed Set.
The group sex and camera work was amazing. Some of my personal TitanMen favorites are 110
in Tucson and Arcade. I love his father/son themes where he walks right up to the edge but doesn’t
cross the line.”
Gage also appeared in a few films himself before taking the leap behind the camera back in the
’70s: “Where Joey Lives, and something with a title I can’t remember [Morning, Noon and Night]. I was
planning to direct this kind of material by then and thought as an actor I should see what it felt
like.”
But in the early 1980s, life in the form of a wife and kids (he is no longer married)—and a
career directing more mainstream fare under a different name, primarily low-budget action, horror
and sci-fi films—took him away from the industry…until another legend helped draw him back in.
“I was glad to see that audiences were responding to my point of view, for the most part,” Gage
says of his work. “I was itching to start an internet series of some kind, and asked my old director
pal Jerry Douglas who to approach for advice. The next thing I knew, I got an offer to direct again,
and I leaped at the chance.”
Gage got back in the saddle with Tulsa County Line for Men of Odyssey in 2001, soon directing
a handful of titles for MSR—including Closed Set: The New Crew, his third entry in the series that
started with the 1980 classic. Titan soon came calling (the studio also released his MSR titles),
and the hits started pouring out as Gage enjoyed a long career revival that continues today—with
his work also being showcased at Dragon Media, the company of former TitanMan Ray Dragon.
“Joe Gage is an icon in the industry. There are few that have had more influence,” says Dragon.
“His films get into your head in just the right way. It is about the abuse of power and the dynamic
that goes with that. He is a great director because he is always willing to explore new ideas and try
different things. We are always looking for new ways to edit, new camera angles, new concepts.
Always willing to learn and explore.”
Gage quickly made a mark with his Dragon Media work. His 2009 Dad Takes a Fishing Trip landed
him a GAYVN Award for Best Director. “Dad” returned to go to college, get into trouble and go
out West in three follow-ups, while TitanMan superstar David Anthony headlined After the Heist
and some of Gage’s hits in his long-running Sex Files series, including Weekend in Phenix City (Vol.
15), Runaway Sons (Vol. 18) and The Runners (Vol. 20).
ready for a change.
When Joe Gage first decided to get into the industry, he was
“I was eking out a living in New York as a TV
commercial actor with roles in the occasional low-budget
indie film,” he recalls. “I felt gay men were misrepresented in
movies and decided to try and do something about it.”
That resulted in arguably the most influential of all films in the
history of gay porn, which has come to be known as the Working
Man Trilogy. It all began in 1976 with Kansas City Trucking Co., soon
followed by El Paso Wrecking Corp. and L.A. Tool & Die.
“The first gay porn I saw as a young gay man was Kansas City
Trucking Co.,” says Titan Media Vice President Keith Webb. “It
helped to form my idea of what gay sex and gay sexuality was.
Remember, we had no role models of what ‘gay’ meant or what
“We have the greatest respect for each other, which has only grown over the years,” says
Dragon. “We are very similar in many ways. We both live out in the country—love gardening and
animals. It’s amazing how well we work together. It’s all about being organized and prepared—we
like to keep the ‘drama’ for in front of the camera. We always know what we are working towards
but can change direction in a minute. The one sure thing about porn shoots—shit happens…make
it work.”
The latest Dragon Media feature serves as the prelude to Titan’s latest Gage effort.
“The lead is played by Dallas Steele and the character is one from Joe’s Dragon Media
production Doomsday Bunker. We loaned Dallas to Joe for his production, and then had Joe write
our movie to include the crossover of the character into Stopover in Bonds Corner,” says Webb. “It
was pre-planned as a future marketing tool to cross-promote across the two companies. The film
also features all-time favorite TitanMan David Anthony, and newest fan favorites Bruce Beckham
and Luke Adams. The film drops in December to coincide with Joe’s 40th-year anniversary
directing gay porn.”
GAYVN
gay sex was. For many of us, the first time we saw gay sex was on
film, often before many had even experienced it in their own lives.
So what you saw on screen had a huge impact on forming your
sexuality and how you saw gay sex. The Working Man Trilogy is to
this day the most important gay porn films ever made.”
Webb was at Titan when Gage signed on in 2004 for a three-
movie deal starting with Mensroom: Bakersfield Station. It proved to be
a fruitful relationship that continues today. In some sort of cosmic
coincidence, Webb notes that Titan’s release of Stopover in Bonds
Corner in December marks the 40th film Gage directed for the studio
38 | AVN.com | 12.16
For Gage, it’s an open marriage he has been thrilled with. “I’ve only worked with Ray Dragon
and Titan for the last decade, and both take a clear-eyed, down-to-earth approach that I appreciate,
as well as ‘got-your-back’ support and encouragement.”
Gage describes his lasting memories from his early years as “frustration and blind ambition
with occasional bursts of joy,” and notes that he’s had to adjust to the changing times both in the
industry and in gay culture.
“My deal from the start was a mix of gonzo, down-and-dirty shooting with some level-headed
pro-planning—rehearsals, notes, sketches for the cameraman,” he says. “Man-to-man sex is not
especially taboo these days, so the challenge is to find a way to build dramatic tension regarding
overcoming odds that would otherwise keep characters apart.”