Page 23 - AVN February 2017

WHO’S WHO
have wanted it to end. What a performance. CUT! OK, kill the lights, it’s a wrap.”
For its part, the Free Speech Coalition and FSC Board Chair Jeffrey Douglas
remembered Margold’s contributions to the industry and the organization:
“’Without Bill Margold, the Free Speech Coalition likely would have passed
into history in 1995, as had its many predecessors. At that point, interest in the
organization had dropped to the point that there were insufficient nominees to fill
the Board of Directors, and Bill selected a group to fill the numerous vacancies.
His slate (along with Paul Fishbein, then publisher of AVN) was accepted by
acclamation at a general membership meeting in Las Vegas. From that the Free
Speech Coalition was reborn.’
“Bill viewed the adult industry, and especially the performing artists, as his
family. He was driven by his pursuit of what he believed was in the best interest
of talent. Fiercely passionate and happily cantankerous, Bill took pride in plaguing
those whom he perceived as his opponents. His gift for epigrams was constantly
put to the service of advocating for the ‘Family of X.’
“Bill left the Board of Directors of the Free Speech Coalition in the early 2000s
with deep regret. He had a vision for both the trade association and the industry
that was uncompromising and zealous.
Sandra van Looij European brand ambassador will support System JO’s expansion
“Bill knew he was unique and reveled in that position. We bow our heads at his
System JO has appointed Sandra van Looij as the company’s European brand
passing.”
ambassador. As the lubricant manufacturer continues to increase its global
During his tenure with Free Speech, Margold inaugurated a unique type of
exposure, van Looij will help to satisfy a steadily increasing need for educational
fundraiser for the organization: naked bowling. Each year, beginning in about
and marketing support in the foreign market.
1994, he arranged for a bowling alley somewhere in the city to close its doors to
Van Looij has many years of adult industry experience, most recently serving
the public for one evening and allow adult stars to doff their clothes and bowl,
as an educational executive for a leading luxury pleasure product manufacturer.
and FSC charged fans for the privilege of watching it all happen. The fan attendees
Her primary role will be to provide JO’s European retailers and distributors with
were also able to photograph the stars and buy videotapes and other items they
product training and support.
had for sale. In later years, when the bowling alleys refused to allow complete
Said Becky Anniuk, System JO’s EU regional manager, “With the growth that
nudity, the event was done in skimpy bikinis.
we are experiencing within Europe, it was key for us to be able to support our
Adult performer Mr. Marcus shared his own sentiments about Margold, who
customer base through expanding the team into mainland Europe. I am really
had an office next to his in Van Nuys for almost 10 years.
excited to have Sandra join the JO team. She brings with her valuable experience
“Bill came from an era when what we do for a living was very risqué but artsy
within the adult market. Her fluency in Dutch, German and English will also make
and he was very supportive of everyone who followed after that,” Mr. Marcus
her an invaluable asset to the team.”
said. “I consider him and always will consider him a true porn historian. We
Sandra van Looij is based in the Netherlands. European resellers interested in
need people like him to connect the dots. He spoke on the industry. He talked
product training can contact Becky Anniuk at rebecca@systemjo.com or van Looij
to mainstream, he dropped quotes. He was a creative cat, and he had love for
at sandra@systemjo.com. Domestic retailers can email sales@systemjo.com.
performers. He called all of us his ‘kids.’ Coming from his era, I can see why he
said that.”
Mr. Marcus added, “He was a big guy and he had a big heart and I guarantee
that’s what he’s going to be remembered for. He spoke his mind, he wasn’t afraid
to say shit, but deep down inside that dude had a huge heart.”
Porn legend Ron Jeremy also remembered Margold with fondness. “People don’t
realize that Bill Margold was really, really a very sweet, sweet man. Bill started the
careers of Serena and Seka; he pretty much was singlehandedly the guy who made
them who they are, and that’s why their friendships lasted forever,” Jeremy said.
“He used to call himself ‘the West Coast Jamie Gillis,’ I remember that, ’cause
he felt like he was up there in the ranks, and he said, ‘I’m the same thing to the
West Coast as Jamie Gillis is to the East Coast.’ It was very funny.”
Jeremy talked about Margold’s “true love,” the adult performer Viper. “His real
soulmate was Viper. She died too, so now they’re together, I hope. He was nuts
about her. Drea was the one before that. Because he was excited that me and
him and John Holmes were doing Drea at the same time. It was me, Bill and John
Holmes doing a four-way with Drea. But his real love was Viper. He always talked
about her, he always cared about her.”
Jeremy reminisced, “He wrote a lot—he was a writer probably first and
foremost. Bill was called a renaissance man. People actually used to call him that;
he loved to be called that, too. Bill was a very, very mellow guy. Didn’t want to
get into fights with people, he just wanted to do his thing. Used to love to eat at
The Pantry, [where] I joined him. He loved sports. He helped my career a lot too,
because he saw I did a good job and I was pretty hung, he got me some work.
He got me over to the Pretty Girls agency, which then I went over to the World
Modeling, Jim then became my agent, and Jim and Bill were always at odds,
because they were the only two competitive agencies. And then they became
friends, like, ‘You got your thing, I got my thing, there’s room for both of us.’ And
now look, now there’s like 10 to 15 agencies.
“Anyway, getting back with Bill,” Jeremy concluded, “a real teddy bear. A sweet,
caring Papa Bear. That’s what he’d want on his gravestone: ‘Here lies Papa Bear,
who cared about his kids.’”
Read more about William Margold on AVN.com, including more anecdotes from Ron Jeremy
(“The Hedgehog on Papa Bear”) and a report on a celebration of life held on January 29.
news briefs
Axel Braun
Director opens up online store, live cam site
Wicked Pictures contract director Axel Braun has launched his official online
store, AxelBraun.com, which serves up a complete catalogue of every movie
directed by Braun over his 27-year career, each available to watch, stream,
download or purchase in DVD format.
“I am absolutely thrilled to finally launch a comprehensive one-stop shop where
people can find all my products,” said Braun. “Some of these movies are hard to
get, and fans can now experience the convenience of a high-quality portal where
they can view them at the resolution they were filmed in, and without risking
exposure to malware.”
Powered by Adult Empire, the store gives consumers the option of purchasing
single scenes, and they can also choose from a variety of Braun-approved sex toys
and lubricants, including Wicked Sensual Care products.
“It was a great honor when Axel reached out to us for his store. He is one of our
favorite directors and his titles sell like crazy on AdultEmpire.com,” commented
Daniel Chura, director of affiliates at AdultEmpireCash.com.
The Live Sex section redirects to AxelBraunCams.com, which offers viewers free
access to hundreds of adult stars and cam models via interactive video chat.
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