2018 saw a lot of content…

…and the stage is set for a glorious 2019!

Last year began with a full dive into producing video content. I had dabbled with it before but my goal for 2018 was to really get the ball rolling on it. I would have liked to have released more than 15 videos, this year–which is less than I actually shot–but the process of video production is much more lengthy than stills and magazine layouts. I’m learning it as I go, I will admit, but I am a quick learner.

Pictorial wise, it was also a little lighter on releases than I would have liked, but who I shot and what I shot far outweighed the quantity. In February, after my first AVN Convention attendance, I shot the gorgeous exotic beauty Darcie Dolce. She was of course a dream to shoot with and naturally ended up on the cover of Black Label Issue X, which is my favorite Issue to date.

Darcie opened up the door for me into the porn world.

Despite my entry into the “porn industry” I have remained, and will remain dedicated to shooting art–whether explicit or not. Black Label XXX videos and pictorials will remain as artful as they are salacious. Remember: Black Label is about the celebration of feminine beauty. Sometimes that includes feminine sexuality, sometimes it doesn’t.

I’ve released some of the best glamour & art pictorials this year that I’ve ever done. Beginning with Dasha U‘s “Chandeliers” pictorial, to Willa Prescott‘s “Lovely Lines,” the beauty of the art model remains a cornerstone of Black Label.

Lest we forget that I love girls with ink as much as I do girls without. I don’t discriminate with Black Label. If a woman is beautiful and interesting, I’ll shoot her. Issue #9: The Inked Beauties Issue was dedicated to my favorite tattooed models. Toxic and Brodie Grody have an amazing pictorial in that issue called “The Socialites” which might be one of my favorites. I only wish I’d shot video on it!

The rest of Issue #9 featured some beautiful women with very interesting ink, including cover girl Shelby Mason and Tana the Tattooed Lady, both of whom will be appearing in future Black Label pictorials.

When I took the print copies of Issue X down to LA for Darcie Dolce to sign, I decided to get the most out of the trip and was honored to be able to shoot famed adult film star Mercedes Carrera, who also encouraged me to take Black Label into the XXX realm. After shooting Mercedes, I had Olive Glass pay a visit to my suite in Hollywood, and she also pushed me in the XXX direction.

And so, we went for it. Why not? I pay the same fees and have to play by the same rules as the porn world, so why should I censor myself and my art to cave to the misgivings of society? I ceased being mainstream a long time ago…

When Darcie heard the news, she was thrilled and flew up to Portland to “break my cherry.” Another of my favorite models, Verronica Kirei, was also excited to hear the news that I was bringing my vision to the porn world. And thus, we shot Palace Pussy.

What followed was a rush of shooting a litany of XXX content. I was surprised to hear who was interested in shooting with me now that I’d “crossed over,” including the rising star Serene Siren, who flew up from Arizona to shoot two scenes and four pictorials with me at the studio (and who I’m shooting again with Silvia Saige in January). And finally I got to shoot with Jade Nile, who had talked with me in the past about shooting; once I told her I was doing XXX, she got even more excited and went out of her way to make it happen. Throughout our shoot, Jade told me several times “Thank you for being in our industry.”

Also, to my surprise, the art models I’ve worked with didn’t run for the hills. They knew that I would continue to respect their boundaries and that my XXX content would not be the derogatory raunch that saturates the industry.

I want to give a special thanks to Verronica Kirei for being so supportive of my endeavors, being patient with me, and wanting to be a part of my projects as much as she has.

So yes, I’m going to pat myself on the back for what I consider to have been a great year. Though I didn’t release quite as much quantity as I wanted to (blame my day job), I’m proud of what I’ve done, honored to have shot who I’ve shot, and am looking forward to releasing in 2019 that which couldn’t be released in ’18.

I’m especially grateful to the loyal fans who have kept their memberships active through the damned annoying website bugs we’ve had to work through and the spotty content releases. You guys are the best. And to you Instax collectors…thank you. You’re funding the XXX films!

What’s coming in 2019?

Quarter one of 2019 is going to see the release of a swath of content that I couldn’t get out in time for 2018. You’re going to see at least five more videos–both glamour and XXX–and even more pictorials before April. Issue 11 is also going to be released in January, which includes one of my absolute favorite pictorials ever, and Issue 12 should be out right around April. Though 2018 only saw two magazine issues, we’ll be back to normal operation with 4 Issues slated for 2019.

Here’s what you have to look forward to before April:

• Gorgeous image galleries with Mercedes Carrera, Olivia Preston, Olive Glass, and more (with more Instax photos available for purchase too)
• XXX videos with Olive Glass, Verronica Kirei, Jade Nile, and the long awaited return of Keighla Night.
• The introduction of at least five new Black Label Beauties
• Issues 11 & 12
• A BluRay?

A note on Issue 11: I will be making it available in print though it will be a bit later than its digital release in January. This is simply due to budget constraints with funding the XXX movies.

Suffice it to say you have a lot to look forward to. I am looking forward to providing you with some amazing content this year!

Thank you for your patronage and support! I am amazed on a daily basis how many people are in support of an independent operation like Black Label is. You all make it worth while.

Have a safe and Happy New Year!