International Mister Leather 2005

It's traveling time. Next week we're packing up the lights, the cameras, the inventory, and the attitude and heading for Chicago. The International Mister Leather competition is taking place next weekend, and we want to be there for every soft, warm, pungent moment of it.

Before I got involved in adult entertainment, my only connection to events like this was reading about them in magazines, and admiring the contestants as they wandered through San Francisco on their way to fame. Now, leather competitions are part of my bread and butter. They not only give me a chance to rub elbows with my customers and colleagues. They also provide a fertile ground for spotting new talent.

One of my favorite gay adult entertainment companies in San Francisco actually got the inspiration (and the initial footage) for an award-winning DVD series at IML a few years back. Titan's instant classic, Fallen Angel, lead to four increasingly popular sequels, including one of the biggest splashes ever to hit the industry, the Five-DVD set Horse.

You would understand after a few hours in the lobby of the host hotel for IML. The place is draped and dripping in hot leather men, strutting their chains and floggers around like the latest fashion statement. Masters lead their slaves around on leashes without glancing back. Boots glisten with the deep luster of a dozen spit-shines. A man without a harness is like a drag queen without her wig.

Yes, there is something to the idea that a man dressed in leather is not too different from a man dressed as Liza Minelli; they're both making a bold statement about themselves and their lifestyles for the benefit of everyone. The only thing they want is that you look, admire, and acknowledge how much more fabulous they are than anyone else around. Once I got that, I found myself feeling a lot more relaxed around all that testosterone.

This year, for the first time. I get to participate. My company will be among the vendors in the Leather Market. This is a huge annual crafts fair and swap meet held in the basement of the hotel, where literally hundreds of companies and leatherworkers gather to sell their wares to the gathered enthusiasts. CyberBears and Salamander Studios will be there in force, with posters, free drawings, and a table full of new titles on DVD.

In between stints manning the booth, my partner and I will be switching off up in the hotel suite, interviewing potential performers for future titles. Sometimes, these events are so crowded and busy that it's almost impossible to get someone to set aside an hour to have a simple audition. You have to get to them early in the week, before their dance card is full, and their stamina is running on empty, if you want to get some decent pictures—let alone a little video footage.

If I get a chance, I'll try to keep you updated as the week progresses.