John Travis: Remembering A Gay Porn Pioneer

Legendary gay porn director John Travis has passed away. Perhaps most famous for discovering Jeff Stryker, he left an indelible mark on the gay porn industry that lives on today.

Before internet porn there were VHS Tapes. Before VHS Tapes, there were adult movie houses. And before adult movie house, there were 8MM film loops. This was at a time when full frontal male nudity was not just taboo — it was illegal. That didn’t stop a San Francisco photographer named John Travis. In fact, up until the end, he was an unstoppable force who helped establish the gay porn industry as we know it today.

“It was just a very small group of us when we started,” recalled Falcon co-founder John Summers. “It wasn’t that many. At first, it started off me and John Travis. We were just shooting pictures and running whorehouses. And then next came Matt Sterling. And then came Chuck Holmes.”

John’s influence touched many people still working in the industry today, including Chi Chi LaRue who shared the news of John’s passing.

After meeting Chuck Holmes, John became Falcon’s first cameraman and then later going on to direct Falcon films for over a deacde. As Jeff Stryker revealed to Mike Stabile, The Sword co-founder and the director of “Seed Money: The Chuck Holmes Story”

“According to Travis, Chuck’s response was a bit more colorful — When asked if he’d put Stryker in a movie, Chuck reportedly responded, ‘I wouldn’t put him in a doghouse!’ So Travis left Falcon and went to Catalina where he groomed Stryker — fixed his teeth, cut his hair, worked him out — until the body matched his amazing cock.”

Jeff Stryker in 2012: his first public appearance in 10 years.
Jeff Stryker in 2012: his first public appearance in 10 years.
John was more than Jeff Stryker’s svengali, the two were lovers for first two and a half years of Stryker’s career with John directing most of the gay films.

With 58 director credits spanning from 1975-2009, John was behind of the era’s biggest, and now most celebrated gay porn films including “The Other Side of Aspen 2″, “Spring Training”, “A Matter of Size”, the two part “The Young and the Hung”, and of course, “Powertool” with Jeff Stryker.

Rest in Peace, John Travis. And thank you.

9 thoughts on “John Travis: Remembering A Gay Porn Pioneer”

  1. Gay porn probably saved my life. i was just beginning to go out and mix with the drug disco scene when the gay porn revolution started. i AM HOOKED ON THE STUFF TIL TODAY.

  2. For JOHN TRAVIS I fell in love with JEFF STYKER and the PORNO. How to forget BILL HENSON, BOBBY MADISON, ERIC STRYKER and MATT RAMSEY in “MATTER OF SIZE”? A STEVE HENSON, KURT MARSHALL, JEFF CONVERSE and TONY BRAVO in “THE OTHER SIDE OF ASPEN”? JOHN DAVENPORT, CHRIS WILLIAMS and MIKE HENSON in “MY BEST BUDDY”? TOM STEELE and MIKE GREGORY in “POWERLINE”? MARCO ROSSI, CODY FOSTER and SEAN DAVIS in “GREASED GUNS”? Thank you JOHN TRAVIS for all this and more … Thanks for the fantasies … REST IN PEACE …

  3. John Travis directed a number of great films including POWERTOOL, FULL LOAD, MY BEST BUDDY, POWERLINE, THE SWITCH IS ON, and TWO HANDFULS (a full list can be found here: http://www.gayeroticvideoindex.com/D/6/6.html).

    But he did not direct most of the films listed in the second-to-last paragraph of this obit. Matt Sterling directed THE OTHER SIDE OF ASPEN 2, SPRING TRAINING, A MATTER OF SIZE and William Higgins (still alive) directed THE YOUNG AND THE HUNG and HOT RODS: THE YOUNG AND THE HUNG PART 2.

  4. I would watch Travis’ early films and marvel at the notion that “these production values are almost too good for gay porn!” Many of his actors were achingly hot and sex scenes seemed straight from Tom of Finland’s sketchbook. He elevated the genre and he really will be missed.

  5. I wasn’t aware of John Travis’ contributions – thanks for the reminder. Where is Jeff Stryker now? That man is fucking incredible!

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