Carnal Comics
Encyclopedia
Carnal Comics is an adults-only comic book imprint which has so-far been published by three companies: Revolutionary Comics
(1992–1993), Re-Visionary Press (1994–2001) and Opus Graphics (2001 to present). Carnal Comics is also part of the title of the line’s flagship title, Carnal Comics: True Stories Of Adult Film Stars, which features autobiographies co-created with porn stars.
Since the line’s inception, over 100 Carnal Comics have been published, including several crossovers with other adult comic publishers (Rip Off Press
, Mu Press
, Eros Comics and others). Carnal claims to have sold over a million comic books, and their late-90s series Triple-X Cinema: A Cartoon History was reported to be the best-selling adult comic ever carried by Diamond Comic Distributors
, the leading (and essentially only) full service United States
comic book distributor. Carnal’s comics were the first monthly comics widely carried in adult novelty boutiques and their inclusion in large scale mail order catalogs like Adam & Eve
’s enabled the line to sell in numbers previously unheard-of for standard 32-page adult comics.
At its peak, Carnal also had a color section in each issue of Oui
on newsstands, and its stars were doing regular TV and radio promotions on shows with Howard Stern
, Jenny Jones
, and others. Ads for the comics even infiltrated mainstream magazines, earning the company some notoriety and, in at least one case, inclusion in a stack of comic contraband taken during a police raid of a retail comic shop.
received a comic submission from RnR Comics creator Lyndal Ferguson for an erotic anthology series called “Sexpot” featuring short, expressionistic (and X-rated) stories. Around the same time, an illustrator named SS Crompton submitted some sketches in hope of landing assignments with Revolutionary Comics, including a drawing of a sexy looking character dubbed Demi the Demoness
.
Loren, who had recently expanded his comic line to include non-biographical titles, decided to launch an adults-only imprint to publish Ferguson’s comic and one featuring full-length adventures of Crompton’s Demi character. Revolutionary contributor Allen Salyer created a third adult title, “Pineapple Perfume,” and Loren announced the three comics’ impending publication in other Revolutionary titles.
The first three Carnal Comics were to be printed and released all at once, but Revolutionary’s printer objected to what it perceived as “demonic” content in Demi The Demoness and refused to work on it. That job was moved to a Canadian printer (who later earned all of Revolutionary’s substantial business) and the three inaugural Carnal Comics were finally released in 1992. With most titles selling from 20,000 to 75,000 or more copies, Loren was disappointed that Carnal Comics orders were only in the 5,000 range. It’s possible Loren would have tried his hand at more Carnal Comics (he was scripting at least one) but his murder in June 1992 put an end to Revolutionary’s adults-only line, temporarily.
In 1994, Revolutionary was being run by Loren’s father Herb Shapiro and the company’s managing editor Jay Allen Sanford
. The band Kiss
was working with the company on a three issue comic series, and around this time Kiss bassist Gene Simmons
invited several staffers to his birthday party in Los Angeles
. Sanford has reported that Simmons had once, previously, suggested that the company do “Jesus or porn star comics”, and in fact the notion of porn star bios had come up shortly after Todd Loren’s death. Sanford and editor Patrick McCray
discussed reviving the Carnal Comics name to do porn star bios, but the idea was abandoned when it became clear that making deals with the stars themselves would be too great a challenge and Revolutionary Comics was already putting out upwards of a half dozen comics per month.
At Simmons’ party, numerous porn stars were present and apparently the notion of "Carnal Comics: True Stories Of Adult Film Stars" took off there. Sanford soon announced that Revolutionary had signed porn star Sarah Jane Hamilton
to co-script a three issue series, telling her life story. Each issue would also have a second fictional story scripted by Sarah-Jane herself, taking place in different time periods and featuring the popular British redhead meeting up (and getting intimate) with various historical figures. Sarah-Jane herself participated with in-person promotions like a hugely attended press party in April 1994 at Golden Apple Comics
, L.A.’s biggest comic shop, as well as appearing at events like GlamourCon
, Erotica L.A. and the famed San Diego Comic Convention. By its second issue, "Carnal Comics: True Stories Of Adult Film Stars" was selling in numbers almost as high as Rock ‘N’ Roll Comics (which, while in decline, along with all U.S. publishers at the time, were still selling around 15,000 to 20,000 copies per issue).
, before they’d even been able to set up a computer or company phone line (the editorial column is typeset on a typewriter).
From that point forward, each month saw the release of a new Carnal Comic, each one featuring a different star (no more multiparts on a single woman), and before long the company expanded to doing several titles per month. Company principals Sanford and Dawn were the main creators, working with a wide spectrum of contributors from the now-defunct Revolutionary Comics, newcomers and even some well-known mainstream creators like Pat Broderick
(X-Men), Kevin Breyfogle (Batman) and Grateful Dead
album cover painter Phil Garris.
Re-Visionary’s flagship title was formally christened “Carnal Comics: True Stories Of Adult Film Stars, Told By The Stars Themselves”. The stars of erotica worked directly with the company to turn their life experiences into comics. According to a Carnal press release, “We focus on the pivotal events in their lives, the moments that defined who they are and what they’ve achieved. Most of the women are very honest and upfront, revealing things never known about them before. For most issues, we also include a fantasy backup feature, where the star tells their wildest dream and we illustrate it, using their own words. The women themselves choose artists out of our large stable of regular and part-time freelancers. The entire comic is crafted with the stars' full input and participation, with some even writing their own scripts”.
The first Carnal Comic to carry only the Re-Visionary logo was "Tyffany Million #1". Million had been popular as a former pro wrestler for G.L.O.W. (Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling
) and the issue sold very well, as did subsequent issues which were released every 30 days. This clockwork release schedule was fairly remarkable for a small-scale, home-based publishing company.
The Million issue, and many early Carnal Comics, were drawn by a female artist calling herself Fauve (she’d later be known by her real name, Holly Golightly). Sanford met Fauve at a Pittsburgh comic convention and decided her sensual artwork was perfect for the comic. Her first published work would be for Carnal. She drew for all three Sarah-Jane issues and she went on to become a well-known and popular illustrator and writer, even contributing eventually to Archie Comics
. She currently publishes her own comic book titles under the Broadsword Comics
banner, assisted by Catwoman
artist Jim Balent
.
In the late nineties, Carnal expanded and began launching additional titles, sometimes several per month, such as Porn Star Fantasies, Superstars Of Erotica, The Golden Age Of Triple-X (adaptation of vintage adult films), the psychosexual horror series Nightingale: Mistress Of Dreams and many others.
Many stores and municipalities still considered Carnal’s publications obscenity and sometimes issues were seized by police and border officials as such. Advertising outside the adult magazine market was a challenge, as newspapers and magazines often rejected Carnal ads because of the sexual nature of the comics, without ever inspecting copies of the comics themselves. One comic book store, Planet Comics
in Oklahoma City
, was raided by police in September 1995 and copies of Carnal Comics, Verotika, Eros Comics and others were used in a court case that eventually caused the shop to be shut down.
Re-Visionary’s major 1997 project was a three-issue series called "Triple-X Cinema: A Cartoon History". Scripted by Jay Allen Sanford, participating in its creation were dozens of the major figures of the erotic film industry including Marilyn Chambers
, Bill Margold, Hyapatia Lee
, Porsche Lynn
, Nina Hartley
, Seka
, Kay Parker
and dozens more producers and performers, including the elusive Gerard Damiano
, who directed the original Deep Throat
film.
Re-Visionary was placing its adults-only line in places that had never been exposed to comics before. A big boost came from joining forces with Adam & Eve, at that time the largest mail order catalog of adult merchandise in the world. Adam & Eve even had their own cable network, so this provided the line with real growth. The women who starred in Carnal Comics were promoting the line on Spice
(the channel owned by Adam and Eve), the Playboy Channel, and TV shows like Jerry Springer
and Geraldo, and the comics generated positive press in Hustler
, Chic
, High Society
, Screw
, Adult Video News and dozens of other major magazines.
Carnal Comics was spun off into a comic strip version as well. Sanford began producing a multi-page full color version of Porn Star Fantasies for various adult magazines, most notably Oui Magazine, one of the four top selling men’s periodicals at the time. Heather Dawn provided hand-painted colors for R-rated versions of Carnal’s best X-rated stories. Oui's Carnal Comics ran for almost two years and Carnal produced similar color strips for Hustler Humor, Adult Cinema Review, New Rave
, Dirty
, and others.
Publishers in several countries bought exclusive licenses to reprint Carnal Comics, such as Christos Koudakis & Associates, which has the exclusive rights to publish 48 page magazine versions of Re-Visionary’s adults only line in Greece
. The Greek version of Carnal Comics has its covers feature paintings by famed movie poster and book cover artist Boris Vallejo
.
” album. Garris (also known for famed covers for Toto
, Steve Miller
and others) painted two Carnal covers, one for “Aja
#1” and another for a comic on porn star Savannah
. X-Men
and Micronauts
artist Pat Broderick drew stories on Brittany Andrews
and duo Summer Cummings & Skye Blue, while Batman artist Kevin Breyfogle drew a number of Carnal issues.
Painter Jeff Pittarelli – who now works with Traci Lords
– did many Carnal covers, as did Jamie Murray
(best known for book covers for series featuring Star Wars and TV’s Beauty & The Beast). Popular pinup painter Todd Borenstein also contributed several Carnal cover portraits (Letha Weapons
, Christi Lake
, Roxy Rider, etc.). The very first Carnal comic to feature a porn star – Sarah-Jane Hamilton #1 – sported a cover by Ken Meyer, Jr. (Ghost Rider
, Magic: The Gathering
, etc.)
as superhero Pink Stiletto (Chong later gained fame doing the first “World’s Biggest Gangbang”). Sanford scripted the film and comic and the film was produced by Amazing Pictures and John Bowen
, aka John T. Bone
(known for his sexploitation/sci-fi film projects). “Sordid Stories” was nominated for two Adult Video News Awards (the adult industry’s Oscar equivalent), and more filmmakers began contacting Re-Visionary about storyboarding and other pre-production work. Before long, Carnal was doing full film treatments and shooting scripts, most all of them based around fantasy and science fiction storylines.
Another comic/film project was a superhero thriller from Wicked Pictures
, known for their high gloss big budget adult features, starring Jenna Jameson
, then the best known and most popular porn star in the world. The half-million dollar movie was shot on film (a rarity in adult movies). As with Sordid Stories, the Wicked Weapon comic book and video were released and cross-promoted simultaneously in the comic and adult boutique markets. Carnal also produced a special 16-page mini-comic which was included with the entire initial video run of the big budget adult film Wicked Weapon, packaged with the video itself, now one of the rarest of all Carnal publications. The Wicked Weapon video was nominated for five AVN awards, increasing Carnal’s credibility and reputation in the adult marketplace even more. By this point, Carnal was long past calling prospective subjects to work with - they had a year-long waiting list of girls clamoring to be in a Carnal comic book.
For its next comic/films Carnal teamed up with former porn legend Veronica Hart
(Pandora’s Mirror, Roommates), who was directing two movies featuring comeback appearances by women who'd long been out of the adult biz but whose names were still legendary - Ginger Lynn
(1985’s New Wave Hookers
) and Marilyn Chambers
(1971's Behind the Green Door
).
Chambers' last X-rated film had been 1980's "Insatiable
". She remained in the public eye with R-rated TV series on HBO, Cinemax
, The Playboy Channel and more. Lynn had retired from hardcore in 1986 and gone on to some success in films like the Vice Academy
series and music videos. Chambers’ new film was to be called Still Insatiable, while Lynn’s was called Torn. Both were filmed by VCA Pictures
, known for lavish, groundbreaking and expensive feature films and an exclusive stable of the industry’s most popular performers. Carnal’s official comic book souvenir magazines based on the two most heavily promoted films in X-rated history were the company’s best sellers since "Triple-X Cinema: A Cartoon History".
Around early 1999, the Carnal line was gradually shutting down. In the 2004 book “Carnal Comics: The Inside Story” (quoted with permission), publisher Sanford says “I was suffering from my second bout with illness in two years, and my health was not improving. My romantic liaisons with various porn stars had disillusioned me in regard to most aspects of the business...One day, I was watching TV when a porn star lover of mine brought up our relationship on The Jerry Springer Show. I hadn’t been given any warning that this was coming and I decided on the spot that, when my life is being discussed on TV with Jerry Springer, it's definitely time to change my life.”
In May 2008 Carnal's longest running character Demi the Demoness
has been released on DVD as a live action movie. The all-new adults only film, directed by Steve Steele & co-written by current Carnal publisher and Demi-reator SS Crompton, features Demi and co-star Vampirooni fighting an evil but beautiful Witch. The film stars Ellie Idol as Demi the Demoness, Sinn Sage as Vampirooni and Audrey Elson as Lyssa the Witch. See http://www.demidemonessmovie.com for specific details and photos from the film.
, Djustine
, Calavera (comics)
, “Strange Bedfellows” and occasional biographical comics on stars such as Jenna Jameson
, Felecia
, Aurora Snow
and Tricia Devereaux
.
Revolutionary Comics
Revolutionary Comics was a U.S. comic book publisher best known for the series Rock 'N' Roll Comics, launched in 1989. Founded by publisher Todd Loren, the line featured unlicensed biographies of rock stars, told in comic book form but geared for adults, often with very adult situations...
(1992–1993), Re-Visionary Press (1994–2001) and Opus Graphics (2001 to present). Carnal Comics is also part of the title of the line’s flagship title, Carnal Comics: True Stories Of Adult Film Stars, which features autobiographies co-created with porn stars.
Since the line’s inception, over 100 Carnal Comics have been published, including several crossovers with other adult comic publishers (Rip Off Press
Rip Off Press
Rip Off Press, Inc. is a seminal publishing company that specializes in adult-themed literature and graphic novels, mostly in a specific comic book format known as underground comix.-Overview:...
, Mu Press
MU Press
MU Press was an independent comic book publisher based in Seattle, Washington, which operated from 1990–c. 2006. MU Press was one of the industry's most prolific "furry" comic publishers, while its mid-90s imprint Aeon Publications specialized in alternative fare. MU Press was founded by...
, Eros Comics and others). Carnal claims to have sold over a million comic books, and their late-90s series Triple-X Cinema: A Cartoon History was reported to be the best-selling adult comic ever carried by Diamond Comic Distributors
Diamond Comic Distributors
Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc. is the largest comic book distributor serving North America. They transport comic books from both big and small comic book publishers, or suppliers, to the retailers. Diamond dominates the direct market in the United States, and has exclusive arrangements with most...
, the leading (and essentially only) full service United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
comic book distributor. Carnal’s comics were the first monthly comics widely carried in adult novelty boutiques and their inclusion in large scale mail order catalogs like Adam & Eve
Adam & Eve
Adam & Eve was the name of a major international exhibition of contemporary art held at the Saitama Kenritsu Kindai Bijutsukan , Saitama, JapanOctober 10 1992 - December 6 1992...
’s enabled the line to sell in numbers previously unheard-of for standard 32-page adult comics.
At its peak, Carnal also had a color section in each issue of Oui
Oui (magazine)
Oui is a men's adult pornographic magazine published in the USA and featuring explicit nude photographs of models, with full page pin-ups, centerfolds, interviews and other articles, and cartoons.- Playboy years :...
on newsstands, and its stars were doing regular TV and radio promotions on shows with Howard Stern
Howard Stern
Howard Allan Stern is an American radio personality, television host, author, and actor best known for his radio show, which was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2005. He gained wide recognition in the 1990s where he was labeled a "shock jock" for his outspoken and sometimes controversial style...
, Jenny Jones
Jenny Jones (presenter)
Jenny Jones is a former Canadian American stand-up comedian and talk show host. She hosted The Jenny Jones Show from 1991 to 2003.-Life and career:...
, and others. Ads for the comics even infiltrated mainstream magazines, earning the company some notoriety and, in at least one case, inclusion in a stack of comic contraband taken during a police raid of a retail comic shop.
Revolutionary Comics
Carnal Comics was initially created to be an adult comic imprint for San Diego based Revolutionary Comics, which in 1991 was riding high on the popularity of their flagship title “Rock ‘N’ Roll Comics.” Publisher Todd LorenTodd Loren
Todd Loren was an American comic book publisher, owner of Revolutionary Comics and its title Rock 'N' Roll Comics.- Biography :...
received a comic submission from RnR Comics creator Lyndal Ferguson for an erotic anthology series called “Sexpot” featuring short, expressionistic (and X-rated) stories. Around the same time, an illustrator named SS Crompton submitted some sketches in hope of landing assignments with Revolutionary Comics, including a drawing of a sexy looking character dubbed Demi the Demoness
Demi the Demoness
Demi the Demoness is a fictional, humorous, erotic comics character whose fantasy adventures have been published since 1992. She has appeared in numerous comic crossovers with other characters including Shaundra, Captain Fortune, Mauvette, Vampirooni, Cassiopeia the Witch, Djustine, and adult film...
.
Loren, who had recently expanded his comic line to include non-biographical titles, decided to launch an adults-only imprint to publish Ferguson’s comic and one featuring full-length adventures of Crompton’s Demi character. Revolutionary contributor Allen Salyer created a third adult title, “Pineapple Perfume,” and Loren announced the three comics’ impending publication in other Revolutionary titles.
The first three Carnal Comics were to be printed and released all at once, but Revolutionary’s printer objected to what it perceived as “demonic” content in Demi The Demoness and refused to work on it. That job was moved to a Canadian printer (who later earned all of Revolutionary’s substantial business) and the three inaugural Carnal Comics were finally released in 1992. With most titles selling from 20,000 to 75,000 or more copies, Loren was disappointed that Carnal Comics orders were only in the 5,000 range. It’s possible Loren would have tried his hand at more Carnal Comics (he was scripting at least one) but his murder in June 1992 put an end to Revolutionary’s adults-only line, temporarily.
In 1994, Revolutionary was being run by Loren’s father Herb Shapiro and the company’s managing editor Jay Allen Sanford
Jay Allen Sanford
Jay Allen Sanford is an American author and cartoonist best known for his work with Revolutionary Comics, Carnal Comics, and Pacific Comics. He co-created the comic book Rock ‘N’ Roll Comics with Todd Loren in 1989, which is still being published in 2011 by Bluewater Productions...
. The band Kiss
KISS (band)
Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in January 1973. Well-known for its members' face paint and flamboyant stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid to late 1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting,...
was working with the company on a three issue comic series, and around this time Kiss bassist Gene Simmons
Gene Simmons
Gene Simmons is an Israeli-American entrepreneur, singer-songwriter, actor, and rock bassist. Known as "The Demon", he is the bassist/vocalist of Kiss, a hard rock band he co-founded in the early 1970s.-Early life:...
invited several staffers to his birthday party in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. Sanford has reported that Simmons had once, previously, suggested that the company do “Jesus or porn star comics”, and in fact the notion of porn star bios had come up shortly after Todd Loren’s death. Sanford and editor Patrick McCray
Patrick McCray
Patrick McCray is an American comic book author, actor, director, and voice actor. His most famous work, the comic series Elvis Shrugged was published by Todd Loren's Revolutionary Comics has been cited by Ayn Rand scholars and Elvis scholars alike...
discussed reviving the Carnal Comics name to do porn star bios, but the idea was abandoned when it became clear that making deals with the stars themselves would be too great a challenge and Revolutionary Comics was already putting out upwards of a half dozen comics per month.
At Simmons’ party, numerous porn stars were present and apparently the notion of "Carnal Comics: True Stories Of Adult Film Stars" took off there. Sanford soon announced that Revolutionary had signed porn star Sarah Jane Hamilton
Sarah Jane Hamilton
Sarah Jane Hamilton is a pornographic actress.Hamilton grew up and went to secondary school in London...
to co-script a three issue series, telling her life story. Each issue would also have a second fictional story scripted by Sarah-Jane herself, taking place in different time periods and featuring the popular British redhead meeting up (and getting intimate) with various historical figures. Sarah-Jane herself participated with in-person promotions like a hugely attended press party in April 1994 at Golden Apple Comics
Golden Apple Comics
Golden Apple Comics is a comic book store in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California.-History:The store's original owner, Bill Liebowitz, was a yo-yo champion in the 1950s, a co-founder of Rhino Records, and had recurring roles as himself in Archie Comics. He opened Golden Apple in Hollywood in 1979,...
, L.A.’s biggest comic shop, as well as appearing at events like GlamourCon
Glamourcon
Glamourcon is a portmanteau of the phrase Glamour Convention, and is the brainchild of entrepreneur Robert Schulz. This event takes place twice a year, once in Chicago and once in Los Angeles, and is where Playboy Playmates, Penthouse Pets, Hustler Honeys, Perfect 10 Models, Pornographic Actresses...
, Erotica L.A. and the famed San Diego Comic Convention. By its second issue, "Carnal Comics: True Stories Of Adult Film Stars" was selling in numbers almost as high as Rock ‘N’ Roll Comics (which, while in decline, along with all U.S. publishers at the time, were still selling around 15,000 to 20,000 copies per issue).
Re-Visionary Press
In summer 1994, Revolutionary Comics’ publisher Herb Shapiro decided to close the company, in part because of debt accrued by a failed color sports comic line. Managing Editor Jay Allen Sanford made a deal to acquire rights to the Carnal title and formed a company called Re-Visionary Press to publish the series. His common-law wife Heather Dawn designed the company logo and the third porn star Carnal Comic, "Sarah-Jane Hamilton #3", was published from the couple’s home in La Mesa, CaliforniaLa Mesa, California
La Mesa is a city in San Diego County, California. The population was 57,065 at the 2010 census, up from 54,749 at the 2000 census. It was founded in 1869 and officially incorporated as a city on February 16, 1912. Its official flower is the bougainvillea....
, before they’d even been able to set up a computer or company phone line (the editorial column is typeset on a typewriter).
From that point forward, each month saw the release of a new Carnal Comic, each one featuring a different star (no more multiparts on a single woman), and before long the company expanded to doing several titles per month. Company principals Sanford and Dawn were the main creators, working with a wide spectrum of contributors from the now-defunct Revolutionary Comics, newcomers and even some well-known mainstream creators like Pat Broderick
Pat Broderick
Pat Broderick is an American comic book artist known for his work on the Micronauts. Broderick also pencilled the four-part Batman: Year Three storyline, written by Marv Wolfman, which detailed the first meeting of Batman and Tim Drake.-Early career :Fresh from high school in Tampa, Florida,...
(X-Men), Kevin Breyfogle (Batman) and Grateful Dead
Grateful Dead
The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, improvisational jazz, psychedelia, and space rock, and for live performances of long...
album cover painter Phil Garris.
Re-Visionary’s flagship title was formally christened “Carnal Comics: True Stories Of Adult Film Stars, Told By The Stars Themselves”. The stars of erotica worked directly with the company to turn their life experiences into comics. According to a Carnal press release, “We focus on the pivotal events in their lives, the moments that defined who they are and what they’ve achieved. Most of the women are very honest and upfront, revealing things never known about them before. For most issues, we also include a fantasy backup feature, where the star tells their wildest dream and we illustrate it, using their own words. The women themselves choose artists out of our large stable of regular and part-time freelancers. The entire comic is crafted with the stars' full input and participation, with some even writing their own scripts”.
The first Carnal Comic to carry only the Re-Visionary logo was "Tyffany Million #1". Million had been popular as a former pro wrestler for G.L.O.W. (Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling
Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling
Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling, also known as GLOW or G.L.O.W., was a professional wrestling promotion for women, begun in 1986 and continued in various forms after it left television. Colorful characters, beautiful women, and over-the-top comedy sketches were integral to the series' success...
) and the issue sold very well, as did subsequent issues which were released every 30 days. This clockwork release schedule was fairly remarkable for a small-scale, home-based publishing company.
The Million issue, and many early Carnal Comics, were drawn by a female artist calling herself Fauve (she’d later be known by her real name, Holly Golightly). Sanford met Fauve at a Pittsburgh comic convention and decided her sensual artwork was perfect for the comic. Her first published work would be for Carnal. She drew for all three Sarah-Jane issues and she went on to become a well-known and popular illustrator and writer, even contributing eventually to Archie Comics
Archie Comics
Archie Comics is an American comic book publisher headquartered in the Village of Mamaroneck, Town of Mamaroneck, New York, known for its many series featuring the fictional teenagers Archie Andrews, Betty Cooper, Veronica Lodge, Reggie Mantle and Jughead Jones. The characters were created by...
. She currently publishes her own comic book titles under the Broadsword Comics
BroadSword Comics
BroadSword Comics is a company formed when in 1999 Jim Balent left mainstream comics to form his own company. BroadSword publishes Tarot: Witch of the Black Rose and reprinted Vampfire, which was created, written and drawn by Balent's wife Holly Golightly who is currently also the colorist on...
banner, assisted by Catwoman
Catwoman
Catwoman is a fictional character associated with DC Comics' Batman franchise. Historically a supervillain, the character was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, partially inspired by Kane's cousin, Ruth Steel...
artist Jim Balent
Jim Balent
Jim Balent is an American comic book illustrator from Pennsylvania. He is perhaps best known for his long run on Catwoman between 1993 and 1999...
.
In the late nineties, Carnal expanded and began launching additional titles, sometimes several per month, such as Porn Star Fantasies, Superstars Of Erotica, The Golden Age Of Triple-X (adaptation of vintage adult films), the psychosexual horror series Nightingale: Mistress Of Dreams and many others.
Many stores and municipalities still considered Carnal’s publications obscenity and sometimes issues were seized by police and border officials as such. Advertising outside the adult magazine market was a challenge, as newspapers and magazines often rejected Carnal ads because of the sexual nature of the comics, without ever inspecting copies of the comics themselves. One comic book store, Planet Comics
Planet Comics
Planet Comics was a science fiction comic book title produced by Fiction House and ran for 73 issues from January 1940 to Winter 1953. Like many of Fiction House's early comics titles, Planet Comics was a spinoff of a pulp magazine, in this case Planet Stories, which featured space operatic tales...
in Oklahoma City
Oklahoma city
Oklahoma City is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma.Oklahoma City may also refer to:*Oklahoma City metropolitan area*Downtown Oklahoma City*Uptown Oklahoma City*Oklahoma City bombing*Oklahoma City National Memorial...
, was raided by police in September 1995 and copies of Carnal Comics, Verotika, Eros Comics and others were used in a court case that eventually caused the shop to be shut down.
Re-Visionary’s major 1997 project was a three-issue series called "Triple-X Cinema: A Cartoon History". Scripted by Jay Allen Sanford, participating in its creation were dozens of the major figures of the erotic film industry including Marilyn Chambers
Marilyn Chambers
Marilyn Chambers was an American pornographic actress, exotic dancer, model, actress and vice-presidential candidate...
, Bill Margold, Hyapatia Lee
Hyapatia Lee
Hyapatia Lee of Cherokee and Irish descent, is a former American exotic dancer and pornographic actress...
, Porsche Lynn
Porsche Lynn
Porsche Lynn is the stage name of an American exotic dancer, dominatrix, and pornographic actress. She chose her stage name from the Porsche car company after seeing one of their cars during a drive to one of her earliest film shoots; she added "Lynn" to it as it fit well.-Early life:Lynn's...
, Nina Hartley
Nina Hartley
Nina Hartley is an American pornographic actress, pornographic film director, sex educator, feminist, and author.-Early life:...
, Seka
Seka
Seka is an American pornographic actress who appeared in many pornographic films during the late 1970s and the 1980s.-Career:...
, Kay Parker
Kay Parker
Kay Parker is a New Age author and former pornographic actress, best known for her depictions of incest scenes in the Taboo series.-Career:...
and dozens more producers and performers, including the elusive Gerard Damiano
Gerard Damiano
Gerard Damiano was an American director of adult films and producer, writer and director of the 1972 cult classic Deep Throat .-Biography:...
, who directed the original Deep Throat
Deep Throat (film)
Deep Throat is a 1972 American pornographic film written and directed by Gerard Damiano and produced by Louis Peraino and starring Linda Lovelace ....
film.
Re-Visionary was placing its adults-only line in places that had never been exposed to comics before. A big boost came from joining forces with Adam & Eve, at that time the largest mail order catalog of adult merchandise in the world. Adam & Eve even had their own cable network, so this provided the line with real growth. The women who starred in Carnal Comics were promoting the line on Spice
Spice Network
The Spice Networks is a group of pornographic pay-per-view channels available via cable, IPTV and satellite services, and available in more than 72 countries including the United States and New Zealand...
(the channel owned by Adam and Eve), the Playboy Channel, and TV shows like Jerry Springer
Jerry Springer
Gerald Norman "Jerry" Springer is a British-born American television presenter, best known as host of the tabloid talk show The Jerry Springer Show since its debut in 1991...
and Geraldo, and the comics generated positive press in Hustler
Hustler
Hustler is a monthly pornographic magazine aimed at men and published in the United States. It was first published in 1974 by Larry Flynt. It was a step forward from the Hustler Newsletter which was cheap advertising for his strip club businesses at the time. The magazine grew from a shaky start to...
, Chic
Chic Magazine
Chic was a pornographic magazine started by Larry Flynt, of Hustler fame in 1976. The first issue was published in November 1976. In 1979, Flynt went on trial for obscenity charges over eight issues of Hustler and three issues of Chic Magazine. In 1984, a Texas woman, Jeannie Braun, successfully...
, High Society
High Society
High Society is a musical film starring Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly, and Frank Sinatra, and made by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in VistaVision and Technicolor with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. The movie was directed by Charles Walters and produced by Sol C. Siegel from a screenplay by John Patrick, based...
, Screw
Screw
A screw, or bolt, is a type of fastener characterized by a helical ridge, known as an external thread or just thread, wrapped around a cylinder. Some screw threads are designed to mate with a complementary thread, known as an internal thread, often in the form of a nut or an object that has the...
, Adult Video News and dozens of other major magazines.
Carnal Comics was spun off into a comic strip version as well. Sanford began producing a multi-page full color version of Porn Star Fantasies for various adult magazines, most notably Oui Magazine, one of the four top selling men’s periodicals at the time. Heather Dawn provided hand-painted colors for R-rated versions of Carnal’s best X-rated stories. Oui's Carnal Comics ran for almost two years and Carnal produced similar color strips for Hustler Humor, Adult Cinema Review, New Rave
New Rave
New rave is a term applied to several types of music that fuse elements of electronic music, new wave, rock, indie, techno, bastard pop, breakbeat hardcore and electro house...
, Dirty
Dirty
Dirty is the seventh album by the American alternative rock group Sonic Youth, originally released on July 21, 1992 by DGC Records. It was deemed best album of 1992 by Entertainment Weekly.-Recording:...
, and others.
Publishers in several countries bought exclusive licenses to reprint Carnal Comics, such as Christos Koudakis & Associates, which has the exclusive rights to publish 48 page magazine versions of Re-Visionary’s adults only line in Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. The Greek version of Carnal Comics has its covers feature paintings by famed movie poster and book cover artist Boris Vallejo
Boris Vallejo
Boris Vallejo is a Peruvian-born American painter. He immigrated to the United States in 1964, and he currently resides in Allentown, Pennsylvania. He frequently works with Julie Bell, his wife, painter, and model....
.
Contributing artists
A number of well-known artists have contributed to the Carnal line. Album cover painter Phil Garris painted one of the most iconic images of all time – the fiddle playing skeleton on the cover of the Grateful Dead’s “Blues for AllahBlues for Allah
Blues for Allah is the eighth studio album by the Grateful Dead. It was recorded between February 27 and May 7, 1975 and originally released on September 1, 1975. It was the third release under the band's own label, Grateful Dead Records, after fulfilling their contract with Warner Bros...
” album. Garris (also known for famed covers for Toto
Toto (band)
Toto is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1977. The group currently consists of Joseph Williams , David Paich , Steve Porcaro , Steve Lukather , Mike Porcaro , and Simon Phillips . Toto is known for a musical style that combines elements of pop, rock, soul, funk, progressive rock, hard...
, Steve Miller
Steve Miller (musician)
Steven H. "Steve" Miller is an American guitarist and singer-songwriter who began his career in blues and blues rock and evolved to a more popular-oriented sound which, from the mid 1970s through the early 1980s, resulted in a series of successful singles and albums.-Early years:Born in Milwaukee,...
and others) painted two Carnal covers, one for “Aja
Aja (porn star)
Aja is an American exotic dancer, pornographic actress and adult film director.Aja starred in director John Leslie's Adult Video News' Best Video of the Year award-winning Mad Love in a scene described as "notably [...] surreal" by author and Ohio University Telecommunications graduate studies...
#1” and another for a comic on porn star Savannah
Savannah
Savannah or savanna is a type of grassland.It can also mean:-People:* Savannah King, a Canadian freestyle swimmer* Savannah Outen, a singer who gained popularity on You Tube...
. X-Men
X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1...
and Micronauts
Micronauts
The Micronauts comic books feature a group of characters based on the Micronauts toyline. The title was published by Marvel Comics, Image Comics, and Devil's Due Publishing. Their first comic appearance was in Micronauts #1 with characterizations created by Bill Mantlo and Michael Golden...
artist Pat Broderick drew stories on Brittany Andrews
Brittany Andrews
Brittany Andrews is the stage name of Michelle Barry, an American pornographic actress, exotic dancer and film producer. She is a member of the AVN Hall of Fame.-Career:...
and duo Summer Cummings & Skye Blue, while Batman artist Kevin Breyfogle drew a number of Carnal issues.
Painter Jeff Pittarelli – who now works with Traci Lords
Traci Lords
Traci Lords , also known as Traci Elizabeth Lords and Tracy Lords, is an American film actress, producer, film director, writer and singer...
– did many Carnal covers, as did Jamie Murray
Jamie Murray
Jamie Robert Murray is a British tennis player from Scotland who specialises in doubles and is Britain's number 1 doubles player. He is the older brother of Andy Murray. He won the Wimbledon mixed doubles title in 2007 with Jelena Janković. Murray had an early career partnership with Eric Butorac,...
(best known for book covers for series featuring Star Wars and TV’s Beauty & The Beast). Popular pinup painter Todd Borenstein also contributed several Carnal cover portraits (Letha Weapons
Letha Weapons
Letha Weapons is an adult model and former porn actress who has appeared in many adult films in the big-bust category.-Career:Letha appeared in over 100 adult videos over the course of her adult film/video career, which began in 1994...
, Christi Lake
Christi Lake
Christi Lake is an American former pornographic actress. She performed in about 200 movies between 1995 and 2004, and directed at least seven....
, Roxy Rider, etc.). The very first Carnal comic to feature a porn star – Sarah-Jane Hamilton #1 – sported a cover by Ken Meyer, Jr. (Ghost Rider
Ghost Rider (comics)
Ghost Rider is the name of several fictional supernatural antiheroes appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Marvel had previously used the name for a Western character whose name was later changed to Night Rider and subsequently to Phantom Rider.The first supernatural Ghost Rider is...
, Magic: The Gathering
Magic: The Gathering
Magic: The Gathering , also known as Magic, is the first collectible trading card game created by mathematics professor Richard Garfield and introduced in 1993 by Wizards of the Coast. Magic continues to thrive, with approximately twelve million players as of 2011...
, etc.)
Film crossovers
Carnal also delved into actual filmmaking. The first was a combination comic book and film called “Sordid Stories”, starring Annabel ChongAnnabel Chong
Grace Quek , better known by her stage name Annabel Chong, is a former pornographic actress now living in the United States. On 19 January 1995, at the age of 22, she became famous by engaging in 251 sex acts with about 70 men over a ten-hour period, setting a world record, with the resulting...
as superhero Pink Stiletto (Chong later gained fame doing the first “World’s Biggest Gangbang”). Sanford scripted the film and comic and the film was produced by Amazing Pictures and John Bowen
John Bowen
John or Jack Bowen may refer to:*John Bowen , bishop of Sierra Leone*John Bowen English sailor and administrator; founded the first settlement at Hobart, Australia...
, aka John T. Bone
John T. Bone
John Bowen is a British-born and American pornographic movie director who uses the name John T. Bone.A member of the AVN Hall of Fame, he has worked for numerous studios and, as Harry Horndog, has also acted in some porn movies...
(known for his sexploitation/sci-fi film projects). “Sordid Stories” was nominated for two Adult Video News Awards (the adult industry’s Oscar equivalent), and more filmmakers began contacting Re-Visionary about storyboarding and other pre-production work. Before long, Carnal was doing full film treatments and shooting scripts, most all of them based around fantasy and science fiction storylines.
Another comic/film project was a superhero thriller from Wicked Pictures
Wicked Pictures
Wicked Pictures is an American pornographic movie studio headquartered in Canoga Park, California. In 2006 it was described by Reuters as one of the handful of studios that dominate the U.S. porn industry...
, known for their high gloss big budget adult features, starring Jenna Jameson
Jenna Jameson
Jenna Jameson is an American entrepreneur and former pornographic actress, who has been called the world's most famous adult-entertainment performer and "The Queen of Porn."...
, then the best known and most popular porn star in the world. The half-million dollar movie was shot on film (a rarity in adult movies). As with Sordid Stories, the Wicked Weapon comic book and video were released and cross-promoted simultaneously in the comic and adult boutique markets. Carnal also produced a special 16-page mini-comic which was included with the entire initial video run of the big budget adult film Wicked Weapon, packaged with the video itself, now one of the rarest of all Carnal publications. The Wicked Weapon video was nominated for five AVN awards, increasing Carnal’s credibility and reputation in the adult marketplace even more. By this point, Carnal was long past calling prospective subjects to work with - they had a year-long waiting list of girls clamoring to be in a Carnal comic book.
For its next comic/films Carnal teamed up with former porn legend Veronica Hart
Veronica Hart
Jane Esther Hamilton is an American former pornographic actress and current porn director who performed under the name Veronica Hart during the 1980s. She is sometimes credited as Jane Esther Hamilton, Jane Hamilton, V. Hart, Veronica Heart, Victoria Holt, Kathryn Stanleigh, Randee Styles or just...
(Pandora’s Mirror, Roommates), who was directing two movies featuring comeback appearances by women who'd long been out of the adult biz but whose names were still legendary - Ginger Lynn
Ginger Lynn
Ginger Lynn is an American pornographic actress, prominent in 1980s videos. She also had occasional roles in low-budget B-movies. AVN has ranked her at #7 in a list of the 50 greatest porn stars of all time...
(1985’s New Wave Hookers
New Wave Hookers
New Wave Hookers is a popular 1985 pornographic film featuring a cast of established performers from the era and followed by several sequels and a remake. The movie starred Ginger Lynn, Desiree Lane, Kristara Barrington, Kimberly Carson, Brooke Fields, Gina Carrera, Jamie Gillis, Jack Baker, Tom...
) and Marilyn Chambers
Marilyn Chambers
Marilyn Chambers was an American pornographic actress, exotic dancer, model, actress and vice-presidential candidate...
(1971's Behind the Green Door
Behind the Green Door
Behind the Green Door is a 1972 feature-length pornographic film, widely considered one of the genre's "classic" pictures. It was the first hardcore film widely released in the United States. It was the first feature-length film directed by the Mitchell brothers and starred Marilyn Chambers...
).
Chambers' last X-rated film had been 1980's "Insatiable
Insatiable
"Insatiable" is the debut solo single released by Australian singer Darren Hayes, former lead singer of the band Savage Garden, in 2002.The song reached #3 on the Australian ARIA Charts on 21 January 2002, and #8 on the UK Singles Chart on 14 April....
". She remained in the public eye with R-rated TV series on HBO, Cinemax
Cinemax
Cinemax, sometimes abbreviated as simply "Max", is a collection of premium television networks that broadcasts primarily feature films, along with softcore erotica, original action series, documentaries and special behind-the-scenes features. Cinemax is operated by Home Box Office, Inc., a...
, The Playboy Channel and more. Lynn had retired from hardcore in 1986 and gone on to some success in films like the Vice Academy
Vice Academy
Vice Academy was a series of six feature films, which aired on the USA Network throughout the 1990s. It was created by director Rick Sloane of Hobgoblins fame and starred a sexy cast of females, including former porn star Ginger Lynn, scream queen Linnea Quigley, Elizabeth Kaitan and Julia...
series and music videos. Chambers’ new film was to be called Still Insatiable, while Lynn’s was called Torn. Both were filmed by VCA Pictures
VCA Pictures
VCA Pictures is an American pornographic film production and distribution company. The company was founded by Russ Hampshire, and was formerly a major player during the 'Golden Age of Porn'. Throughout the 70's and 80's VCA produced big budget, plot-oriented feature films...
, known for lavish, groundbreaking and expensive feature films and an exclusive stable of the industry’s most popular performers. Carnal’s official comic book souvenir magazines based on the two most heavily promoted films in X-rated history were the company’s best sellers since "Triple-X Cinema: A Cartoon History".
Around early 1999, the Carnal line was gradually shutting down. In the 2004 book “Carnal Comics: The Inside Story” (quoted with permission), publisher Sanford says “I was suffering from my second bout with illness in two years, and my health was not improving. My romantic liaisons with various porn stars had disillusioned me in regard to most aspects of the business...One day, I was watching TV when a porn star lover of mine brought up our relationship on The Jerry Springer Show. I hadn’t been given any warning that this was coming and I decided on the spot that, when my life is being discussed on TV with Jerry Springer, it's definitely time to change my life.”
In May 2008 Carnal's longest running character Demi the Demoness
Demi the Demoness
Demi the Demoness is a fictional, humorous, erotic comics character whose fantasy adventures have been published since 1992. She has appeared in numerous comic crossovers with other characters including Shaundra, Captain Fortune, Mauvette, Vampirooni, Cassiopeia the Witch, Djustine, and adult film...
has been released on DVD as a live action movie. The all-new adults only film, directed by Steve Steele & co-written by current Carnal publisher and Demi-reator SS Crompton, features Demi and co-star Vampirooni fighting an evil but beautiful Witch. The film stars Ellie Idol as Demi the Demoness, Sinn Sage as Vampirooni and Audrey Elson as Lyssa the Witch. See http://www.demidemonessmovie.com for specific details and photos from the film.
Opus Graphics
In 2001, Re-Visionary Press handed over the Carnal Comics imprint to Opus Graphics, the firm set up by Crompton to publish the title. Though no longer still published monthly, Carnal Comics still produces several titles per year, including fantasy-based comics like Demi the DemonessDemi the Demoness
Demi the Demoness is a fictional, humorous, erotic comics character whose fantasy adventures have been published since 1992. She has appeared in numerous comic crossovers with other characters including Shaundra, Captain Fortune, Mauvette, Vampirooni, Cassiopeia the Witch, Djustine, and adult film...
, Djustine
Djustine
Djustine is an Italian comic book series written by Enrico Teodorani.The Djustine character was created from a fusion of Sergio Corbucci's film character Django, and the Marquis de Sade's titular "Justine".- Publication history :...
, Calavera (comics)
Calavera (comics)
Calavera is an Italian adult comic book featuring a female character with razor claws named Francisca Calavera. It was created by writer Enrico Teodorani and artist Joe Vigil, published in Italy by E.F. edizioni, and in the U.S. by Carnal Comics as Calavera: Beautiful, Bloody & Bare.Calavera is a...
, “Strange Bedfellows” and occasional biographical comics on stars such as Jenna Jameson
Jenna Jameson
Jenna Jameson is an American entrepreneur and former pornographic actress, who has been called the world's most famous adult-entertainment performer and "The Queen of Porn."...
, Felecia
Felecia
Felecia Danay is an American pornographic actress, nude model, and feature dancer.Felecia features in a comic book entitled Adult Star Stories: Felicia by Hippy Comix.- Awards :AVN Awards* Hall of Fame Inductee...
, Aurora Snow
Aurora Snow
Aurora Snow is the stage name of an American pornographic actress and occasional director.-Early life:Snow was born and raised in Santa Maria, California, but also spent time in Albuquerque, New Mexico...
and Tricia Devereaux
Tricia Devereaux
Tricia Devereaux is the stage name of an American former pornographic actress.Devereaux grew up "in a small town a couple hours outside of Chicago," where she had a strict upbringing and attended a private Catholic high school.She attended college in the Midwest, got her bachelor's degree in...
.