Adult film producer David Hurles, who created iconic gay erotic images in the 1970s, dies at 78

David Hurles, a groundbreaking adult film producer who enlisted rugged male models found on the streets of San Francisco in the ’70s, has died. He was 78.

Hurles passed away on Wednesday at a nursing home in Los Angeles due to complications from a stroke he suffered in 2008, according to the Bob Mizer Foundation, per the Bay Area Reporter.

Born in Ohio, Hurles’ interest in photography began as a teen and flourished upon moving to California in the 1960s. After being introduced into the adult film business, he founded Old Reliable Studios in the ’70s.

Up until that time, gay pornography centered mostly on white clean-cut models. Hurles preferred a different aesthetic and lensed gritty models plucked from obscurity, including hustlers, drug addicts, and convicts.

“David’s work for Old Reliable exposed gay audiences to a subculture in which we found excitement and thrills, an encounter with the type of man we have always been told to avoid. His pioneering work in the field has revolutionized the art of desire,” said Den Bell, founder, president, and CEO of the Mizer foundation.

Hurles was the only employee at Old Reliable Studios, which has been closed since his stroke in 2008. His photo estate will continue to be managed by Hurles’ longtime friend, Dian Hanson.

“David realized early that he was sexually attracted to straight criminals, and all of his unique creative work, including photos, films, video and audiotapes, derived from this erotic obsession,” Hanson said. “The power emanating from his photos reflects the power his subjects held over him.”

Hurles’ early work didn’t come without consequences, as he was arrested over obscenity charges and minor drug offenses.

His good friend Jack Fritscher, who was the editor of gay magazine Drummer, recalled Hurles’ iconic notoriety.

 “He was the first gay filmmaker to be arrested by the SFPD vice squad February 12, 1972, with the headline, ‘Vice Squad’s First Gay Film Bust.'”

Outcast: David Hurles' Old Reliable in Living Color USD 25.08https://t.co/MPQrdMSJpa pic.twitter.com/1UMPHQBEJ0

— adleinternational (@affordabledvds) December 14, 2017

Over the years, Hurles’ fanbase increased and grew to include filmmaker John Waters. In his book Role Models, Waters mentioned his admiration for Hurles’ work.

“David Hurles’s photographs forever scarred some gay men’s ability to be attracted to another average gay men,” Waters wrote. “Without these pioneering Old Reliable photographs, homoeroticism in the art world couldn’t have existed. Robert Mapplethorpe was a pussy. Mr. Hurles is the real thing.”

After Hurles’ stroke, Waters helped curate a gallery show of his photos at a NYC exhibit called “Outsider Porn.”

Related:

Rediscovering the “gay lifestyle” through 1970s smut magazines

The gay men’s magazines QQ and Ciao! were unabashedly liberated, but they still catered to an exclusive audience.

Many of Hurles’ photos can be found in the books Speeding: The Old Reliable Photos of David Hurles and Outcast.

Years before his death, Hurles’ looked back on his career in the introduction to Outcast and expressed gratitude for the models and fans.

“I am very grateful to those men who shared their male essence with me and to my patrons who studied my work, enjoyed it, and understood what it was saying.”

Details on a memorial service for Hurles are expected to be announced by the Bob Mizer Foundation.