John Stagliano interviewed by Giovanna Maina and Federico Zecca

Stagliano has proved to be an innovative porn entrepreneur. Created during the 1990s, his studio Evil Angel was definitely ahead of its time, founded on principles including ‘branding’ – conceived as a pact between producer and consumer – which were uncommon in the pornographic industry at the time, offering a ‘guarantee’ of particular kinds of content and standard of quality. Furthermore, the idea of bringing together different directors and producers in order to enact a co-branding strategy has influenced the development of new distribution policies within the adult business. In this interview, we have tried to highlight these aspects, especially focusing on the birth of gonzo, its relation to the adult industry of the 1980s, and Evil Angel’s structure and mode of operation. We interviewed John Stagliano on 17 November 2014 at his workplace in Malibu, Los Angeles, USA.