CockyBoys was founded by Kyle Majors in 2007. Based in Los Angeles, Majors' version of the site took a
voyeuristic approach focusing heavily on jocks, tattooed guys, and southern California culture. Majors was inspired by a friend's desire for, "no complicated stories, ... no lavish costumes or stupid uniforms – just cock pounding ass." In early 2010, CockyBoys was sold to New York-based filmmaker Jake Jaxson, becoming one of only two major gay adult studios in the city's five boroughs. The site briefly went offline to undergo a complete transformation, and re-launched with a new design, full HD content, mobile device compatibility, and a streamlined sign-up process. A new roster of exclusively signed models was recruited including Mason Star, Gabriel Clark, and Tommy Defendi. The look and feel of the films also changed drastically, with more attention to cinematography and editing. The inner-workings of the studio came to light in August 2012, when
New York Magazine profiled self-taught web designer Benny Morecock and his relationship with Jake Jaxson and RJ Sebastian. The article,
He & He & He, was later adapted into a play titled "Gay Sex" for a
Vassar College student's senior thesis. The writer led a panel discussion with Morecock, Jaxson, and Sebastian on life, love, and their art porn movement. In June 2013, Jaxson garnered international headlines when the
New York Daily News revealed that his former business partner was
Glenn Greenwald, the journalist behind the
National Security Agency scandal. Additionally, CockyBoys signed a professional dancer they named Jett Black in 2013, who was subsequently expelled from the
Royal Winnipeg Ballet for his work with the studio. Both Jett Black and CockyBoys became the center of an international news story when
CBC News in Canada interviewed Jaxson and Black for a feature that ran online and on television about the whole scandal. In October 2014, CockyBoys announced that two of its films were selected to screen at the 2014 Berlin Porn Film Festival:
Fuck Yeah Levi Karter, a documentary about the CockyBoys star's life and fast rise to porn stardom composed entirely of footage from his own phones, computers, and cameras, and
Answered Prayers: The Banker, part one of an allegorical
morality play set against an ancient family feud and the follies of men. The six-part miniseries was profiled in
The Village Voice with a multi-page story detailing the inspiration behind the project. On April 3, 2015, CockyBoys appeared at the
Schwules Sex Museum in Berlin during the museum's Porn That Way exhibition to present their new photo book
Sixty Nine: Joyful Gay Sex. In addition, CockyBoy CEO Jake Jaxson and photographer RJ Sebastian along with models Tayte Hanson, Levi Karter and Liam Riley participated on a panel before an audience forum to discuss the "Romantic Porn" trend. == Feature film productions & mini-series ==