In the introduction of Laid
Bare, author Tom Judson says he became “a chorus boy, adult
film star 'Gus Mattox' and a writer (in that order.)”
Judson retired his Gus Mattox gay porn
stage name in 2006 after winning the GayVN for Performer of the Year
at the age of 45. Gus Mattox was around for only 2 years but he left
a memorable impression on the industry.
In his first collection of essays,
Judson recollects how he picked up the pieces of his life after the
death of his boyfriend in 1996.
“Life with Bruce was very, very good.
He died of AIDS in 1996 ...”
“My reliable backup was gone. I
stumbled numbly around New York for a couple of years trying to
figure out how the people I passed on the street could wear such
happy expressions on their faces. Clearly the world had come to
an end; why didn't they realize it?”
Judson says he got into gay porn not
out of necessity but because he thought it would be fun.