I AM: SEAN STORM

In 2004 Sean Storm made his Treasure Island debut Cumsloppy Buttholes. This summer marked his long overdue return to T.I.M. with Max Sohl’s Cum Whore. Catch up with him below.

 Julian: It’s great talking to you, Sean! I was a big fan of you in Cum Whore. Would you mind telling me a little about your background?

Sean: Yeah. I was born and raised in Peoria, Illinois. I had a pretty Midwestern upbringing. I went to Eastern Illinois University to get a degree in Psychology. And then in 2001 I moved to Florida to pursue porn. Porn isn’t really a very big industry in Illinois, haha, so I had to relocate to where the jobs were.

J: Was porn something you wanted to do or did you fall into it?

S: Porn was definitely something that was a fantasy of mine. A lot of people get into it for the easy money, but for me the financial aspect wasn’t the draw. It was purely exhibitionism. Growing up in eastern Illinois I really thought that getting into the industry would never happen. It seemed like it would stay a fantasy. Then I was going back to school for computer science, and I realized I hated it. The opportunity came up to do those solo scenes, so I took it.

J: And how did you get started in porn?

S: Years ago, back when AOL was still popular, I was in a chatroom that had an advertisement for models to do solo stuff. I answered it and they got me started in front of a camera. I got really good feedback, and I kept up with it. That first filming experience gave the performing bug. I haven’t looked back since.

J: Where did you go after you filmed your Treasure Island scenes?

S: I never really left porn. When I finished up those early scenes with Treasure Island I was approached about partnering up with a couple of other performers to start up our own site, Cre8ive Juices. I have been exclusive with them until I did Cum Whore. I’ve had a lot of fun doing that working with Cre8ive Juices.

J: What was it like running your own site?

S: You know, when I started I had no idea what to expect. It has definitely been fun overall, but I miss being just a model. Dealing with models, prepping, it all takes a lot of time and it drains you. By the time I got everything ready for the shoot: models, crew, cameras, everything, I was exhausted. It’s tiring. It’s challenging work and I’m glad that I’ve had a part of it, though.

J: How have you noticed the industry changing from your early days to now?

S: There has been a definite attitude shift in regards to barebacking. In 2004 I was still doing condom porn. When I did Cumsloppy Buttholes I was immediately cut off. No one from any of the studios I had worked with before would talk to me.

The thing is that I knew it was going to happen back then. That was just the times. But I wanted to do bareback. I was so bored with my condom work. At the time I didn’t know how much longer I would be doing porn, and I wanted it to be a part of my legacy, because it’s something I do in my personal life. I wanted to show that authentic part of myself. I went into it fully aware that I might lose the career I had up to that point.

There is definitely still some stigma attached to bareback performers but it’s nowhere near where it used to be.

J: What do you think of sites like Grindr and Scruff?

S: I really love the hookup sites. I think people are tending to look at Scruff and Grindr as the death of bars and real life interaction, but I think that that’s a very either/or argument. I look at those applications as tools. A lot of times when I go out to bars I’m with my friends and not looking to get picked up. Other times I’ll go out looking for a hookup and find nothing. But I enjoy the flirting and the other things you might miss out online.

I also think that people overlook the fact that not everyone lives in New York or San Francisco or some other gay mecca. There are people who, if it weren’t for sites like these, wouldn’t meet anyone.

J: How do you meet the guys you hookup with in your personal life

S: I meet a lot of guys online. Sometimes bars.

J: Do you think exhibitionism and self confidence are the same thing, and how do you think they are linked to porn?

S: Exhibitionism and self confidence are absolutely not the same thing. I’ve met and I’ve worked with exhibitionists who weren’t good at performing in front of the camera because they were very self conscious. Their scenes looked stiff and uncomfortable. Sometimes you can work past it. Before I started doing porn I loved going to bars and getting fucked in basements in front of crowds of guys. When I started filming, though, it took a while for me to become confident in the way I looked on film. It took a lot of positive feedback to make me comfortable and give me that confidence to be on film.

As I’ve gotten older I’ve become a little less confident again.

J: Do you think bareback porn has a role to play in alleviating the stigma of HIV positive performers?

S: Yes, I do. Whether or not it’s the right reaction or assumption to have, a lot of viewers, I think, just automatically assume that bareback performers are all poz. But if they’re still using bareback porn as a medium to to get off, then I think that they’re finding something sexual and attractive about the men they’re seeing on-screen. A lot of the stigma or stereotypes attached to HIV positive performers and people is that they’re sickly looking or unattractive. I think a lot of bareback porn actively refutes that.

J: What do you find attractive in a man?

S: I tend to like guys in their 30s and 40s. In shape older guys turn me on a lot. Confidence is a big thing for me. As a bottom I like to be submissive. If my top doesn’t know what he wants, if he isn’t confident in himself, then I don’t know what to do. A good attitude will count for a lot with me. You could be the hottest guy and have the worst attitude, and I wouldn’t be into it at all.

I should have just given you the short version: Jack Allen. That’s my answer.

J: What are some of your hobbies outside of sex?

S: Oh god, let’s see. I write a lot. I watch way too much T.V. I love Mad Men; Community; American Horror Story is really good right now.

I’ve written a novel. I’m in the re-write phase right now. It’s not gay, it’s a mainstream thriller novel. I’m pretty excited about it, although I’m finding that it’s very hard to get published these days.

I love reading. I read a lot of [Michael] Crichton, Michael Douglas Preston, and Lincoln Childs.

J: What was the hottest experience you ever had with a man?

S: I’ve had so much sex that it’s hard to pinpoint. I’m such an exhibitionist. The experiences at bathhouses and bars with people looking on and cheering, those scenes really stick with me. Being filmed really gets me going.

You know, my scene with Jack in Cum Whore was so great for me. Jack was so fucking sexy, such a great top.