LOS ANGELES — Michael Warner, an adult industry pioneer and founding member of the Free Speech Coalition (FSC), has passed away due to COVID-19 complications. A best friend. A mentor to everyone he met. The nicest guy you’d ever know. No words can describe this giant in the family of the adult business.
Warner was quietly behind the scenes throughout the adult industry, providing box covers for VHS and DVDs, catalogs for the many novelty companies, personal product packaging and a plethora of paper promotions with his printing company, Great Western Litho, based in Van Nuys, California. Warner took over the company from his father, a Holocaust survivor, when it was then known as the California Publishing and Liquidating Co. (CPLC). The company printed mainstream products and also shamelessly printed magazines and other printed needs for the burgeoning adult industry. When the adult industry was under attack in 1990, Warner was jailed for simply printing video box covers, as part of an FBI sting operation. This furthered his commitment to freedom of speech that inspired him, along with others in the video business, to create the Free Speech Legal Defense Fund, which later morphed into the Free Speech Coalition, which exists to this day.
Countless friends in the adult industry shared their words about this impactful yet quiet man, who contributed so much to the adult business family and beyond.
Susan Colvin, CEO of CalExotics, knew Warner since 1981. “We’ve been great friends for a long time. He’s always there for the good times, the bad times, and all the times. I talked to him every single day.”
Colvin was first hired by Warner and his sister, Vickie, to run a franchise of In and Out Photo. She also knew that Michael owned a printing plant and a number of other businesses.
“Vickie and I were then partners in a non-adult company called Jopen and the offices were at Great Western,” Colvin told XBIZ. “Jopen consulted with companies to computerize them as everything was in the BASIC computer language.”
She continued, “The guy who ran CPLC passed away and they needed assistance. At first, it was in operations and I didn’t know anything about adult! I knew they printed adult magazines that were really popular and VHS boxes, which were very enlightening for me.” They also owned a video company, Video Team, and a small novelty line called Swedish Erotica. When the companies were divided up, Warner was enthusiastic about Colvin purchasing Swedish Erotica.
“Because of his support, I could buy the small line as there were few women in the industry at that time. Twenty-seven years later, I still own what was once Swedish Erotica, now CalExotics,” said Colvin.
As a close, personal friend, she added, “Michael never missed a company industry event or awards show and even last night, before he passed, I texted him about the XBIZ Honors show,” Colvin continued, “He’s always been like a brother to me and my family, and his family has been like my own, too. He was the type of person who would be there for you, any time, any place, and I know that many others feel the same.”
In 2018, Doc Johnson Founder Ron Braverman presented Warner with the "Legacy Award" at the XBIZ Exec Awards ceremony, where he referred to him as his best friend.
“He’s been in the adult business his entire life — it started as a family business and it’s going to continue to be a family business,” Braverman said as he toasted to the tight-knit industry that Warner nurtured. “Michael has been a great advocate — whether it’s to support businesses or start a campaign — whatever needs to be done, Michael is always there. Michael was one of the founders of the Free Speech Coalition.” Though he resigned in the late 1990s, he continued to support the organization by printing up their materials free of charge.
“It’s been an interesting 50 years,” Warner said in his acceptance speech back in 2018 and dedicated his trophy to the many family businesses that are a part of the pleasure products industry.
Upon his passing, Braverman told XBIZ, “Michael was eloquent and an extremely special person who had a special quality about him. He was the kind of guy where everyone thought he was their best friend and he made everyone feel that way. He was the guiding light and the glue that kept us together.”
Reflecting on Warner’s character, Braverman described him as the type of person that if you needed him at the corner at 3 a.m., he was there at 2:30 a.m.
“Michael was a staunch supporter of the FSC, the First Amendment, adult business, and he was always the first one in line to help you with any cause that you needed. No matter how big or how small, he was there to help.”
Braverman added, “If you had a personal problem or business issue, he was always there for you.”
Several others shared the same feelings about Warner, and Braverman concurred.
“Whatever he did for you, he never, ever asked for something back — he did things for people because he wanted to, not to get something back. We’re all heartbroken. We’re going to miss that tremendously and work very hard to remain together, without his glue. We’ll have to recreate it to make sure we continue.”
Rob Phaneuf heard the news and declared it a “really sad morning.” As the longtime product developer and Pipedream Products' head of the art department, Phaneuf took a deep breath and told XBIZ, “I know for a lot of people, Michael was the first person you would call if you needed advice on anything… from how to navigate a difficult situation at work, to asking him what we were having for lunch. He was one of the kindest, most giving men I’ve ever met. He was a true mentor in every sense of the word and father figure to all of us, and he will be deeply missed. My heart is broken. There’s nothing that brought him more joy than watching me sweat when he walked through the front door to pick up our catalogs’ artwork. I still can’t believe he’s gone.”
Steve Volpini, former VP of Devil’s Films and Goodfellas Productions, worked with Warner while developing his transsexual line of videos.
“Michael was so helpful on every level of my work,” Volponi told XBIZ. “He did our printing, was an incredibly hard-working guy and super-helpful in every aspect, not just in business. Sure, he was a wizard on spot UV, multipack DVD packaging, big box items, foil, embossed and whatever, but if you needed a dinner reservation, you called him and he got you a table. Wherever you needed to be, he had a guy. He shared his contacts and all he acquired over the years with friends and colleagues.”
Longtime industry vet Lynn Swanson shared her thoughts about Warner with XBIZ, referring to him as a great guy and a wonderful person who did things for people when he didn’t have to.
“He did things for people and often quietly behind the scenes that nobody knew about,” she said. “Michael would personally call upon companies in the Valley and it wasn’t surprising to see him walk through the door to see proofs, and in all the places, he was the one to do it. He was very hands-on and had a real personal touch, which is why so many people are affected by his passing.”
Nick Orlandino, the former CEO of Pipedream, sighed, “Up and down, he was always there for me, a total mentor and really good guy. He touched a lot of people indirectly that they didn’t realize and was larger than life. Michael was one of the godfathers of the industry who took care of all of us and asked for nothing in return.”
Orlandino’s voice was shaking as he told XBIZ, “He is part of a dying breed and it sucks to see that happen to him. He helped a lot of people and he personally held me, mentored me at times and was always there for me. In fact, he helped me buy my first big car! He was totally a father figure and was always there to help me. He was a 150 percent stand-up guy, and I’ll miss him for the rest of my life.”
Elliot Schwartz of Nasstoys shared, “Michael was a very good friend of mine; he was like the mayor of L.A., not only to me but also to so many different people. He was one-of-a-kind and I’ve never met anyone like him.”
Schwartz continued with a personal story of a long-running joke they had between themselves: “Michael would always call me 'LTK' — last to know — because I’d call him to tell him something and he’d respond with. ‘You’re always the last to know!’ He’d greet me as ‘LTK’ every time I saw him!”
To Schwartz, Warner was a ray of sunshine.
“It’s a big loss to the industry, to the world,” he told XBIZ. “It’s a sad day for me. I loved him. I lost a good friend today,” he sighed, a reflection shared by everyone in this business.
Warner's family issued the following statement regarding his passing:
As everyone knows, for the past few weeks, Michael has been battling COVID. It is with great sadness that we must share heartbreaking news. Early this morning, due to the effects of the virus, Michael passed away. Michael was one-of-a-kind and the center of our universe. He had a huge heart, cared deeply for his family, friends and colleagues and, through his love and generosity, enriched the lives of so many. This is an unimaginable loss for everyone close to him and it occurs at a time when Michael’s best qualities — kindness, empathy and compassion — are needed most. There is no better way to honor Michael’s legacy than for each of us to embody those qualities and care for each other during this difficult time.
Adult video industry vet Kevin Beechum echoed the sentiment, calling today a “very sad day.”
“Michael was one of the nicest guys in our business, he would do anything for you, he will be so missed by so many,” he told XBIZ.
The next time you hold a packaged adult product, look at a design of a well-printed image from our business, or flip through a paper catalog, think of Michael Warner. He is sure to be missed in this family of adult entertainment.
Godspeed.
