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Meet Howard Roffman: Licenser Of Lightsabers, Photographer Of Naked Boys
Posted by Seth at 6:55 AM on August 22, 2008
While we have to say were taken slightly aback by the addition of limp-flippered velvet-slug mafioso Capote the Hutt to the Star Wars character universe, we were even more surprised to learn from a Defamer operative that the Lucas brand—Synonymous with Quality Intergalactic Family Entertainment Since 1977™—harbors other...how should we put this diplomatically...C3POic tendencies? They write:
Howard Roffman is the bigwig in charge of all of toy licensing for Lucas Film....in other words he is the guy who decides what little kids and little boys will be playing with, you know like lightsabers they can cross and things like that.
Anyway, on the side and this is pretty well known within Lucas, Howard Roffman is also known for his gay pornography photos of handsome young.....and i mean YOUNG....guys in action.
Sure enough, we did some internet digging, and pulled up two very different online bios for the President of Lucas Licensing. His lucasfilm.com profile dryly lists his qualifications, explaining that "Roffman was able to combine business executive functions with creative marketing skills" to eventually oversee duties for "the licensing and marketing of all Lucasfilm properties in ancillary consumer markets, including the Star Wars and Indiana Jones films."
Then there's the Roffman described by himself at howardroffman.com:
I am a 52-year-old white, Jewish man who grew up in a decidedly white middle-class section of Philadelphia, who now lives in San Francisco with his partner of 31 years and whose career has nothing to do with photography. So how do I find myself publishing book after book of photographs of deliriously beautiful young men? I often find myself asking that very same question.
We invite you to peruse Roffman's eleven published collections of nude black-and-white studies; while this might not be material for everyone, we doubt anyone would deny Roffman's natural ability for capturing the contours of a very young man's blossoming body. Obviously, some parents might find this news of grave concern—but we're sure that a consummate professional such as himself can be trusted not to greenlight child-inappropriate Lucasfilm products like a Mutt Williams Vine-Swinging Loincloth or Handsy Solo and the Millennium Chickenhawk playset.
- howardroffman.com
- Howard Roffman [lucasfilm.com]
Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
There are currently no AU comments for this post.
WGARefugee
Posted 7:47 AM 22/8/08
I feel a little weird about this one. I wouldn't want to be in anyway was responsible for some pinheaded pressure group of secretly gay men crusading to cost this guy his job. Because this situation is tailor-made for them: lots of pictures to publicly decry and privately lust over.
WGARefugee
Poormojo
Posted 7:45 AM 22/8/08
Um, who cares? He's an adult doing things behind closed doors with other consenting adults. How is this a story?
Poormojo
Midge
Posted 7:43 AM 22/8/08
Way back when, that pervy neighbor Mr. Harnon tried to lure me in with promises of a Millennium Chickenhawk playset. I declined unfortunately. It's probably worth a $1,000 on E-Bay now.
Midge
regisgoat
Posted 7:42 AM 22/8/08
From the site:
"At 18, Brian was more sexually open than almost anyone I'd ever known, yet still a complete sexual novice. He longed for experience. In that longing I sensed an opportunity for both of us. We made a deal: as he explored his sexuality, I would document the journey on film."
regisgoat
Reggie Cameron
Posted 7:39 AM 22/8/08
Everybody knows about this. I prefer Steve Underhill's work.
Reggie Cameron
Fama Est
Posted 7:35 AM 22/8/08
Is he related to Anderson Cooper?
Fama Est
kookla
Posted 7:32 AM 22/8/08
Where's Chris Hansen when you need him?
kookla
riskybusiness
Posted 7:32 AM 22/8/08
Whatevs, yo. If this cat had anything to do with the Lego licensing deals, he's my hero.
riskybusiness
forever1267
Posted 7:27 AM 22/8/08
so sometimes a lightsaber is more than just a lightsaber?
forever1267
misterdirky
Posted 7:26 AM 22/8/08
If you spell Jar Jar Binks backwards, it's "Sknib Raj Raj", which is wookie-speak for "Hairless Scrotum Enthusiast".
See for yourself, bitches [en.wikipedia.org]
misterdirky
JudgeFudge
Posted 7:21 AM 22/8/08
Roffman shoots first.
JudgeFudge
A Pimp Named DaveR
Posted 7:12 AM 22/8/08
... but turn it into the photography of barely legal GIRLS, and it's a Chicago-based media empire.
Double standard?
A Pimp Named DaveR
surfacenoise76
Posted 8:09 AM 22/8/08
Cooper's, duh
surfacenoise76
surfacenoise76
Posted 8:09 AM 22/8/08
He looks like Anderson Coopers slow brother.
surfacenoise76
Steverino Begins
Posted 8:08 AM 22/8/08
@Poormojo: Agreed, unless they're underage.
Steverino Begins
johnnypotatoes
Posted 8:39 AM 22/8/08
"Simple Coop."
johnnypotatoes
signine
Posted 9:20 AM 22/8/08
Hey baby, wanna play with my lightsaber?
No? Okay, well we can always go back to my place and pet my wookie. I promise not to fire my torpedoes into your thermal exhaust port.
signine
jason1007
Posted 9:17 AM 22/8/08
thanks for the boner, defamer
jason1007
Cam/ron
Posted 9:05 AM 22/8/08
@Poormojo: Many people's senses of humor were corrupted by Freud. Note the hard kung-fu grip on the light saber in the photo.
Cam/ron
ricker
Posted 9:01 AM 22/8/08
The perfect boy was made from midichlorians (sp?) and Roffman spooge, with the help of some sophisticated lighting and confident framing.
ricker
taraniso
Posted 9:56 AM 22/8/08
Didja have to layer the dude's face over that hot pic??!!
taraniso
Mymoustache
Posted 10:30 AM 22/8/08
@A Pimp Named DaveR: Good point. But what if the head of American Girl Doll dabbled in young girl porn? Just makes ya feel kind of...uncomfortable. I'm just sayin'.
Mymoustache
Cacafuego
Posted 2:13 PM 22/8/08
And I thought it was Star TREK that attracted the pedos?
Cacafuego
Icarustoo
Posted 12:10 PM 22/8/08
I see a Gary Glitter parable coming.
Icarustoo
Mean_Ol_Liberal
Posted 12:04 PM 22/8/08
At least half of those models appear to be in their 20s. It's some gorgeous hot photography of gorgeous hot young men.
The other half of the models, though? Some of 'em really appear to be pushin' it. Made me feel all icky. That wanting to turn back the clock thing must be a guy power thing or whatever.
And as far as double standards? I don't think it would be all that seemly for a Lucas Film exec was releasing the exact same kinds of photos of females toeing that same age line. And the bit about an 18 year old being "more sexually open than almost anyone [he'd] ever known"? I think if the genders were switched, the dude would get a lot of shit for it in his corp.
Mean_Ol_Liberal
HK_Guy
Posted 2:28 PM 22/8/08
Wow, this is one of the most blatantly homophobic, hate-filled blog posts I've ever read. If you were in Germany in 1933, you'd do great on Der Sturmer.
HK_Guy
Minsley Tortimer
Posted 2:56 PM 22/8/08
he knows what boys like, he knows what boys want
Minsley Tortimer
phlox
Posted 3:40 PM 22/8/08
Where is MY FleshLight Saber? Huh?
Also: Perv.
phlox
phlox
Posted 4:08 PM 22/8/08
@HK_Guy: I know I'm late to this poorly attended party HOWEVER...
Has the bar for invoking Godwin's Law really been lowered to the point that one can't even think that someone pushing sixty and is obsessing over barely legal teenagers is kind of creepy and maybe somewhat inappropriate?
That's a gender/orientation-neutral question btw.
And a shoutout to you @Minsley Tortimer: and your 'Waitresses'
phlox
Dimo
Posted 6:11 PM 22/8/08
@riskybusiness: Oh, I hear that shit!
Growing up, you're like "why can't these two join forces?"
and then one day the chocolate did get in the peanut butter.
Dimo
HK_Guy
Posted 12:18 AM 23/8/08
phlox: So you'd be one of those people accusing Lewis Carroll/Charles Dodgson of being a total perv, I guess. Also every renaissance artist who depicted cherubic naked young boys. The point is, "omeone pushing sixty and is obsessing over barely legal teenagers" is also called "an artist."
HK_Guy
StratfordX
Posted 3:29 AM 23/8/08
this is pretty "laugh-and-point-at-the-gays" + lightsaber innuendo? this ain't a story.
StratfordX
Cacafuego
Posted 6:46 AM 23/8/08
@HK_Guy:
And the guy who has the creepy pictures on the hidden partition on his drive makes himself known.
Cacafuego
ophthalmologist
Posted 4:57 PM 25/8/08
@Mymoustache: faulty analogy
@phlox: Roffman's first book was published in '95, when he was 39 y.o. - and where on his site does he say he's obsessing?
So many backwards and narrow-minded comments in response here - what's up with all this fear? If the genders were switched, the dude would get a reality show, webisodes, you name it.
ophthalmologist
gwendolyn
Posted 10:32 AM 26/8/08
@surfacenoise76: Are we talking 'Simple Jack' here?
gwendolyn
gwendolyn
Posted 10:30 AM 26/8/08
@Mean_Ol_Liberal: I think the 'wanting to turn back the clock thing' is pretty much hard-wired into the human brain, regardless of sexual orientation. Firm, young flesh is appealing because it speaks of life and health. Old wrinkly flesh indicates impending death.
And flesh that's kinda in between means you do go to bed after 'Iron Chef America' on Sunday nights and that AARP card you just got in the mail was no mistake...
gwendolyn