Newsletter No. 6: FALL 1998

Introduction

While we are a for-profit company, one of the reasons we organized as a worker co-operative was that, in our own way, each of us is more than a little uncomfortable with traditional ways of doing business. So when it comes to the holiday season, we're torn. Sure we love the snow, the lights,the rush of holiday shoppers, the frantic cries of people who have ten minutes to find three presents and pick up a pie across the street. It's intoxicating - and it's not like we don't need the money. But what we've never liked is the all-too-typical approach to selling. We prefer to help people find what's right for them, to support people in making their own sexual choices - not just tell them what's best and move on. So what we did was sit down and figure out what we really want to find waiting for us at home as a present, and here it is. It's sort of our own version of a holiday gift guide (except there aren't any interesting teapots, woolly moccasins, or fruitcake).Back by popular demand is . . .

Hitachi Magic Wand Kit

The best thing we know to keep you going through the long winter. Durable, powerful, it looks a little like a Braun mixer, it's the same vibrator that seems to be gracing the pages of the Globe & Mail every other day. The kit comes with the Wand plus the G-spotter attachment, all lovingly gift-wrapped and ready to give (or receive . . . or both).

Andrew Blake Gift Collection

Of course, we believe that any day is a good day to start your porn collection, but since this is the season of giving (to say nothing of cool deals from distributors), we're offering an amazing deal on three Blake classics. Get three films, all tied up with a bow, for $64.00 (regularly $102.00). Offer good until we run out of tapes.

Ruby Ribbed Vibe Kit

Rudolph won't be the only one with a glowing nose when this kit comes to town. It's six inches of shimmering and vibrating red jelly, lube, condoms and batteries - all in a cotton carrying bag.

Hitachi Magic Wand Kit 80.00

Andrew Blake Gift Collection 64.00

Ruby Ribbed Vibe Kit 39.00

workshops

SPIRITUAL SEX: an introduction

January 11 7:30 - 10:00 pm

Learn to create ecstatic spiritual union in your sexual life - a feeling of blissful union with both your partner and the divine. This workshop, with Pala Copeland & Al Link, covers the basic keys and special techniques of spiritual sex. Cost is $20.

IGNITE YOUR EROTIC SELF: self-pleasuring playshop for men

January 17 1:00 - 6:00 pmUsing breath, movement and genital self-massage, this workshop reclaims the joy of self-pleasuring. With Matthew Simmons. Cost is $45.

GIRL PARTS & THE BIG "O"

February 16 7:30 - 10:00 pm

Learn about the what & where of women's sexual anatomy and the what & how of orgasm - in its myriad forms. With Sandra Haar (of Come As You Are). All women welcome. Cost is $15.

Pre-registration is necessary for all workshops. Sliding scale is available. For more info or to register, please call us at COME AS YOU ARE, 416-504-7934.

upcoming in the spring:

HERBAL APHRODISIACS

PLAYING WITH PORNO: a workshop for aspiring smutmakers

toys

Our silicone selection just got bigger with the introduction of two new lines of silicone dildos, both with new textures and really reasonable pricing. We got so many comments about the Fleshlight toy for men in the store that we've been waiting for its manufacturer to go into dildo production. Well, here they are: The Tomcat, Tie Dye, and Glam Rock are made from the softest silicone we've ever felt, come in incredible colours (you have to see them to believe them) and are all harness compatible.

From the same company we are also carrying the Rodeo Rider. Also made from supersoft plastic, the Rodeo Rider can be used as a clitoral stimulator, a cock ring, and a couple other things a little to difficult to describe in print (come into the store and we'll show you). We sold out of our first shipment and are anxiously awaiting more for December. A new Aslan creation, the Natural Harness combines a hard leather frontpiece with soft leather straps. It looks good and feels great, and at $50.00, fits almost anyone's budget. You can find out about our expanding video section elsewhere in this newletter, and we're also expanding are our power play toy section. New restraints, new floggers, plus paddles, switches, crops, and pending staff approval, some very funky wooden toys.

The Tomcat, Tie Dye, Glam Rock 62.00Rodeo Rider 16.00

Aslan Natural Harness 50.00

books

Everyone's got something to say about it and some people even make money telling other people what they should do. Professional "advice people" may or may not have degrees, diplomas or other stamps of approval in the turf of human life they claim; their approach may range from kindly yet stern (Ann Landers), salacious yet informative (Pat Califia), reprimanding and abrasive (Laura Schlesinger) - regardless, their audiences are wide and the loyalty they inspire can be fierce. In the world of sex, advisors can be found on the radio, on TV and in print. Taking the "Q&A" approach, folks such as Sue Johanson, Pat Califia (who, by the way, inspired the ire of some by daring to be a lesbian writing about gay men's sexual concerns), Isadora Alman and - closer to home - Xtra's Buck Naked and Lushus Lucy have guided the perplexed through the maze of sexual habits, etiquette, anatomy and more. To this stellar list, we can add Dan Savage. His hip, irreverent and wicked prose has won him devoted readers (I confess to being one - having found his "Savage Love" column years ago in a copy of the Village Voice at the laundromat). Savage Love is now also the name of a book of his columns, which are grouped under headings such as "Butt Sex and Blow Jobs" and "Almost Everything Breeder Boys Need to Know About Women's Genitals." Pick this book up (there, that's my piece of advice) and be prepared to laugh, gasp and learn alot. Other notable new books: Trans Liberation: beyond pink or blue is a collection of speeches by Leslie Feinberg, a leading transgender activist and all-roundrevolutionary!

Nerve: literate smut is a bold and thoughtful collection of sexual fiction, non-fiction and photography that originally appeared on the Nerve webzine.

Savage Love 18.99

Trans Liberation 29.95

Nerve 21.95

videos

In the tradition of Boogie Nights and the heyday of the Porn Industry, we have put together a little section we like to call "'70s." Here is where you will find some classic pieces that differ from the regular formula.When you start seeing Cum On My Face 73 in the video store it becomes fairly obvious that the videos coming out these days stick to a fairly slim view of what people want to see.

The material in this selection looks more interesting: the shots are more creative, everything isn't always super-lighted, and it's all on film. The actresses have more of a variety of body shapes and painfully large silicone breasts are missing. Porn in the '70s was pre-video, took a lot longer to shoot - and there was a feeling in those free-loving sexual liberation days that porn could transcend its sleazy reputation. Sleaze is great, but often people complain that porn is missing something. And diversity is not mainstream pornography's strong suit. Some compilation tapes that feature a good sampling of '70s would be Only the Very Best on Film, Boogie Down with John Holmes, or Deep Inside Ginger Lynn. All these tapes feature some inspiring performances that certainly shouldn't be forgotten. If you like a little plot with your sex, a good choice would be either be

Behind the Green Door or CafÈ Flesh. These films were made just when porn was starting to get some notoriety in the mainstream. CafÈ Flesh actually made some crossover into regular theatres. The '70s is an era where porn aspired to be artistically sound as well as erotic. This is the place to look if you are frustrated with the quality of video. These films offer some explicit stimulation for between your ears.

Only the Very Best Film 40.00

Boogie Down with John Holmes 56.00

Deep Inside Ginger Lynn 34.00

Behind the Green Door 34.00

CafÈ Flesh 34.00

Holiday '70s Box Set 68.00

special news

Previously merely a worker, as of last August, Stevie Forbes-Roberts has become a member of the worker co-op at Come As You Are! (We're so glad she's stayed around, and if you've met her in the store, you probably are too.)