Internet Bondage Pioneer Wasteland.com Turns 25

Internet Bondage Pioneer Wasteland.com Turns 25

LOS ANGELES — When online adult entertainment pioneer Colin Rowntree launched Wasteland.com in 1994, the internet was a very different place than it is today.

Online videos were choppy, slideshow-like affairs, displayed at roughly the size of a postage stamp. Photos, which at the time were the mainstay of early adult sites like Rowntree’s, required excruciating download wait times. Still, Rowntree saw the internet’s potential as a force multiplier for the adult entertainment industry — a place where curious consumers could explore their sexuality anonymously and away from the prying eyes of anyone who might disapprove.

“Before launching Wasteland, I operated catalog sites, one of which offered a lot of ‘fetish gear’ — leather apparel, handcuffs, spanking paddles, that sort of thing,” Rowntree recalled. “What I noticed was that we were getting a whole lot more hits to and downloads of the catalog images than we were sales of the depicted items. This set off a lightbulb in my head: If I put up a site which sells access to images like these, there might be more money in that than what I’m doing now.”

Rowntree’s hunch proved prescient — and profitable. Before long, Wasteland.com was generating significantly more revenue than the catalog sites from which it evolved.

In the 25 years since its launch, Wasteland has served hundreds of thousands of paying customers, garnering multiple adult industry awards — and, more importantly to Rowntree, copious plaudits from its customers, and the performers who appear in the movies he has produced.

“Awards and recognition are nice and all, but none of it would mean a thing without Wasteland’s members and the performers,” Rowntree explained. “They’re the ones who have enabled me to enjoy this wild, wonderful industry and given me the opportunity to be my own boss and to be creative on my own terms.”

While Rowntree foresaw the potential for Wasteland to strike a chord online with fans of BDSM, it’s less likely that anyone who knew him before the launch of the site would have guessed he’d someday spend a quarter-century operating an adult website.

“Once upon a time, I was a Fulbright scholar who earned a Ph.D. in Music,” Rowntree said, grinning at the highly unlikely arc of his entertainment career. “I’ve led orchestras, waved my baton around the pit at operas — hell, I even conducted ‘Annie’ on Broadway. Nowadays, I’m more likely to be directing a movie in which Annie gets flogged in a dungeon beneath Broadway.”

To mark the occasion of Wastelands 25th anniversary, Rowntree is planning a party in New York City, complete with live BDSM performances, body artists, special guest appearances by some of Wasteland’s most popular performers and more.

Stay tuned to XBIZ for more about the upcoming celebration. Visit Wasteland here.

Related:  

Copyright © 2024 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

Missouri Republican Behind FOSTA-SESTA Renews Attack on OnlyFans

Rep. Ann Wagner, the Missouri Republican legislator who was the original architect of FOSTA-SESTA, has renewed her call for federal action against OnlyFans.

Idaho Legislature Passes Republican Age Verification Bill With Full Democratic Support

The Idaho legislature has passed the state’s version of the age verification bills being sponsored around the country by anti-porn religious conservative activists.

SINematica Names Emily Pink March's 'Most Valuable Performer'

SINematica has crowned Columbian star Emily Pink as Most Valuable Performer for the month of March, with a spotlight scene opposite Yannick Shaft and Erik Everhard.

Agatha Vega, Nicole Aria, Angel Gostosa Co-Star in SexLikeReal's 'Sexual Anthropology'

Agatha Vega, Nicole Aria and Angel Gostosa co-star in SexLikeReal’s latest scene, “Sexual Anthropology.”

MYLF Debuts New Series 'Oye Mami'

MYLF has released the premiere episode of its newest series, "Oye Mami," titled "Fighting for a Promotion."

Cecelia Taylor Toplines Latest Volume of Bryan Gozzling's 'Hookup Hotshot: E-Girls'

Cecelia Taylor headlines director Bryan Gozzling's "Hookup Hotshot: E-Girls 15," from Evil Angel.

Valentina Nappi, Katrina Colt Star in Latest 'Lez Be Bad'

XBIZ Award winner Valentina Nappi stars with Katrina Colt in "Cheating in Plain Sight," the latest episode of Adult Time's "Lez Be Bad."

Pre-Nom Period for 2024 XBIZ Creator Awards Ends Monday

The deadline for pre-nomination entries for the 2024 XBIZ Creator Awards is Monday, March 18 at 11:59 p.m. PDT.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Partners With Anti-Porn Lobby NCOSE

Democratic New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez issued a press statement last week prominently highlighting her partnership with religiously-inspired anti-porn lobby NCOSE, an organization that seeks to criminalize all sex work and eradicate adult content, and that has an extensive, well-documented history of championing state censorship and opposing LGBTQ+ rights.

Age Verification Trade Group Weighs In on UK Consultation

The Age Verification Providers Association (AVPA) filed earlier this month its response to U.K. media regulator Ofcom's consultation soliciting feedback on the regulation of adult websites under Part 5 of the Online Safety Act.

Show More