SAN FRANCISCO – Athletic Model Guild has re-launched its flagship membership websites, AthleticModelGuild.com and AMGBrasil.com.

AMG president Dennis Bell said both sites have been updated with the latest technology and now serve as much more than launching pads for new gay adult titles. In addition to the studio’s recent work, the sites also serve as a repository for memorabilia from AMG’s 65-year history, including material from founder Bob Mizer’s iconic gay magazine, Physique Pictorial. Flash technology and other upgrades indicate AMG is serious about moving into the digital future of gay adult content, Bell said.

“The redesign of our flagship sites has been in the works for over a year now, and it was well worth our time and energy,” Bell said. “The brand new interface will allow us to showcase our 65 years of historical images and movies with the most up-to-date technology possible, like Flash formatting for maximum compatibility.

“In addition to our premium hardcore Brazilian line, AMG Brasil, AMG Classic has a vintage library of 3,000 films, 2,500 videos and about a million gallery images,” he continued. “The Web really is the perfect receptacle to hold this much content. We are launching with a fraction of this, to be sure, but that only means we have enough material to update our site for years to come.

“As we archive the AMG estate, it will be immediately available to the public. We are now in a position to give our customers easier access to the high-quality content they have come to expect from Athletic Model Guild.”

In addition to the Classic and Brasilian membership sites, the studio provides access to a video-on-demand page where fans can access streaming video content without paying membership fees; a blog via which they can keep track of events, sales and AMG history, and the AMG Web store, where they can buy AMG-related products. The studio’s revamped Web presence also includes a podcast (downloadable in the iTunes store) and an AMG Twitter feed. Fans also can “friend” the historic studio on MySpace and Facebook.

“We’ve come a long way over the past few years,” AMG director of communications Christopher Trout said. “When I started working with AMG the industry was still dependent on DVD sales, and now they’re practically collectors items. It’s not even enough to have a membership site anymore. You’ve got to be on every platform available. If you’re not online, you might as well be in a museum. AMG is ready for the digital age, and we’ve got the URLs to prove it.”

According to Trout, the overhaul of AMG’s Web presence is all about accessibility. In addition to providing multiple points of access, the studio will premiere episodic releases of each new film online long before making them available as DVDs in stores. Within the coming month the studio also plans to launch a new affiliate program, extending the concept of accessibility to webmasters.

“It’s been a long process, but it’s nowhere near over,” Bell said. “This is only the beginning of the new AMG. We realize that technology is constantly in flux, and we are ready to adapt to the ever-changing atmosphere of the Web. The new sites were just the first and most crucial step in proving our commitment to change. No one can say AMG is a relic of the past — far from it. AMG is a studio of the future.”

(Photo: Lucky O’Neill, from the AMG Classics collection.)