CAVR Founder Den Passes Away at 67

DAYTON, Ohio—Denny Recob, known to most in the adult industry simply as Den, the man behind website Cyberspace Adult Video Reviews (CAVR), died quietly in his Dayton home at approximately 8 pm June 16, 2011, following a lengthy illness. He was 67. Senior AVN contributor "Dirty" Bob Krotts was Den's closest friend and submitted the following obituary for the esteemed critic: Den was, without question, the most prolific adult reviewer ever. When he announced his retirement a few months ago (but kept his illness a secret to everyone but a select few), he had written an astounding 25,214 video and DVD reviews and 2,160 internet scene reviews for CAVR.com since starting the site in 1996. CAVR will remain active thanks to the Internet Adult Film Database (IAFD), but nothing will be added. Den's reviews treated every release equally. In a style all his own, Den took a very nuts and bolts approach to adult criticism, so his reviews only mentioned the nitty gritty action and other features like extras and quality. He also ranked stars and scenes by various criteria that formed the basis for his annual CAVR Awards, which were given at his own expense and without fanfair every year to the winners. With Den, it has always been about the girls. He waged a one-man war against mistreatment and, specifically, choking in adult. For the last few years he refused to review content from any company that included these actions in their products. Few realize or may remember that Den was also an industry pioneer: In the mid 1980s, he was the first to shoot and sell high-end S-VHS adult video. He operated his own small mail-order amateur video company from Ohio called Den Video. He was forced to close after a few years when postal inspectors had him arrested on a trumped-up charge to scare him into shutting down. I had helped him to get his company running and will always remember that to keep my name out of it, Den pled guilty and served a short jail term. Den went to jail to protect his friends; he was a true hero and a loyal friend. Whether you remember Den from his website, posting on forums, or for his quiet, unassuming appearances at adult parties and conventions, he will be greatly missed.