 He spent some time recovering from a heavy meth addiction, then opened a small post-production studio, hiring former pornographic actors and directors to help them transition out of the industry.McKai's work was well received by alt porn fans, but was also been criticized by those who feel that he appropriated the aesthetic of alternative subcultures for use in pornography, or who questioned his credibility and connection to alternative subcultures.After leaving the porn industry, one of the actresses in his films, Keiko, referred to McKai as "edgy as a butterknife".