Interview with Goth-Industrial Band God Module

Don’t ever change
I like it spooky

Zombies eating brains
I like it spooky

Serial killers
And the insane
I like it spooky

Angry ghosts
Rattling chains
I like it spooky

-”Spooky” by God Module off their Let’s Go Dark album

How can any self-respecting spooky kid resist those lyrics? It’s like a horror-lovers’ anthem! Not to mention that a wicked sample of Trash (Linnea Quigley) from Return of the Living Dead appears throughout the track asking “Do you ever fantasize about being killed? Do you ever wonder about all the different ways Of dying…you know, violently?” as well as her famous “I like it spooky” line.

This song is not only representative of all the horror fiends out there, but it also shows what the goth-industrial/harsh EBM band God Module is all about. Founded by Jasyn Bangert (vocals, synth, programming), God Module also consists of fellow horror-lovers Byron C. Miller (vocals, live keyboards) and Courtney Bangert (vocals, live keyboards), and all three like it spooky!

As the creepy creators of “spooky dance music”, God Module has released the albums Artificial, Perception EP, Empath, Victims Among Friends EP, Viscera, Let’s Go Dark and recently released their new album The Magic in my Heart is Dead.

God Module has been one of my favorite bands for quite a long time, and it certainly was a pleasure to have the opportunity to chat with members Jasyn and Byron about crazy tour stories, their favorite horror movies and what is next for the band!

Fatally Yours: Welcome Jasyn and Byron! I’m very excited to have the opportunity to interview one of my favorite bands! 

Tell me, before God Module, what musical experience did you have?

Jasyn Bangert: When I was 14 I started playing drums. No formal training at all other than music class in middle school. I just played along to records like Misfits Walk Among Us and Ramones Rocket to Russia over and over again until I could play them. I was in an assortment of attempts at punk and death rock bands off and on while in high school but they never really worked out for too long. My interests in gothic and synth pop music brought me to be exposed to industrial bands. After hearing 242, Leather Strip, and Skinny Puppy I had no choice, I pawned my drum kit and bought an old shitty Alesis drum machine and set out to learn how to make electronic music and find out what the fuck MIDI meant.

Fatally Yours: Jasyn, you released God Module’s first album, Artificial, in 2000 before Byron and Courtney were in the band. How did the dynamic change after they joined the band in 2002? And Byron, how was your experience with joining the band?

Jasyn Bangert: Originally God Module was collaboration between one of my high school friends Andrew Ramirez and myself. At the time we met we both were really into Belgian new beat, techno and Ambient music. Looking back on those times its hilarious how little we knew about making a CD when we created “Artificial”. The stories of how we recorded our vocals on that release would scare most people who have a clue what they are doing musically. Sadly, people change and our friendship ended, as did his time being a part of God Module. Courtney had actually always been in the band since the first CD. I am very drawn to ideas of duality and the addition of clean, female vocals to my effected vocals was always part of the plan. With my music, lyrics and vocals I always try to exist somewhere in between good and evil, light and dark. I think the female vocal tracks really help to do that. Byron joined God Module after Andrew left due to my need for another live member. We have grown as a live band together since then and I feel Byron has really matured as a performer from where he was when we started. He also contributes vocals in the studio from time to time, as well as handling half the vocal duties live.

Byron C. Miller: I joined the band right around the completion of the Perception EP. I knew Jasyn wanted do something a little different with the next album Empath, and that we shared a great love for Horror in film and literature, and how well the genre can be used to explore, just as much as entertain. It only seemed natural that Jasyn would want to use horror as a backdrop and have always pushed for it in the music. Come to find out Jasyn was thinking the same way.  My overall experience in God Module is an evolution in live performance. The music and themes convey very powerful emotions and I always strive to really give an intense physical interpretation on the stage. I also do what I can behind the scenes to contribute to the albums by writing some lyrics, contributing vocals, finding many of the samples, and in general sitting there with Jasyn as he’s putting the song together and making suggestions.

Fatally Yours: Can you tell us about your main influences/inspirations when performing and/or writing material? 

Jasyn Bangert: When it comes to mood and imagery I am very inspired by artistic imaginaries such as Clive Barker, David Lynch, H.P. Lovecraft, Joel-Peter Witkin and Mike Mignola to name a few. I find myself drawn to these people because they seem to touch on places and experiences that “normal” people cannot begin to comprehend with their art. It’s not just personal or expressive but it is otherworldly at times. Performing live I think that my stage persona is very unique in the type of music we make. I don’t try to emulate anyone else when I am onstage.  I use my physical stature to become a reflection of the music I create. In doing so, I take a very animalistic, intimidating, monstrous approach to my stage persona.

Byron C. Miller: In performing live I strive to completely transform into something inhuman, evil.

Fatally Yours: Many of your songs are influenced by horror movies and it is obvious you are all big fans of horror. What are some of your favorite horror movies?

Jasyn Bangert: Some of my favorite horror films are: Tobe Hooper’s The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and its sequel, Phantasm, John Carpenter’s The Thing, and Halloween, Clive  Barker’s Hellraiser 1 and  2, Lord of Illusions, Stewart Gordon’s Reanimator films, Dagon, From Beyond, Return of the Living Dead 1, 2, and 3, Pumpkinhead, Trick R Treat, The Resurrected, etc., etc. I am also an insane Jason Voorhees fan, so I love all the Friday the 13th movies but, Part 6: Jason Lives is my favorite, followed closely by Part 7.

Byron C. Miller: I have many favorites for many different reasons, here’s a taste: Dust Devil, John Carpenter’s Halloween, The Thing,  Night of the Creeps, Dawn of the Dead (‘78), Return of the Living Dead, Invasion of the Body Snatchers (‘78), Near Dark, Fright Night,  The Haunting (‘63), The Exorcist, Re-Animator, Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (‘86).

Fatally Yours: Was there any specific moments and/or events that made you the horror fans you are today?

Jasyn Bangert: When I was really young I saw the trailer or TV spot for Phantasm somewhere and I became obsessed with seeing it.  I bugged my Mom constantly, every day trying to get her to take me to see this movie. From a very young age, I couldn’t wait for Saturdays so I could watch Creature Feature on Channel 50 in Detroit, where I grew up, in the suburbs. So it wasn’t that I had never seen a scary movie,  I just  had never seen anything other than what was shown on TV, which was mainly older Hammer or Universal films with the occasional 50’s B monster movie thrown in. So I think my mom finally gave in and took me to the movie in hopes that it would scare the shit out of me and I would shut up…and it did, I couldn’t walk past a mirror for a long time without expecting the tall man to jump out and grab me. Rather than turning me against being scared of things, it did the total opposite. I loved that feeling even more than ever and that is still going till this day.

Byron C. Miller: I attribute a lot of it to growing up for half of my childhood in Owensboro, KY. It’s a small town with plenty of legends and ghost stories, and my Grandma on my Dad’s side would always tell me of these stories and I could never get enough. Her house at the time was haunted and located on a hill next to an abandoned cemetery. Sometimes it’s like I was a kid in a horror movie and I loved every moment; I love to be scared! The late night horror host Sammy Terry was my hero, and Halloween was always my favorite holiday. I would even build haunted mazes in my room and have the neighborhood kids go through them. I suppose it’s just in my blood.

Fatally Yours: On the subject of horror, could you give our readers examples of your songs that directly relate to the genre and what inspired you to write them? 

Jasyn Bangert: From the beginning, God Module has been directly tied to horror in the sense of the majority of the themes I use in my song writing are in one way or another connected to the genre. Even our first CD, Artificial, which many people place in the sci-fi category is mainly based around ideas I got from movies like Aliens, Event Horizon, and Cube. After that CD, the title track on the Perception EP is based in the paranormal and uses ideas like telekinesis and ESP to express other more personal matters hidden in the words. This has become very synonymous with my work with God Module. I take extremely personal thoughts and feelings that I need to expel from my own self. I just use very dark imagery through words to get these things out of me. So while a song that seems like it is about the end times of the world (“Skeptical”), evolving into a fish person in Innsmouth (“Forseen”), or murder and rape (“Lucid”), they just might really be about very different aspects of my personality at their core. Then there are songs that are more obviously inspired by specific horror films I love like: “Your True Face” (Nightbreed), “Orange and Black” (John Carpenter’s Halloween), and “Brains” (my favorite zombie films like Return of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead, etc., etc.).

Byron C. Miller: The song “Spooky” had an interesting evolution. Jasyn and I had always wanted to sample Trash and Suicide from Return of the Living Dead. When Jasyn sampled the “I like it spooky” line I started thinking of what the lyrics to such a song would be. I left a voicemail one day with the phrase “Don’t ever change I like it spooky.” This was a message to everyone that’s a little different to always be themselves. It was an anthem for everyone, and for myself as at the time I had just gotten out of a relationship that made me feel like I couldn’t always be myself. Jasyn liked it and thought that it could be the basis for a song that was not only a message, but also a fun tribute all things Horror that we enjoy. It would be like a trip through a haunted house. He then wrote the first verse, I wrote the second verse and the rest is history. I like that despite it’s more tongue in cheek approach, “Spooky”, like all God Module songs, is about much more than what it appears on the surface.

Fatally Yours: On your many tours, what has been your most memorable concert experience? 

Jasyn Bangert: There have been many. One of my Favorites was when we toured with the Mexican EBM band Hocico as part of the Out Of Line festival throughout Germany. At the time I was such a fan boy of Erk and Racso’s music that it was unreal to be driving around Europe on a bus performing with them every night. Sitting on the side of the stage watching Hocico every night after our set was over is something I will always remember as being fucking amazing. Also a lot of the early shows we did with my good friend Alex Matheu’s band Negative Format are very special to me.

Byron C. Miller: It’s a tie. Playing the WGT festival in Germany, performing for about 5,000 people was amazing and so much fun. However I don’t feel that I had reached my full potential at the time, and in a way that show and its success helped give me the strength to finally become the performer I always knew I could be. So the tie is with performing at DAS BUNKER in Los Angeles. The last two shows (this might be considered a threeway tie…) were just great. Such emotion and power from the crowd, and something overall about that venue just really makes me come alive. I love it!

Fatally Yours: Do you have any favorite venues/cities you just love to play?

Jasyn Bangert: Das Bunker in Los Angeles because the crowd is always fucking crazy! Sadisco* in Arizona is really cool too. When we first played there they asked me if I had a choice which movie would I want to play a concert in and of course I said The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2..because who wouldn’t? So when we got there they had turned the club into a rendition of the underground world beneath the old the Texas Battleland amusement park the Sawyer family lived in. Bones, Christmas lights and body parts were everywhere. They even had one room set up like the dinner scene. Then of course playing bigger festivals like Wave Gothic Treffen, Kinetik, Infest etc are always really fun. Not only is it nice to play in front of hundreds and sometimes thousands of people but getting to see and perform with many bands we are fans of or friends with or both is awesome.

Byron C. Miller: Los Angeles, San Antonio, Montreal, Mexico City, Leipzig – Germany

Fatally Yours: If you could pick any bands that you would want to tour with, who would they be and why?

Jasyn Bangert: I would have to say I would need a time machine to get the full effect out of this question. With that said the incarnation of the Misfits when the line up consisted of Doyle, Glenn Danzig, Jerry Only and Robo. Their music has been such a huge inspiration on so many aspects of my life. I would even settle for the opening spot for Danzig on tour for their first record. Runners up include touring with The Cure for Disintegration on the Prayer Tour, Christian Death for Only Theater of Pain, Skinny Puppy for Too Dark Park, Front 242 for Front By Front and Marilyn Manson for Antichrist Superstar.

Byron C. Miller:  Calabrese, it would be fun to tour with a great Death Rock band. GhoulTown for the same reason as Calabrese. Imperative Reaction, because they’re awesome and it would be lots of fun to hit the road with our friends Ted and Clint and the gang, and we’ve been talking about it forever, time to do it!

Fatally Yours: Oh yes please! Those would be great tours! So, tell us about your new EP, The Magic in My Heart Is Dead which is out now!

Jasyn Bangert: The new EP is based around 4 new God Module songs that after finishing I felt were strong enough to be released as their own entity and not part of the next CD:

“The Magic In My Heart Is Dead”: This songs title, which is also the title of the EP, comes from the name of a painting done by my good friend Ashley Kitchens. I was inspired by her work to write a song that I planned on using as the instrumental opening for our upcoming shows. I ended up simply speaking the words – “The Magic in My Heart is Dead” – on the song and I really liked the way it turned out. The title of her painting really appealed to me at the time. There were things I was dealing with in my personal life that had left me feeling as if parts of me had in fact died. I see this song as a funeral march of sorts. Mourning the loss of a very important person in my life and also as chance to become stronger from my own loss.

“Skeptical”: Is about the doubt, anger and fear I experienced after losing a very important person in my life. There were times when I felt like I was not sure I would ever be able to get over what I was feeling. Of course at times like these people are quick to tell you how these feelings will pass and in time they do. But this song is not about that, rather it is about me expressing my desire to be nothing like these people who can easily accept such things and move on. While I believe everything that does not kill us does make us stronger, I will never accept the belief that things happen “for a reason” or that any part of being born, growing old and dying is fair or just. There are many magical things to experience in life but at the same time no matter what your belief or faith is, you have to accept that we are brought into life to lose it and everything else we find while we are alive. That is how we are made and how the cycle of life works. And it’s really catchy and you can dance to it!

“Art”: In this song I used metaphors such as film and my nightmares to express some very intense emotional problems I was experiencing when writing the song. These are far too personal to detail here but let’s just say the lyrics “I’m breaking, I’m falling apart, all for the sake of my art” in this case were very true
“A Minute to Midnight”: Is a dark, twisted Halloween song about spooky sex and depravity. Right now I think it is close to being my favorite God Mod song I have ever done. While it’s nowhere near the most complicated or meaningful song I have written, I love the fact that it’s really deceiving in that at its core it is written simply as a pop song but at the same time it’s very perverted and kinda fucked up…well depending what you’re into I guess.

I also did a cover of the Gary Numan song “Me! I Disconnect from You”. It has been one of my favorite songs for over the last 20 years and i have always wanted to break it apart and recreate it in my own image so to speak. There are also remixes by some amazing artists and I did a more club oriented remix of our song “Spooky”. To sum it up, people can expect a crazy, fucked up ride through the haunted and sometimes deranged chambers of my brain. That every once in a while will show them that there might be a light at the end of their own fucked up tunnel. The trick is that I try to make the things hiding in the dark so appealing that they will lose all interest in ever wanting to leave.

Fatally Yours: What kind of touring have you done or do you plan to do for the new EP? 

Jasyn Bangert: We just finished a 24 date US tour in support of the EP. Overall it was an amazing success. We played some really big shows and a couple very small shows but they all were really fun. In June this tour will continue with 4 shows in Mexico followed by 3 shows in South America. Also we are already planning our next tour in support of the new CD that I am working on now.

Fatally Yours: What kind of hardware/software do you use to create your music?

Jasyn Bangert:  My current studio is based around my PC running Cubase 4. I use far too many software synths, samplers and insert effects to name them all. Hardware wise I have a Korg MS2000B, Access Virus B, EMU Audity 200 and X-treme Lead 1 all hooked up into my mixer for the new CD.

Fatally Yours: I love all the movie samples you use within your songs. Do you find a sample and build a song around it or do you search for samples to fit into song after it has already been written? 

Jasyn Bangert: Sometimes a scene in a film or television show will just stick out right away and I will know I have to use it in a song. Other times I just use what I or Byron has collected recently where they seem to fit when the time comes. Usually I try to do this after the lyrics have been written if I am using something I didn’t already have planned for a particular song.

Byron C. Miller: I find a great deal of the samples and it’s usually a process of me going through a number of films I love and going to scenes where I remember something interesting being said, and then if it seems like it could work for something I sample it. Then I give Jasyn all of these samples and he goes through them when it’s time to add one to a song. Sometimes him or I will be watching something and be like “man we have to sample that!” Or Jasyn will occasionally give me a certain thing to search for like someone talking about the end of the world, or someone talking about fucking and eating somebody.

Fatally Yours: Byron, I was surprised to learn you made a vampire film not too long ago called Night. Can you tell us what that experience was like?

Byron C. Miller: I’ve been writing scripts and making short horror films since middle school, so it was a great feeling of accomplishment to Write, Produce, Direct, Shoot, and Edit a feature length motion picture for under 7grand and get distribution for it. It was a lot of hard work and a huge learning experience, and I loved every single minute.

Fatally Yours: I hear that many industrial bands also contributed to the soundtrack and that Jasyn actually did the soundtrack for Night. Byron, can you tell us what it was like putting together the music for the film?

Byron C. Miller: It was really just working with Jasyn, explaining what each scene meant to me to give him as much insight as possible for him to create the music for the film. As far as the bands go, some were on Sector 9 Studios, the record label then owned by Jasyn and Alex Matheu (Negative Format), the rest were on our European label Out Of Line. So we had an idea of the bands and some of the songs we wanted and once we had permission we simply began plugging in the songs where they worked best.

Fatally Yours: Byron has also directed several God Module videos. Do you plan to direct more and make more films, Byron?

Byron C. Miller: As far as the videos go, yes I certainly hope to do more. We talk about new videos constantly, and I’ve probably had 5 ideas for songs for each release. It’s just that sometimes we get too busy with other things, and the videos go to the background.

Fatally Yours: Jasyn, you scored Byron’s film Night. How did that experience differ from writing music for God Module?

Jasyn Bangert: It was very different from writing for God Module of course but at the same time it was something I have always wanted to do. Night was a very early version of the work I hope to be able to do in the future and it was a very good learning experience. I want my style to fall somewhere in-between the simple and ultra effective electronics of early John Carpenter film scores and the unsettling beauty of the work that Angelo Badelamenti has done with David Lynch. I think music and sound add just as much to a film as the imagery if done correctly.

Fatally Yours: Where do you see God Module going in the next few years? What are each of your plans and goals for the band?

Jasyn Bangert: After a few years of not being as active as I would have liked to be I am very happy with the current direction of the band. We just finished our first US tour in quite a while and it was very well received. The new EP has gotten great reactions from fans and critics and I think the next CD will take us even closer to where we are supposed to be within the realms of music we exist in and beyond! I plan to keep pushing God Mod everywhere possible in the next couple years and exposing my music to people who should already know about it but don’t. I think we have the ability to crossover and appeal to many different scenes if given the chance. I want people to find out that not all good hard, dark music has to be metal.

Byron C. Miller: My goal is to help make it bigger, starting with our recent tour it’s time to really push things to a whole new level. A new world of gods and monsters.

Fatally Yours: Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions! Is there anything else you’d like to add?

Jasyn Bangert: Thank you for your support of my music and long live the HORROR!

Byron C. Miller: Stay evil.

Buy the new album on Amazon!

God Module on:
Myspace: www.myspace.com/godmodule
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/God-Module/189868733492
Vampirefreaks: www.vampirefreaks.com/vorhees
Online store: www.godmodule.org
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/xGodxModulex
Out of Line: www.outofline.de
Metropolis: www.metropolis-records.com

Interview with Rusty Eye Drummer Miss Randall

Miss Randall (born Julieta Randall on November 25, 1983 in Mexico City, Mexico) is an American drummer, vocalist and audio engineer.

A percussive and rhythmic person – always interested in Prog Rock and Metal at an early age – she bought her first drum kit at the age of 18, determined to teach herself how to play drums. Hard work demonstrated an innate talent and after 6 months of picking up the drum sticks, she joined the Mexican/American band Rusty Eye.

Playing live and recording Rusty Eye demos triggered in her an interest in Music Production, attending Music College in 2003. During this same year, she learned how to incorporate singing while drumming.

In 2004 she opted to continue Recording Engineering studies in Hollywood, CA as well as relocating the band to this city.

Self-produced releases include: Cryogenic EP, Stendhal Syndrome, Live at the Joint MMVI, and most recently, Possessor which features music collaborations with: acclaimed Italian film composer Claudio Simonetti (Goblin), guitarist/producer Waldemar Sorychta (Grip Inc.) and Alex Mitchell (Circus of Power).
Miss Randall was among the World’s Fastest Drummer finalists in 2007 (feet category) scoring 720 hits in 60 seconds.

Fatally Yours: How long have you been drumming and singing? Do you play any other instruments? 

Miss Randall: I’ve always been into singing. I played in a few professional plays as a kid, mostly musicals, and that got me acquainted with the thrill of being onstage. Years later after quitting theater, the motivation for performing came back but I thought that I needed an instrument to tag along with me. So I bought my first drum kit 7 years ago, joined Rusty Eye 6 months later (I was not fooling around!). I play a bit of piano just to put my ideas down and to make the guides of songs that we record.

Fatally Yours: When did you become interested in pursuing music as a career? 

Miss Randall: I always wanted to do music, but in the beginning it was a hobby. I started to take it seriously when I graduated high school and firmly decided that I had to move to L.A. in order to study Audio Engineering and rock that city with my band too. Before I moved out of Mexico City, I attended a music school for about a year, and that was of great help.

Fatally Yours: What has it been like as a female in the male-dominated metal genre? 

Miss Randall: I get that question a lot! As of now, I’ve learned to just do my thing, carrying myself as a professional musician and not thinking about me being in a male-dominated environment (it can get to your head and besides, I’m not a feminist).

I honestly work better with guys, maybe because they appear to me to be a bit more dedicated and serious. I’m not saying that there are not dedicated women out there, but I just know what works for me.

Fatally Yours: Have you had any experiences where people took you less seriously as a musician because of your gender?

Miss Randall: Happens all the time in recording sessions, loading up gear, doing sound check at clubs, going to shows, and introducing myself to people… I always have to prove myself more than a guy would have to. That is the reality of it. I bugs, yes, but I won’t let that put me down or sad.

Fatally Yours: Why do you think it’s hard for some people to accept that women can love metal music and horror movies?

Miss Randall: Well, I think that deep in their minds they that we go to the extreme of showing our interest for Horror and Metal as an escape to our problems or just to get attention. At least that’s what people tell me who are not aware of what goes on in the Horror/Metal world. I think that the nature of both genres demands a bit more intellect, openness, and understanding. Not everything is to be taken literally either, could be an outside tale told from another hypothetical person. Or sometimes it could be something personal: an internal feeling sublimed in a song. Either way, both sides are positive. Creating is a positive thing and not everything is supposed to be pretty, but then again: who said that the ugly cannot be considered beautiful too?

Fatally Yours: Have you noticed more women getting into metal, whether they are musicians or fans? 

Miss Randall: Yeah that’s really cool, I’m glad this is happening.

Fatally Yours: Do you think perceptions of women in mainly male-dominated industries are changing? If so, how and why are women’s roles changing?

Miss Randall: I guess that in the end, when we stop questioning the role men and women have in society, we can finally reach the equal rights we are looking for.

Fatally Yours: What has been your best concert and/or tour experience? Your worst?

Miss Randall: A great show experience was when we played with Katatonia and Moonspell; we caught the attention of a film director in the audience who later filmed “Mr. Cannibal” for us, sponsored/directed by him and it came out pretty professional. As for bad experiences, I think all shows have had a positive outcome, which immediately neutralizes any difficulties inside my head.

Fatally Yours: Who are your favorite female metal vocalists and musicians? 

Miss Randall: Anneke from The Gathering (the early stuff), Liv Kristine when in Theater of Tragedy, Doro, Lita Ford, and I guess that’s pretty much it.

Fatally Yours: What are your top five albums?

Miss Randall: Morningrise by Opeth, Dark Side of the Moon by Floyd, Red by King Crimson, Melissa by Mercyful Fate, Seventeen Seconds by The Cure.

Fatally Yours: What musicians have inspired/influenced you the most?

Miss Randall: Stewart Copeland [The Police], Neil Peart [Rush], Lars Ulrich [Metallica], Mikael Åkerfeldt [Opeth], Beth Gibbons [Portishead], Mikkey Dee [Motörhead], Danny Carey [Tool], Jim Morrison [The Doors], David Gilmour [Pink Floyd], Robert Fripp [King Crimson] and Claudio Simonetti [Goblin].

Fatally Yours: A lot of your songs are named after and about horror films. What inspired your band to do this? 

Miss Randall: The cinematic properties our music is undeniable, thank you for noticing that! It must be the amount of movies we’ve seen, their scores, and also listening to King Diamond and Mercyful Fate quite a lot!

Fatally Yours: When and how did you fall in love with the horror genre?

Miss Randall: Definitely the first time I saw Nightmare on Elm Street and Poltergeist. I’ve always enjoyed the thrill of getting scared.

Fatally Yours: What are your favorite horror films?

Miss Randall: Inferno, Suspiria, Tenebrae, Deep Red, The Exorcist, The Entity, Zombi 2, The Beyond, From Beyond, Poltergeist. Texas Chainsaw Massacre, To the Devil a Daughter, The Abominable Dr. Phibes, Hellraiser, Deathdream, Reanimator, Anthropophagus… and so many more. 
 
Fatally Yours: What goals do you hope to accomplish in your life?

Miss Randall: Just keep immersing in different fields of artistic expression, perhaps film at a later point. I’d love to score a film one day too and to start producing/engineering other bands that have something interesting to say.

For more info on Miss Randall and Rusty Eye, visit:

http://wordpress.rustyeye.com/
http://www.youtube.com/mrrust
http://www.myspace.com/rustyeye
http://www.myspace.com/missrandall

Interview with Artist and Comic Book Author Dame Darcy

Dame Darcy - "Many Hands" by Marcelle DuJour

Dame Darcy is known worldwide as an illustrator, writer, fine artist, musician, filmmaker and animator. She had the pleasure to do illustrations for writers Alan Moore (DC comics), Poppy Z. Brite, Trina Robbins (Women In Comics), and fashion designers Anna Sui (NYC), Jared Gold (LA), CWC, and Coi Girl Magic (Tokyo) among others.

Her TV series, Turn Of the Century, won many awards for the movies and animations made in collaboration with Lisa Hammer and additional filmmakers and is currently being distributed.

Dame Darcy is presently on her 17th issue (and counting) of Meat Cake, her long standing comic book title published by Fantagraphics. She has also released several graphic novels, including Frightful Fairytales (published by Ten Speed Press 2002), Dame Darcy’s Meat Cake Compilation (Fantagraphics Books 2003), The Illustrated Jane Eyre (Putnam Penguin USA 2006),  Dollerium Book and DVD (Presspop, Tokyo 2007) and Comic Book Tattoo, a comic compilation illustrating the songs of Tori Amos (Image Comics 2008) among other compilations.

Gasoline the graphic novel has an accompanying music release by her current band Death By Doll on Emperor Penguin Records entitled Gasoline. Dame Darcy is also adapting Gasoline into a screenplay. Her next graphic novel projects are Hand Book for Hot Witches and The Excorsisters. She’s also developing an online game based on her illustrations.  Her fine art is currently represented by Sloan Fine Art in New York City.

Fatally Yours: When did you become interested in art?

Dame Darcy: I originally started drawing/writing books (sequential art) at the age of 2. My Dad is an artist, so is my uncle, brother, and a lot of my family. We are related to John Wilkes Booth and many of the guys in my family look like him (like a handsome villain) I contribute a lot of my family’s talent and good looks to Booth but also the craziness. I loved the books my family had on Klimt and Rossetti and the other pre-Raphaelites, Dada, (my first word was dada) Victoriana, and Faeiry tales Greek myths and legends.

They also had a lot of feminist literature and contemporary poetry books and faeiry rock music. My favorite bands that I consider my children’s albums that influenced my psychedelic subconscious are that song by the Stones about the girl with rainbow hair, Donovan’s A Gift From a Flower to a Garden, The Kinks song “Victoria,” The Zombies, Tiny Tim’s album God Bless Tiny Tim, The Beatles’ White Album and bluegrass classics like Doc Watson, Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash, etc.

My dad plays banjo and taught me when I was 10 how to play and at 5 how to play autoharp. We used to play shows together and he was in a band then too.

We lived in Idaho. Not a very artistic place.

Fatally Yours: What kind of films, books and comics did you read growing up that influenced and continue to influence your work?

Dame Darcy: I loved Alice in Wonderland and the Oz books series. Pippi Longstocking (all the books and the movies), I loved Tales From the Crypt and Edward Gorey. I liked the show Night Flight. Creature Feature would show lots of fun stuff on Friday nights. I kind of thought my family was like the Addams Family and that I would grow up to have an Addams Family of my own which I currently always have incarnations of.

The movies that made me think I would grow up and have a place in the world are Time Bandits, Neverending Story, Beetlejuice, Splash, Twilight Zone The Movie, Carrie (which was like my high school experience), Flash Gordon, Eraserhead, Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, the movie Popeye, Watership Down, The Last Unicorn was so much like my life and it is STILL like my life. The Last Unicorn is wandering around with that depressing Cat Stevens song or whatever it is searching for her unicorn sisters while the other characters in the movie fuck with her. Finally a curse is put on her, she becomes human (i.e. The fantasies of childhood are broken and you realize you will have to take on all the human crap of being a woman) and when the unicorn turns into a girl, I looked JUST LIKE the girl, it was sick. Then finally she gets to the ocean and joins her other unicorn sisters who come out of the ocean in a wave and gallop together free. I moved to the coast, near the ocean, like San Francisco and NYC and met the other freaks.

Movies that have influenced me as an adult are Barry Lyndon by Kubrick, Terry Gilliam, anything by Todd Haynes. Michel Gondry does good contemporary work, Spike Jonze does good movies as well. I love those really Dada Betty Boop cartoons from the 20′s that Cab Calloway sings on, Night Of The Hunter where Lillian Gish plays an old Christian lady battling a demented preacher with a shotgun while she sings a hymn in harmony with him. This movie stars a doll. Beauty and The Beast by Cocteau, The Blue Angel with Marlene Deitchrich is also a great cabaret film and is sort of like the movie Freaks I just realized. The Devils by Ken Russell 1971, an account of the apparent demoniacal possession of the 17th-century nuns of Louden, climaxing in the burning of their priest as a sorcerer. There is the cutest cabaret scene in it where a gorgeous gay boy plays the Venus Di Milo. This is also like the 1971 release of Wicker Man. A lot of the best movies came out in 1971. Dark and psychedelic.

I think Interview with a Vampire is the most hilarious movie in the planet! Just a laugh riot all the way through. Speaking of vampire movies, Valerie and her Week of Wonders is THE BEST! Salem’s Lot is the scariest. Herzog does a great Dracula too with Klaus Nomi (he is also the star of a documentary called My Best Fiend) and the one where William Defoe plays Dracula is awesome, Shadow of the Vampire. These two were obviously based on the original movie Nosferatu. And lest we not forget The Hunger. That movie I clung to like a life raft when I was a teen in Idaho. I want to see Let The Right One In but have not yet.

I always draw the endless pages and commission designs while watching movies, and crafting.  I watched Gone with the Wind (which is a costume drama AND an apocalyptic movie all in one) over and over for a month one time. I just didn’t care to see anything else. The song that the slave men sing in that movie as so poignant and creepy it sends chills up my spine.

Fatally Yours: What sparked your interest in creating your comic book, Meat Cake?


Dame Darcy: I began self publishing Meat Cake when I was 17. It was picked up by Fantagraphics in 1991 when I was 19 and Fantagraphics is releasing a graphic novel compilation of Meat Cake with stories up to issue 10 I think. I am currently on issue 18 and am reissuing out of print Meat Cake issues as part of my new self publishing company Dame Darcy Publishing Ink, found at Dame Darcy.com. Anyone can get them directly from me on Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/damedarcy.

I had this dream place, a little sea coastal town called Sobriety Straight where freaks lived together. A mermaid that thought death was funny and liked to flirt with and torture men. Hindrance (a hindrance to Perfidia) and Perfidia (meaning two-faced), a Siamese twin that was always fighting with itself (I am a Gemini on the cusp of cancer, need I say more). Richard Dirt, named for the pen name I once considered when I thought I would create an alter ego like George Sand the lady Victorian writer did, but instead I created a comic book alter ego which I am really glad I did not make my pen name Richard Dirt, that is sooooo confusing! Strega Pez is a hard working gal who is also an orphan, when she was born she came from her mother’s throat, thus killing her, and was cursed by only being able to talk through her throat on Pez. I invented this character because I felt like I always had to work mundane jobs like that before I became a freelance artist. Later Strega Pez becomes a world renowned scientist and invents invisible strong string made from goat’s milk and spider webs and gets out of poverty. Friend the Girl is inspired by Louise Brooks and is a good friend, she has a boyfriend named Friend the Boy. Wax Wolf is a cad zombie werewolf made from real wolf hair and wax who is the undead so is killed thousands of times in different ways and always comes back.Granny was once a flapper mobster moll who puts poison in her cookies out of habit. Scampi the Selfish Shellfish is Richard’s pet. And then there’s the sundry pirates and hot sailor lads from the port town.

Fatally Yours: Besides being well-known for Meat Cake, you also make dolls, create music, design clothes, create fine art, make graphic novels, are a filmmaker and are a cartoonist. How and why do you find yourself pursuing so many different avenues of creativity?


Dame Darcy: I always wanted to make feature films, which combine music, animation, film and are themselves fine art. So until I get my big break I make everything separately and keep pitching my feature film concepts which are based on graphic novels.

Fatally Yours: How would you describe your art and artistic style?

Dame Darcy: Like a demented tortured Gypsy that wants to escape this place and time into a faeiry fantasy world near Atlantis. Place beyond place time out of time.

Fatally Yours: Your art contains many Victorian motifs. What attracts you to the Victorian period? Do you ever find yourself gravitating to other eras?


Dame Darcy: Did you know that glass (like glass windows) is always in a permanent liquid form? This is why the stained glass of the Byzantine churches have some images where the colors have melted from one frame into the next. And also why the cut glass windows in the craftsman house I grew up in were warped from the windows slowly melting over 100 years. It’s always this way in old houses.

The Victorian era is a romantic and tragic place at the dawn of industrialization. Mother earth had not been completely slaughtered yet then. Women were oppressed but there was a chivalry to it all too. As a kid I had nostalgic longings and still do for the smell of Victorian cotton curtains blowing in the half open window of an attic room while it’s raining outside on the roses and ivy that have grown to cover the dirty, spider webbed glass that is slightly warbled from the glass slowing melting over time.

In my graphic novel Gasoline the Witch family lives in a post apocalyptic utopia which is in a simultaneously existing time /space mirroring this one. I am writing a new one called Gold Leaf about how I channeled my past life as a Druid in 500 AD. It is called Gold Leaf because that what the illuminated letterers of the time used, and will be drawn as if stained glass windows were panels of a comic book (which is essentially what they are). Other than that I am currently in the process of publishing my latest graphic novel, The Hand Book For Hot Witches. It is modern, but touches a lot on ancient magic lore and is basically a practical guide to magic of all lineages.

Fatally Yours: When you first started out, did you encounter any gender bias as a woman in a mostly male-dominated world of comic books and graphic novels? Or were people pretty open to your ideas, regardless of your gender? Do you find your gender makes a difference in how people view you nowadays?


Dame Darcy: Again, I feel like The Last Unicorn because I am well aware that the comic book world and feature film and animation world is a boys’ club. In a way it’s good to be different and naturally stand out from the crowd, but at the same time my people are the gothic Lolita fashion and weirdo darkwave music scene which doesn’t necessarily know or care about comix. To fix this problem and combine all of it I am creating a special Doll Game which will be seen soon on Dame Darcy.com and whose details I can not disclose yet.

Fatally Yours: Do you feel that your art has a feminist subtext? Please explain.


Dame Darcy: I am a hardcore feminist so I wrote The Hand Book For Hot Witches, here’s what it’s about…. I also created the EZ Bake Coven which I encourage everyone to join and post and enact on the forum and in real life…again here’s the Manifesto for that too…I made these things because WE NEED THEM!

Hand Book For Hot Witches: Combine graphic novel with a “how to” guide, add a dash of cook book and a fairy sprinkle of witch spell, wrap it all up with women’s history and you have the Hand Book For Hot Witches. This is a girl’s guide to the apocalypse. This book addresses the unique needs women have, and covers heavy issues like sustainable living once water, heat, and food have become scarce. It harkens back to an ancient time when women lead as the herbalist healers, nurturers and disciplinarians of the community. But also looks to the future and gives advice on how to handle crisis in a time of global extremes and addresses mood fluctuations and how to handle inner turmoil.

Hand Book For Hot Witches addresses our need for self defense. It celebrates and acknowledges our inherent power of creativity, intuitiveness, and every female’s role as a conduit to the spirit realm.

This guide book is for girl scouts grown up and facing the realities of surviving in the jungle of today’s political society with complex ecological implications. And  gives them simple answers through philosophy, skill, crafts and song to deal with these issues one step at a time through comics, fully illustrated step by step how to’s, in depth text with spot illustrations and resource guide.

Most of women’s history is blotted out from the pages of society. Hand Book For Hot Witches recognizes and profiles “witches” who stood out of the crowd changed the world and fought for not just the rights of women but for humanity and for justice. This book will help their legacy live on.

There are many “how to” books, and post petroleum guides of how to live sustainably. The Hand Book For Hot Witches stands out from the rest because it has a unique view that addresses the needs of women. Although it brings up topics that at some times are hard to face, the visual style and literary sense of humor make these overwhelming concepts and problems easier to handle and thus easier to solve.

This book is here to inspire individuals to make a change and inform them how to do it. It’s also here to empathize with the current situation the world is in and does not ignore the symbiotic relationship that women have to Mother Nature. Respecting the earth is respecting womankind, and respecting yourself.

The information and insight within is something daughters, mothers, and grandmothers can all relate to, connect with, and remember. To proactively create a future so all girls can inherit a legacy.

The E Z Bake Coven has been going for 10 years now, and now has an exciting new look. We are creating a forum to profile artists and a place for ladies (and the men who worship the Goddess) to live chat, video blog, and even create their own local covens virtually and in reality. It is located in the EZ Bake Coven section of Dame Darcy.com

Fatally Yours: What elements do female artists offer that differ from males’ perspectives?


Dame Darcy: The sense of entitlement that all women, the earth, animals and all plant life is here to serve “man” was invented by Christian white guys a while ago and just because it’s been the mainstream way of thinking for a long time, does not now nor never was right.

Jocks think this way and to this I say “FROCKS NOT JOCKS” they do not think or consider the perspective of women or other races and to this I say “I AM THE CRACKER ATTACKER” and women are bitches who are not feminist and do not see other ladies as their sisters. So they I say “WITCHES NOT BITCHES”.

Fatally Yours: What women in your industry do you admire and why?

Dame Darcy: Natasha Rambova, [who] was born Winifred “Winnie” Kimball Shaughnessy on January 19, 1897. [She] grew up to not only to be the creatrix of Hollywood [to] its biggest and most influential star Rudy Valentino, but also is the inventor of the Art Deco style. She was a costume and set designer, artistic director, screenwriter, producer, actress, fashion designer, and was also influenced by German Expressionism. She earned more than her husband Valentino, who had notoriously bad contract deals and had a career due to her styling and marketing of him. Their break up and his death ensued when the big money guys at the studios wanted to take her influence away. She designed for a film Nazimova wrote titled, A Doll’s House. Rambova’s designs for the movie Salome were seen as extremely daring and risqué. She based them off drawings by Aubrey Beardsley for Oscar Wilde’s version. Plus look up her photo she is the hottest and most beautiful witch ever. Truly amazing! Also the German animatoress Lotte Reiniger and her film Die Abenteuer des Prinzen Achmed (1926), the first feature-length silhouette animation. Really ladies, I’m not kidding look this up and watch it somehow, it will change your life.

Fatally Yours: What advice would you give women who want to pursue a career in art?


Dame Darcy: LIFE ALIGNED WITH PASSION

When you have a big or unusual goal you may be daunted by trying and failing a million times, but just keep throwing your work out into the public and researching who to talk and pitch your ideas to /show your art. And keep going. The way big ideas get made into reality is by trying time and time again, each try is one try closer to manifesting your goal. No one manifests anything who didn’t try and your convictions will make all obstacles fall away of their own accord.

So many people when they ask, “What do you do?” they mean, “What do you do to make money?” They are trying to judge who you are by what you do to make an income. To which some people take offense if their passion does not make them money and does not align with their work.

If you choose to favor your passions above and beyond all else and stay committed, the life of your choosing will manifest.  Daily responsibilities and expectations arise all around you.

Fatally Yours: What are your favorite dark works of art, horror books, comics, etc.?

Dame Darcy: I love Suhiro Maruo , a Japanese graphic novelist who does stories about a dark circus and vampires. The Strange Tale of Panorama Island is his latest book. Sandman series by Neil Gaiman was always a beautiful but sad story and From Hell about Jack the Ripper written by Alan Moore has an extremely enlightening section in the back pages about the dark occult underbelly that London’s streets and politics are based on. His latest book Promethia has very enlightening occult information. I have always admired Ralph Steadman’s drawing style and was inspired by Sue Coe in my early days. I also as previously mentioned Charles Addams’ Addams Family comics and Edward Gorey’s comics as a kid. Egon Sheile illustrations/paintings look so contemporary and Francis Bacon is a beautiful sicko and just had an amazing exhibit at the Met in NYC last summer. Hans Bellmer (the one who did those weird sculptures of dolls) also did illustrations which were amazing as well. Aubrey Beardsley of course. All Art Nouveau.

Fatally Yours: Who are your current favorite artists?

Dame Darcy: Camille Rose Garcia, Joe Coleman, Joanne [Burke] of Chromium Dumb Belle is a genius! Kime Buzelli. Marcelle DuZama , Matthew Barney , Cindy Sherman, I love Grandma Moses (but she’s not current) Christy Kane, Jared Gold, Adam Dugas, Machiene Dazzle, Madeline Von Forrester and so much more but I’m going crazy.

Fatally Yours: If you could collaborate with anyone, living or dead, on a comic book or graphic novel, who would it be and why?

Dame Darcy: O M G ! It would be to illustrate Alice in Wonderland. Also, I LOVE Hunter S. Thompson, Urusala K. Leguinn and Philip K. Dick. I would love to turn any of their books into graphic novels.

Fatally Yours: Do you have any upcoming projects you’d like to talk about?

Dame Darcy: I already mentioned myself publishing company Dame Darcy Publishing Ink, The E Z Bake Coven, my darkwave band Death By Doll’s upcoming album Goth As Fuck, Meat Cake comic book series, Gasoline graphic novel,  Hand Book For Hot Witches, Turn Of The Century DVD of my TV show was just re-released. All my current and past multimedia projects and current shows and events can be seen at Dame Darcy.com and can be acquired at my Etsy store which is the arts/crafts section on dd.com

Fatally Yours: What goals do you hope to accomplish in 2010?

Dame Darcy: To live in a state of enlightened tranquility. To learn Spanish, to learn how to sail, to find my home, or at least get an idea of where it is, to have my feature film go into preproduction, to get the biggest publishing deal possible for Hand Book For Hot Witches, to master and release Death By Doll’s new album, to start my doll game , to make the EZ Bake Coven Forum the best it can be, to get a licensing deal for my designs, and to make my 84 year old doll Isabelle finally happy so she can stop bitching at me.

Fatally Yours: Where can people find more info on you?

Dame Darcy: For everything me go to: www.damedarcy.com

And I also want to thank my business partner and Gemini twin Vincent D. Dominion. He is an artist as well and you can check him out at myspace.com/vincentdominion

Thank you for everything and best wishes and magic blessings to you!

Interview with Filmmaker Lisa Hammer

Lisa Hammer has been a prominent NY underground filmmaker for over a decade. She currently writes, produces and directs feature films with her brother James Merendino (SLC Punk!). Together the two are known as “The Terror Twins”. Lisa is best known for her dark German Expressionist films and experimental horror films and fairy tales, as well as the voice of Triana Orpheus on Adult Swim’s hit cartoon The Venture Brothers. She was also lead singer of the popular “goth” rock bands Mors Syphilitica and Requiem In White.

Her films have toured the U.S. and the world, winning awards and screening at one-woman shows, film and video festivals, art galleries, clubs, and on television. She has collaborated with Ben Edlund (Firefly, Angel) and Doc Hammer (The Venture Brothers), Chris McCulloch (The Venture Brothers), and directed the likes of: Courtney Love, Thurston Moore, James Duval (Donnie Darko), Clayne Crawford (Roswell), Lisa Suckdog, Queen Itchie and Dame Darcy, to name a few.

Her cult horror feature film Pus$bucket, from the Broadway Musical, caused a few near-riots and has recently been acquired by Arcanum/Warner Home Entertainment for widespread commercial re-release on DVD, as have her film collections Girls Gone Grimm and Best of Turn of the Century. The feature film version of her award-winning cult NYC TV show POX (starring an actual cult leader) is in post-production. Her surrealist-feminist film Period Piece about a mentally challenged young girl and her period, has been touring the world in festivals and one-woman shows for five years.

Hammer has also kept busy directing and produced dozens of film, video, TV show episodes, horror stage-plays and soundtracks and co-writing several scripts, including a feminist horror film The Bitch, now in pre-production. The Terror Twins’ latest feature film, The Invisible Life of Thomas Lynch, recently won Best Feature Film at the CMJ Film Festival in New York City. The film is a dark comedy “shockumentary” following the life of a lonely hit man. The Terror Twins have completed a pilot for their TV show Terror Lab, as well as recording a haunting CD Bloody Ballads (www.myspace.com/terrortwinsmedia). Hammer has recently released her ethereal solo CD Dakini on Projekt Records.

Her work can be seen on her web site: www.lisahammer.com and at imdb.com.

Fatally Yours: How and when did you fall in love with horror? 

Lisa Hammer:  I have been terrified since I was child. I was born in Salem, MA, where the witch trials are still talked about every day. I remember visiting the Salem Witch Museum when I was five, watching the floor light up in a pentagram shape, and then a statue of the Devil glowed and shrieked, starting a terrifying wax museum tour of the true story of the torture and murder of innocent people. I was never normal after that.

Fatally Yours: What does horror mean to you? 

Lisa Hammer: It means nightmares for a week. No, seriously, it could be anything from brilliant slasher films like Halloween and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, to supernatural and psychological masterpieces like The Shining, and even the spectacular horrors of nature as in Jaws.

Fatally Yours: What are others’ reactions when you tell them you are involved in the horror genre?

Lisa Hammer: I hang out with a lot of artists and intellectuals and they usually turn their noses up when I mention that I’m about to make a horror movie. But they all love The Shining. I tell them that The Shining is a horror movie. Many great directors have made horror movies. Then I tell them how much money horror films make in general and they usually grumble a little then shut up. I’ve been a starving art purist already, and I’m ready to move on.

Fatally Yours: Why do you think the horror genre has primarily been a man’s domain?

Lisa Hammer: I don’t know exactly, but maybe it’s because it’s so gross to watch! I can hardly watch a really gory film. I get too scared. We girls see enough blood every month! Ha ha ha…I don’t think it’s because men are more violent, as some people think. I know some pretty sick women. Also it might be because many horror films show hot girls being threatened; guys like to think they can save all of us.

Fatally Yours: As a woman, do you think you are viewed differently than your male counterparts in the horror genre? If so, how and why?

Lisa Hammer: The response from male fans to me and my work has been very positive. Men tend to think it’s really cool when a girl makes horror films. However, I am dealing with a lot of condescension from professional men in the industry, it’s really too bad because they could be working so easily with me on amazing projects instead of sticking to their traditional boring boy’s club.

Fatally Yours: Even though women seem to be getting more and more involved behind the scenes in horror, why do you think there are less female horror directors, writers, producers, etc. in the genre than males?

Lisa Hammer: Horror may not interest women as much as films that center more on character development and relationships between people. I’ve seen many horror films that were just too simplistic to hold my interest. Or perhaps women have not been encouraged to make horror films. There should be mentors for sick women like me! I’ve heard that the fine people over at Darklight are helping female filmmakers create horror films, and Heidi [Martinuzzi] at Pretty-Scary has been extremely supportive of me and other female directors in this genre.

Fatally Yours: What elements can female filmmakers/authors/journalists/etc. bring to the horror genre that are lacking in males’ perspectives?

Lisa Hammer: I think women are really creative, imaginative and work so well in group situations. They are inclusive rather than exclusive. Men tend to be loners and alpha dogs fighting to keep their positions. Women have always gotten more done for me on my projects than men have, working together toward a collective goal. I think the women also bring more emotion and character development into scripts and films. Personally I would like to see more petticoats.

Fatally Yours: Do you think it’s harder for women to be taken seriously in a genre that seems to be dominated by males? 

Lisa Hammer: Unfortunately, yes. Hopefully we will help change that.

Fatally Yours: Since you’ve been involved with the horror genre, have you noticed a change in women’s roles in the industry? 

Lisa Hammer: I have noticed a change in the whole industry, and everyones’ roles. Traditional routes of film production and distributions are being replaced by internet videos and downloads, and the ways in which we get our films are so different than before. Right now, anyone with an HD camcorder and some friends can throw together a cheap horror film and sell it for download. I don’t think gender matters so much anymore.

Fatally Yours: Dario Argento once said, “I like women, especially beautiful ones. If they have a good face and figure, I would much prefer to watch them being murdered than an ugly girl or man.” Alfred Hitchcock elaborated by saying, “I always believe in following the advice of the playwright Sardou. He said, ‘Torture the women!’ The trouble today is that we don’t torture enough.” What is your reaction when reading those quotes, especially as a filmmaker? 

Lisa Hammer: I believe that we should torture more Scientologists.

Fatally Yours: Do you ever get annoyed at how women in horror movies always end naked or with their clothes ripped off? Do monsters not like men’s abs?!

Lisa Hammer: Traditionally throughout art history, the female form has always been more desired by the masses than the male form. Especially the dirty pillows.

Fatally Yours: What horror movie would you say is equally fair in terms of men being objectified or at least, losing the same amount of clothes?


Lisa Hammer: Gayracula.

Fatally Yours: Do you feel you’ve become desensitized to stereotypical scenes in horror like the half-naked girl screaming and running for her life in slow motion? Or are these types of familiar horror tropes still effective and necessary? 

Lisa Hammer: Anything in slow motion is either gorgeous or very funny to me. I am not desensitized at all. I am still extremely squeamish whenever I see blood and violence of any kind. The only things necessary in horror films (as any film) are things that truly add to the storyline and are not thrown in just for effect.

Fatally Yours: Do you feel that other people view women as being “soft” and not able to endure horror as well as men? How do you fight this stereotypical view?

Lisa Hammer: Just keep making these films. It’s the only way to fight. I don’t care how people view me. I just keep going like a mad machine. It’s really fun making horror movies and grossing people out. I’m addicted to it.

Fatally Yours: What women in horror do you admire and why?

Lisa Hammer: I am sad to say that I don’t really know many female film directors in this genre. I do admire Mary Harron and Julie Taymor, to name two. They aren’t afraid to be masculine and feminine, and to be highly creative, funny, very bold and shocking. I absolutely love Mary Harron’s American Psycho.

Fatally Yours: What advice would you give women who want to become involved in the horror genre?

Lisa Hammer: Have fun. The guys might give you a hard time, but they’re generally really cute film geeks who like to have girls around. Blow their minds by being your own adorable self, AND by allowing yourself be that strong, smart, talented Valkyrie that you know you are! Don’t be too nice or polite, but don’t try to be a man either. Your femininity is your weapon. Take off that baseball cap and wear your favorite dress. In a friendly and joking manner, publicly humiliate the men that talk down to you, don’t be a victim and hold it in. Unless you’re a P.A….Then you can’t really complain too loud.

Fatally Yours: What’s the last horror movie that made you think “this is some effed up shiznit!”? 

Lisa Hammer: Of all time: the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre.  Recently: Irreversible by Gaspar Noé. Holy sh*t!

Fatally Yours: What’s one horror movie you think is HIGHLY overrated?

Lisa Hammer: I have heard that Paranormal Activity is boring. I won’t go see it. I fell asleep during The Ring. I left the theater during High Tension because it was just SO bad. Unwatchable.

Fatally Yours: What are your favorite horror films, books, etc.?

Lisa Hammer: Films: The Shining, The Innocents, Jaws, Alien, all of the Hammer horror films. Too many to list. I love to read Poe and really any good ghost stories.

Fatally Yours: Do you have any upcoming projects you’d like to talk about?

Lisa Hammer: I work with my brother James Merendino (SLC Punk) and we recently won best feature film at the CMJ Film Festival for our dark, gory comedy The Invisible Life of Thomas Lynch (on imdb.com) and we are currently in pre-production for a girl-power-dark-comedy-extreme-gore-fest feature film The Bitch. This film will set new standards for over-the-top blood and guts punk rock filmmaking.

Fatally Yours: What are your goals for yourself within the horror genre?

Lisa Hammer: I really have a strange need to make people throw up.

Fatally Yours: Where can people find more info on you?

Lisa Hammer: lisahammer.com

Interview with Central Valley Horror Club Founder Kaci Hansen

Kaci Hansen is an artist, musician, writer, performer, dancer, director and special effects makeup artist, with a passion for all things horror, who tries to find as many ways as possible to integrate her love of the genre in with everyday life. Kaci was one of 13 lucky finalists in Fangoria Magazine’s nationwide search for their 2010 Spooksmodel, where she came in first place in the first fan-voting segment of the contest.

Kaci works with Nothing is Safe Films where she not only acts, writes, and directs, but also aids in production and special effects makeup. She recently completed her roles in The Orchard and Side of the Road, and is working on a five-part film project called The Apartments where she not only stars in one segment, but also directs her own segment and aids in FX/makeup on all of the segments.

Kaci also founded and dances with Central California’s first and only horror-themed dance troupe, The Horror Dolls.

In 2008 she founded the Central Valley Horror Club (the first and only horror-themed organization in Central California), who host numerous horror-themed events throughout Central California, including free movie nights and concerts. This past year, Kaci and the Central Valley Horror Club hosted their city’s first-ever Zombie Ball, Vampire Ball and Monster Mash. The Central Valley Horror Club has had an enormous amount of support from the community, being featured in several in publications, and hopes to continue offering horror themed entertainment for a long time to come.

In 2009, Kaci began working with Comic Book Divas on her very own horror-comic, titled Kaci Hansen Presents… The comic will be available for purchase in early 2010 through ComicBookDivas.com

Kaci is currently in the process of writing music with her band The Homicidal Housewives, doing various horror conventions promoting The Horror Dolls and Kaci Hansen Presents…, and is working on various screenplays for films that will soon be available from Nothing is Safe Films.

Fatally Yours: How did you fall in love with the horror genre? 

Kaci Hansen: It actually began at a young age, when I fell in love with television shows of a darker aesthetic, such as The Addams Family and The Munsters. I would often stay at my great-grandparents’ house, and they didn’t have cable, so I often would watch reruns of these shows. I was always a big fan of the Halloween season and all of the spooky things that accompanied the holiday. What can I say? I ate the monster cereals for breakfast as often as I could, with Count Chocula being my favorite (it has since shifted over to Boo Berry).

My parents are actually huge horror fans, and they would always make me watch films with them. I would be absolutely terrified, sitting with my hands covering my eyes, occasionally peeking through my fingertips…and as scared as I was, I couldn’t get enough of it. As I got older, my interests peaked even further; my mom would always tell me, “It’s not real, you don’t need to be scared,” so naturally, I was fascinated that one could obscure that line between reality and fantasy, and create such an emotional and visual impact on the viewer. I believe that is what intrigued me to get involved in special FX artistry, prop making and development, and eventually, writing and directing my own projects.

Fatally Yours: How and when did you get involved in the horror genre?

Kaci Hansen: Many people just did not (and still do not) understand my fascination with the genre. I’d often bring up films or scenes from movies, and people would stare blankly at me, not having a clue what I was even referring to. I decided to change that, so in 2008, I founded Central Valley Horror Club – the first and only horror organization in Central CA. I began having free, public all-ages movie nights at a pizza place, so I could meet other horror fans, and hopefully ‘convert’ a few more. Our first event brought in over 60 people, and the support has been continuous! One thing we really try to touch on is playing lesser-known movies, to expose them to new horizons within the genre.

In 2009, I decided to introduce my city to something else they had never experienced before – horror-themed concerts and events. I hosted Central CA’s first Zombie Ball, Vampire Ball and Monster Mash in 2009. To say that I was humbled by the support and appreciation that the community showed towards my efforts, would be an understatement. I literally receive emails every week asking when the next event will be.

In 2009, I also formed The Horror Dolls, which is the first and only horror-themed dance troupe in Central CA. I wasn’t sure how the community would react to it, but a local publication actually featured us on the cover of their October 2009 issue, and wrote an entire article on us.

I also became involved with Nothing is Safe Films in 2009, where I not only act, but I also write, direct and do makeup/FX. I had a small role in the films The Orchard and Side of the Road. I am currently working on a project titled The Apartments, where I am acting in one segment, writing/directing another segment, and doing makeup for all of the segments. It’s been a tedious project, with a lot of hiccups, but it’s been so much fun working on the set. We have a good group of people at Nothing is Safe; I love them.

I have a horror comic coming out through ComicBookDivas.com in early 2010, called Kaci Hansen Presents…Hello Dollies.

Fatally Yours: What is one thing you’ve done within the horror genre that you are most proud of?

Kaci Hansen: I would have to say that forming Central Valley Horror Club would be exactly that. Hearing people thank me for making fun, affordable and unique events in our area makes all of the hard work and planning worth it. People would often complain that there was nothing ‘cool’ or ‘fun’ to do here, and it was my goal to change that. And I truly believe that I have.

Fatally Yours: How would you convince people who aren’t horror fans to give the genre a try?

Kaci Hansen: I always suggest watching a really, really cheesy horror flick – the kind that make you smile, even if it’s not supposed to. My recommendations would be Slumber Party Massacre II or Dead Alive…not that I think those are necessarily considered cheesy, but I have witnessed them bring smiles to the faces of many.

Fatally Yours: Do you feel women in horror get the proper recognition when compared to their male counterparts?

Kaci Hansen: It really depends on what role you’re referring to. In the past, it seemed that films written or directed by women were not taken too seriously, but I have seen what appears to be a tremendous change as of late. With film festivals like VISCERA, the creation of Women in Horror Month, and the unity between females involved in the genre, that is rapidly changing.

Fatally Yours: As a woman in horror, have you found it harder to be taken seriously in a genre that seems to be dominated by males? 

Kaci Hansen: Actually, quite the opposite. Occasionally, people seem to be taken aback a bit at first, but once they talk with me and see what a passion I have for the genre and what I do within it, they seem to hold a lot of respect for me, what I do, and why I do it. From time to time, people still seem surprised that Central Valley Horror Club was founded by a woman; they love it.

Fatally Yours: Since you’ve been involved with the horror genre, have you noticed a change in women’s roles within horror whether it be roles in horror films, women behind the camera, women writers, etc.?

Kaci Hansen: Absolutely. I’m really excited that more women are getting recognition for being behind the camera and utilizing their creative sides.

Fatally Yours: What women in horror do you admire?

Kaci Hansen: Oh, there are so many, and for so many reasons…I’ll end up typing here all evening if I don’t narrow it down to one! I’m going to go with Bette Davis for this answer. I recently watched Dead Ringer again, and just love the way she could turn-on/turn-off that crazy, psychotic side yet appear so kind and sweet directly after…much like her role in Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? I have always admired her work.

I also love the iconic horror hostesses – Vampira and Elvira. Most people seem to only like one or the other, but I think they’re both great.

I also want to take this time to give a huge thank you to Hannah Neurotica for her efforts for Women in Horror Month, Shannon Lark for her efforts with The Chainsaw Mafia and VISCERA, and all of the other amazing women out there who are taking action every day to unite us all.

Fatally Yours: What inspires, influences and motivates you?

Kaci Hansen: Every film I watch is an inspiration to me to work hard, and to do my best. I always try to remind myself that EVERY film used to be an idea in the back of someone’s head; it was all up to them to put forth the effort to execute the idea.

I also just flat-out love what I do, and seeing how I’ve made a change in the community here really makes me happy. Seeing the support that Central Valley Horror Club has gotten is enough to make me continue working hard to enrich our city for horror fans.

Fatally Yours: What are your favorite horror films and books?

Kaci Hansen: This is the question I’m asked the most, and it’s always the most difficult one to answer!
I already mentioned my love for Slumber Party Massacre II…and if you can’t enjoy a guy who looks like the love-child of Andrew Dice Clay and an Elvis-impersonator swinging around a guitar with a drill on the end of it, then I don’t know what to tell you. I really love The Tingler, Mr. Sardonicus, House on Haunted Hill (you’ve gotta see the RiffTrax version of it!), Night of the Demons (1 and 2), Demons, Sleepaway Camp, Day of the Dead, Dead Ringer, The Gates of Hell, Return of the Living Dead…the list goes on and on.

Fatally Yours: Outside of horror what do you enjoy doing?

Kaci Hansen: I’m a Fine Art major, so all things related to art really interest me. I really love graphic design, web design, cooking and baking. JELL-O brains seem to be a staple in my household. I love animals (I have four dogs, and one kitty). I’m very close with my little brother (he’s 10) and have done a splendid job with exposing him to the genre so far. He actually led our zombie walk that took place before our Zombie Ball. I also love music – whether it be listening to it, playing it (I play guitar/keys), or going to a concert.

Fatally Yours: What are your goals for yourself within the horror genre?

Kaci Hansen: Just to do whatever I can to help artists, filmmakers, actors and actresses to get involved and recognized, and to unite other horror fans. Also, to continue bringing fun and exciting horror-themed events to the area. I really would like to get more involved with acting, as I have really enjoyed being in front of the camera as much as being behind it.

Fatally Yours: Where can people find more info on you?

Kaci Hansen: Feel free to add me on Facebook, or on Myspace. My website, www.kacihansen.com, is currently being renovated, and with all of my projects going on, it’s taking me a little more time than I anticipated.

Central Valley Horror Club on Facebook
Central Valley Horror Club on Myspace
The Horror Dolls on Facebook
The Horror Dolls on Myspace
Kaci on IMDB

Interview with Filmmaker Monica Puller

Celebrated as “a counter-culture poster girl” by Guardian UK, Monica Puller cut her teeth in early 2000 on the Atlanta punk scene as front woman for a critically acclaimed musical act before moving full-time into the world of underground DIY cinema. Working alongside bandmate and creative partner Andrew Shearer, Puller co-founded Gonzoriffic Films in 2003 and has gone on to serve as producer, writer, actor, makeup fx artist and composer on over 25 microbudget films. Her directorial debut, Fox Holes, will be released on DVD in 2010.

Fatally Yours: How and when did you fall in love with horror? 

Monica Puller: I had to be around six or seven when I first started sneaking out of my room at night to watch “scary” movies on television. My uncle would always take me to the movies every time a new horror movie came out and I spent the next years of my life just like that.

Fatally Yours: What does horror mean to you? 

Monica Puller: Horror to me, is something that leaves you unsettled. It’s a feeling created deep within your chest that makes your heart pound, your mind race, and scares the shit out of you. Whether that is the kind of scare you get from being afraid to be killed by something, or the kind of scare you get from realizing just how fucked up real life can be-it doesn’t matter. But you feel it, and you know it when you do.

Fatally Yours: What are others’ reactions when you tell them you are involved in the horror genre?

Monica Puller: Usually depending on who or where these people are from they either become immediately interested and curious, or think I get chased around by monsters tripping and dying and think it’s a joke.

Fatally Yours: Why do you think the horror genre has primarily been a man’s domain?

Monica Puller: Because in mainstream movies we are conditioned to think women are weak and need to be saved. When is the last time you saw a movie where the girl was the hero? Or the girl was the one who saved the guy who got captured? It’s few and far between, so this is what kids grow up seeing, they grow up thinking, and not everyone decides to question it.

Fatally Yours: What is your main objective when creating horror films? Do you go for pure entertainment value or do you like to mix in some social commentary? 

Monica Puller: It depends. I like to mix in everything, I like it when something can make you think, it can make you laugh, and it can also break your heart. My main objective is to be true to my vision, my heart and be as honest as possible.

Fatally Yours: Even though women seem to be getting more and more involved behind the scenes in horror, why do you think there are less female horror directors, writers, producers, etc. in the genre than males?

Monica Puller: Girls aren’t exposed to those kind of role models on a wide scale growing up. It’s more typical for someone to push a woman into acting, and to focus on what they look like in general because women are generally objectified more than guys. When you see a male singer on stage, you hear his voice first…when most people see a woman singer on stage they speak about the way she looks and then the way she sounds. I’m not saying everyone does this, just many “typical” people do. We are as a culture exposed to what’s in front of the camera more so than what goes on behind it.

Fatally Yours: What elements can female filmmakers/authors/journalists/etc. bring to the horror genre that are lacking in males’ perspectives? 

Monica Puller: I think the more we focus on the differences between men and women in the genre the more we will continue to separate ourselves.

I wouldn’t say males in the genre are lacking, there have been many times I was comforted by a real or honest portrayal of femininity from something a guy has made. But in general I find that depending on the female (because we are all drastically different from each other), the art made can sometimes have a very truthful and raw streak, forcefulness and subtlety all at the same time. Usually you can pick up on a feeling that will come across, that it was extremely important to treat the material as honestly and fairly as possible. There is a certain perspective that becomes clear in how certain things are cut, filmed, portrayed that feels different.

Fatally Yours: Do you think it’s harder for women to be taken seriously in a genre that seems to be dominated by males? 

Monica Puller: I think women have to work harder to be noticed for their work instead of how hot they are. But again I don’t think it always has to be about men vs. women, I think the more we put focus on our gender and not our art the more we are working against what we are doing in the first place. It’s about creativity, it’s about what comes from inside, it’s about what we make. Not that it’s a woman or a man doing it.

Fatally Yours: Since you’ve been involved with the horror genre, have you noticed a change in women’s roles in the industry? 

Monica Puller: Not a tremendous one. But there have been some amazing independent films (mostly foreign) that have come out where women were the focus, the heroes, the villains, and the roles were encompassing and not typical. Those films help remind me that there are women out there doing this, all of it and they are amazing at it. So in that way it is getting better.

Fatally Yours: Dario Argento once said, “I like women, especially beautiful ones. If they have a good face and figure, I would much prefer to watch them being murdered than an ugly girl or man.” Alfred Hitchcock elaborated by saying, “I always believe in following the advice of the playwright Sardou. He said, ‘Torture the women!’ The trouble today is that we don’t torture enough.” What is your reaction when reading those quotes? 

Monica Puller: I would much rather see the corrupt murdered or tortured, and in most movies that happens to be a guy. If they casted a woman in the big bad horrible evil part, I wouldn’t mind watching her get tortured either.

Fatally Yours: Do you ever get annoyed at how women in horror movies always end naked or with their clothes ripped off? Do monsters not like men’s abs?!

Monica Puller: In most horror movies, they are generic, and typical and unfortunately I expect it to happen. And when it doesn’t I’m surprised, and happy at the same time. Honestly I would like to see more guys getting held down and taken advantage of by some huge snot dripping monster that wants to defile him with his giant monster appendage. That would be something I would be surprised to see.

Fatally Yours: What are your top three movies with gratuitous sex scenes?

Monica Puller: The Story of O, Vixen, Henry and June

Fatally Yours: What horror movie would you say is equally fair in terms of men being objectified or at least, losing the same amount of clothes? 

Monica Puller: You got to see dick is Hostel II!

Fatally Yours: Do you feel you’ve become desensitized to stereotypical scenes in horror like the half-naked girl screaming and running for her life in slow motion? Or are these types of familiar horror tropes still effective and necessary? 

Monica Puller: I have become desensitized to those scenes. I think they are funny in general when it’s done in a comedic way, but it’s difficult for me to really take them seriously.

Fatally Yours: Do you feel that other people view women as being “soft” and not able to endure horror as well as men? How do you fight this stereotypical view?

Monica Puller: I think women are better at hiding what we are thinking and in general aren’t as expected to say or create some of the things we do. The great thing is when you aren’t afraid of what’s in your head, in those dark places you never speak out loud about-when you aren’t afraid anymore you can be a voice for it, and start a snowball effect for those around you. And discover what it’s like to really be fearless.

Fatally Yours: What women in horror do you admire and why?

Monica Puller: I think Beatrice Dalle is incredible. She is completely consuming and fearless in her acting. If you read interviews you find that she doesn’t read the scripts people send her, she meets the people making the movie. And if she likes them, she makes the movie. Her acting comes from a very truthful place in her, and I admire that.

There are so many amazing actresses out there and the more I am exposed to on the indie level, underground, or even micro budget I am amazed and it’s easy to find a reason to admire. I mean Ruby LaRocca has been in countless low budget and independent films, and as an actress especially in horror she is fearless. She isn’t afraid to be honest with the stories she creates, the movies she writes, or acts in. And in order to impress me or for me to admire you, you have to be fearless, you have to be without bullshit, and you have to come with a lot of heart. Because that is the only way I know to be true.

Fatally Yours: What advice would you give women who want to become involved in the horror genre?

Monica Puller: Don’t compromise your vision for anyone or anything. If someone says it’s too fucked up, do it anyway. If someone says it’s too much, push it. Focus on your art, your message if it makes you uncomfortable you are doing something right. Just come from the right place, keep it honest, and you will have nothing else to concern yourself with.

Fatally Yours: What’s the last horror movie that made you think “this is some effed up shiznit!”? 

Monica Puller: Actually I just watched the Poker House last night by Lori Petty, and while it’s not a horror film like monsters and slashers…there were a few parts where I was horrified at the lack of humanity in the real world. And that is very messed up to me.

Fatally Yours: What’s one horror movie you think is HIGHLY overrated?

Monica Puller: Scream. I was just generally unimpressed.

Fatally Yours: What are your favorite horror films, books, etc.?

Monica Puller: Too many films to list all but some are: Inside, Martyr, Sleepaway Camp, Dead Alive, Masque of the Red Death, Return of the Living Dead 3 I could go on forever…horror books? One of my all time favorites is the Splatterpunks series, it’s a collection of many different authors and short stories that are as visual as they are original.

Fatally Yours: Do you have any upcoming projects you’d like to talk about?

Monica Puller: The Erotic Couch was released on DVD recently, and we have a full year ahead of us. My first directorial debut Fox Holes should be coming out on DVD soon, as well as some amazing projects we have coming down the pipeline we haven’t finished making yet.

Fatally Yours: What are your goals for yourself within the horror genre?

Monica Puller: My goals are only to be true to myself, my visions, and my heart and allow that to explode all over everything I do. And try and fuck up as much shit as possible. In a good way.

Fatally Yours: Where can people find more info on you? 

Monica Puller: www.gonzoriffic.com or look me up on Myspace or Facebook