Being that this is called the ‘Scream’ Awards it is reasonable to expect that the awards were going to focus on the Horror and Thriller genres more than anything else.  Not so.  Much of the time was spent verbally fellating the creators of Dark Knight.  Understandably, people are focused on Heath Ledger, his death and the performance that he offered up as Joker, but overall the movie was hardly impressive.  It was another action flick with yet another Batman.  On top of that, Christian Bale provided a lukewarm counter to Heath Ledger’s disturbing portrayal of Joker.  So, honestly, Spike, why all of the awards?  It wasn’t that good.  Just give Ledger his due and move on.

For as many movies in the Horror and Thriller Genre, including in independent film, it was disappointing that Spike could only come up with a very small handful including a horror-theme cliche abuse like The Ruins.  Perhaps the Spike producers should do a little more research, especially if they are going to go so far as to mention the Goth community in the show itself.  Goths can be some of the most discerning of Horror and Thriller movie watchers.  To expect them to be content with an extremely short list of big-budget, small-minded movies is like asking a wine connoisseur to judge the best of three bottles that have turned to vinegar from too much light and oxygen.

The performers also left much to be desired.  Estonian pop artist Kerli Kõiv performed what appeard to be a Bjork retread with Madonna influences.  Kerli, when she first hit the scene, offered hope to the Gothic community by covering a Bauhaus song on her debut album.  After a quick listen, it has become obvious that she is little more than a dissapointing attempt at a replacement for other, better artists that are fading from the public eye.  The Smashing Pumpkins played thier new single.  The first question that comes to mind is “who is this band?”  Billy Corgan is still there, but the band is a bunch of stand-ins and lookalikes for the old band that played throughout the 1990′s.  The performance was halfhearted and uninspired.

The highlights of the evening were the presentation of awards, two of them, to Heath Ledger and the parting clips of his performance as the Joker.  Kevin Smith hit the stage early on and provided his typical witty banter.  Marilyn Manson also provided for a significant amount of entertainment as he proceded to make the crew fairly uncomfortable, saying things like “Don’t fucking tell me what to do.”  Sadly, much of the fun part of Manson’s performance will never air so only those that were at the ampitheatre will know what happened.  The lowlights, which are too many to list, culminated as Samuel Jackson made an appearance at the very end of the show just to throw “motherfucker” around a couple of times.  This is quickly becoming the phrase that he is best known for.  Is this a sign of a weak actor?

Overall this award show left much to be desired.  Perhaps next year Spike will rethink the formula, venue and crew to make things flow a little more smoothly.  In the meanwhile all hopes are on the fact that there is a crew that will be editing the recording and performing TV magic.  Maybe the aired version will be easier to stomach than the live was, however I wouldn’t suggest intentionally investing any time to watching the award show.  The time would probably be best spent plucking nose hair or something of the sort.

To see all of the comics by James Treagus, please check out 7ShadesOfBlack.com.

As the Gothic community grows and evolves new elements get introduced. Originally an offshoot of the Punk scene from the late seventies and early eighties, the Goth subculture has developed into a much more rich and diverse scene than its progenitor. As this evolution occurred, Gothic Belly Dance and Tribal Dance was introduced. Asherra wrote an article about this several months ago and Tempest left a comment which added further information about the topic. We have managed to track down one of the founding members of Desert Sin, a Gothic Belly Dance troupe from the Los Angeles area. They have performed at many venues least of which is Labyrinth of Jareth and have generated a reputation for themselves.

Gothic Angst Webzine (GAW): Where did Desert Sin get it’s start? Was there a general idea that you
all just ran with or did it take prudent planning and lots and lots of
elbow grease?

Desert Sin (DS):
Desert Sin came to be in 1999. Myself and Tatianna were looking to do
something new within this dance medium. We loved the movement, but we both
needed something that helped free our spirit as well. I guess our spirits
were living in some rather dark places. We started by taking American
BellyDance and putting it in a gothic club, which is where I had been
dancing for many years already. We changed the clothes, the music, and the
tone. Our first gig was at Club Sin-A-Matic and very soon after that we
were performing at most of the gothic clubs in Los Angeles. There were only
three of us in the beginning, myself, Tatianna, and Linda. Within a year
Linda had dropped out and sweet, mezmerizing Cassandra stepped in. At this
point, Desert Sin was still not fully realized as our stories were very
loose. It was more about costume, music, and attitude. It wasn’t until the
following year, that Tatianna and I started weaving more complicated stories
into our performances, and by 2001 I was officially pushing Desert Sin into
a much more theatrical, story-telling style. I had finally found a way to
mesh all my experience into one company. Elayssa officially joined us in
2002, and she and I have been going strong ever since. There is something
about the two of us that is just magical when it comes to creation. It’s
like we finally found the other half of our brain.

GAW: Describe to us your first show concept, can you tell us where you got
the inspiration from?

DS:
Hmm…Well, our first gig at Sin-A-Matic came from a true melding of what
Tatianna and I had been doing for traditional Middle Eastern Dance and the
general feel of Sin-A-Matic, which at the time, had an S&M room in the back.
Everything from that first show seems so incredibly basic to me now, but at
the time it was a big deal. Our costumes were styled off of BellyDance and
what you were seeing in the clubs at the time…so, the basic split-skirts
and halter tops from Bellydance, but then make them all black, see-thru,
chains, painted latex, etc. One part of the dance involved a traditional
Middle Eastern candle dance, only Tatianna and I made it much more sensual
and ritualistic. It became a scene between two lovers almost, and involved
me pouring the hot wax over Tatianna in the end.
Our first real “Performance”, in which a true story was involved, was
inspired by many things. When Tatianna and I were coming up with the
concept I remember comparing parts of our dance to the movies “Legend”,
“Bladerunner”, and “Alien”. It was a sort of cyber fairytale simply titled
“Love Story”.

GAW: Is there a place where you do shows regularly?

DS:
Not really. Outside of the annual events that we are lucky enough to be
involved in, such as LOJ and EEMED, we pretty much just follow our gypsy
hearts wherever they lead us. We have talked about settling down into our
own venue, but it hasn’t happened yet.

GAW: We know that you will, once again, favor us with a performance at this
year’s Labyrinth of Jareth Masquarade Ball, is there any chance we might
get a teaser of the theme for this year?

DS:
Ah, this year we are quite excited about our dance. It is about BabaYaga,
the Russian witch. For those who saw our “Sita’s Fire” performance, in
which we first tested this character out, I can guarantee you will be
surprised at where it has gone. It promises to leave everyone wanting more,
except perhaps the 8 performers who will likely be gasping for air by the
end. I can also tell you that the Mystery Bird Puppet Show, responsible for
the puppets in “Musee”, will be present in this dance as well…and on the
same scale as their last giants.

GAW: How many years have you performed at LOJ now? And what were your past
themes?

DS:
I think this is our 5th year, and I continue to feel so lucky that Strider
of Sypher Studios let’s us be a part of it. The LOJ event is very involved
with the themes of light and dark, as are most fairytales. Most of our
themes have revolved around this in one way or another. We have done the
Fairy Court infiltration by goblins, the Phoenix death and rebirth,
mermaids, and the story of the lone human that finds herself in a fairy
ring.

GAW: What are your plans for the future?

DS:
Nothing much…a couple more shows in Los Angeles and New York and then a
world tour.

GAW: Can you describe your style of dance?

DS:
Not really. We’ve taken to calling it “Theatrical Dance”.

GAW: Do all the dancers contribute to choreography or is there one person
in particular that leads the others?

DS:
All our dancers contribute in one way or another. Elayssa and I pretty much
run the gamit, but we certainly could never finish anything without the help
of our beautiful, talented dancers.

GAW: Could you introuduce yourselves?

DS:
We are Djahari and Elayssa, co-directors of Desert Sin. Lovers of dance,
family, and creation. Not always in the order.

Check out Desert Sin at:

The Desert Sin Website

Christopher has been involved with the Goth scene in Southern California for some time. In that stretch, he found himself rooming with Roman Dirge, who is now working alongside Christoper on a series from Slave Labor Graphics called Haunted Mansion after the Disneyland classic attraction. In the meanwhile, Christopher works as a graphic designer and develops his own line of shirts plush dolls and the like for his private label called Invincible studios. Since becoming a father, Christopher tells us, he has had less time to get out and about, but he still feels ties to the culture. He was gracious enough to take time out of his busy schedule for Gothic Angst and answer a few questions. Take a look into Christopher’s world.

Gothic Angst Webzine (GAW): How did you get started in comics?

Christopher: I grew up reading them and had an interest in art and writing back in grade school, so it seemed like a pretty natural progression. I remember as a kid reading about how the Editor-in-Chief of Marvel comics at the time (Jim Shooter) had gotten his start when he was 13 years old. I didn’t realize years had passed since then, and I thought a 13 year old kid was the Editor-in-Chief of Marvel, and had no idea what that job actually was, so I thought he was just some kid who sat in an office reading comic books all day and telling people if they were good or bad and that if they were bad, they’d go back and redo them. In my mind, this kid had the ultimate dream job. I wanted to be him. Around the same time, my uncle had gotten me a copy of “The Marvel Try-out Book”, which was part of a talent contest they were running back then. The book had blank pages the size that the pros used, photocopies of penciled art to practice inking over, and scripts to try and draw from. It even included finished pages with empty word balloons for contestants to use for lettering words in. It was the ultimate step-by-step peek into the inner workings of how comics were made. I started penciling, inking and lettering with professional tools on professional quality art boards before I’d even hit puberty. That was it. The road to my destiny had been laid out before me. Before I graduated high school, I was already printing my own comics at Kinkos and passing them around in class.

GAW: What inspired you to start work on The Ghouly Boys?

Christopher: I was busy trying to put together various other comic book projects in other genres when I was given the opportunity to help co-create a television series concept with my friend and former roommate, Roman Dirge. I wanted to create some characters that would exist in the show as a kind of supporting cast that may show up every now and then to help the main characters out. So, I had to come up with something that would fit in a horror/humor cartoon. I started with some drawings and really liked how they looked. They were a bit different than how they look now, but the general concept was there and I dug them so much that I just couldn’t let them go. Rather than give them away for this other project (which never ended up being produced), I tucked them away for later. Over time I kept thinking of them, and their personalities and stories started to take shape. Before I knew it, years had passed and these little characters that were sitting on the back burner of my mind had begun to occupy my every thought. I was boiling over with ideas for them and knew it was time they were unleashed.

GAW: How has The Ghouly Boys been received by the Slave Labor Graphics regular readers?

Christopher: Not quite the smash hit I’d expected. I think that I’d fallen so in love with my characters that I thought the public would go nuts over them as soon as they hit the stands. The sales were decent and there are plenty of people who love the comics and characters, which is very exciting and rewarding, but at the same time, I think there was a large number of the SLG fan base who was expecting “The Ghouly Boys” to have the same elements as other SLG books that were popular at the time, so when they picked up my comic and found out that it was sweet and melancholy, it was a let down because they were expecting it to be silly and zany. Once people realized what it was, though, I think the comic found it’s audience and maybe even won over some readers who didn’t think they’d be into that sort of thing.

GAW: What other projects do you have going aside from your comic?

Christopher: These days I mostly work from my home office doing graphic design for various companies. I’m trying to get back into doing more art and writing, though. I plan on doing some new art prints that will be on sale at Comic-Con and at the Bats Day Black Market. There are some hollywood types who are trying to develop “The Ghouly Boys” as a movie, but I’m not really involved in any of that. I’ve done some cover art for some companies and have a video game idea that I want to try and flesh out, but never seem to be able to find the time for. Meanwhile I still try and contribute to the odd anthology now and then.

GAW: What work have you done with the Haunted Mansion project?

Christopher: I contributed two short stories that I wrote and illustrated for issues 2 and 3. I also did cover art for “Haunted Mansion #3″, which was one of the highlights of my career. Actually, working on the project to begin with made me giddy. My wife and I are huge Disney fans so it was a real treat to be able to work on something like that. We’re even raising our daughter to be a little Disney-phile. I’d love to contribute more to the book down the road.

GAW: Will you be selling any Haunted Mansion comics at the Bat’s Day Black Market?

Christopher: SLG won’t be there this year, so, yeah I’m going to try and have some “Haunted Mansion” books on hand but the selection will probably be limited. I’ll have my own table under my own art and design company “Invincible Studios” and I’ll be sure to have the issues I contributed to as well as some my own stuff.

GAW: Tell us a little about Invincible Studios. What kind of work do you do with your company?

Christopher: Invincible Studios started as a joint publishing venture with my friends Rayel Friesen and Marc Brueland back when we were 19 years old. The three of us had wanted to be comic book artists more than anything, and had been rejected by the big two (Marvel and DC). Not willing accept that it was because we just weren’t very good yet, we set out to publish our own comics, and to hell with the big companies. Over the years it just turned out to be too hard and we drifted our separate ways. These days, I run the company as my own art and design studio. I’d still like to put out some comics under the “Invincible Studios” imprint someday, if for no other reason than to help undiscovered talent get their first chance at exposure.

GAW: I see that you have shirts, plush dolls and the like through Invincible Studios. Is a Christopher franchise on its way?

Christopher: Ha! That would be great. I’d love to get to the point where I make my living entirely off of my art and stuff, completely dropping the graphic design and other random jobs. I have lots of ideas but they tend to get so jumbled that they all collide when they try and escape my head. I juggle so many projects that nothing ever seems to really get finished, just a whole lot of half formed ideas. Right now I want to get some more t-shirts and art prints available to help supplement my income and allow me to do all the other stuff. I’m making an effort to get on track about that this year.

GAW: Aside from Comics and merchandise I see that you also do contemporary art. What is the inspiration behind this?

Christopher: I’ve just always loved the works of people like Alphonse Mucha, Norman Rockwell, N.C. Wyeth and the old school pin-up artists, so it’s always been an interest of mine to try do those kinds of things, but with my own personality added into the mix. I think art can be like music in that aspect. When you hear a song that really touches you, it’s natural to want to sing along. And with art, you want to “draw along”. You want to participate in what inspires you. To not only enjoy it, but be a part of it and create more of it. So that stuff stems more from a compulsion than any sort of a real intentional plan.

GAW: What stylistic influences have affected the look of your art over the years?

Christopher: Well, I’ve been a huge fan of Will Eisner and probably more inspired by his work than anyone else. Just his visual storytelling techniques and layout concepts. He was always so innovative and creative about how he did even the smallest things. From there it’s all a potpourri of influences, ranging from horror artists like Bernie Wrightson, Gene Colan and Mike Mignola, to “cartoonists” like Charles Schultz and Jeff Smith to more “action” styled illustrators like Frank Miller, Goseki Kojima and Jack Kirby. Even Jim Lee was a big influence for me back in high school, I think sometimes my faces can be based on his techniques. Of course all the current artists these days do things that inspire me. I’m always finding neat things in peoples work that makes me want to try new techniques.

GAW: What kind of connection to the Gothic community do you have?

Christopher: These days, I don’t have much connection to the outside world at all. But prior to being a stay at home dad/shut-in, I used to be a regular in the club scene in Los Angeles. My wife is an ex-bartender from one of the clubs up there and some of my closest friends are people I met amidst the haze of the fog machines. We’re still regular attendees of “Bats Day in the the fun park” and on rare occasions I’ve been known to venture out to a goth/industrial type club or event. I keep meaning to do more to help out with “Goth Help Us”.

GAW: Does music influence your art?

Christopher: I like to listen to certain types of music when working on certain projects. Last year I worked on a samurai story and pretty much listened to Asian cinema soundtracks the entire time. When working on something like “The Ghouly Boys” or “Haunted Mansion”, I tend to like listening to stuff like Rob Zombie/White Zombie, KMFDM, Rammstein or Type O Negative while penciling to help create a sense of energy and excitement while creating a horror type atmosphere. Then when I start inking, I switch to a meditative mode and listen to industrial and electronica, like VNV Nation, Covenant or Wumpscut, things that have steady repetitive beats, or mellow music like She Wants Revenge and Collide.

GAW: What kind of non-visual media do you feel influences you the most?

Christopher: Well, music like I said above helps me during the creative process, but I think it’s pretty apparent in my work that I also like poetry. I have a habit of wanting to use poetry or song lyrics as a narrative device. Which I think is very cool when combined with comics. It forces the reader to add a subconscious audio track to “the silent medium”, pushing certain invisible boundaries to bring an additional layer to the experience. I get a real kick when people say that they are compelled to read my comics aloud. Of course, now I’m starting to get a reputation as the “singsong” comic book creator, which is just one more reason why I have to keep on creating and trying new things. Gotta break free from that niche. The possibilities are limitless and so far, I’ve barely even scratched the surface.

Check out Christopher’s work at:

Invincible Studios

What makes a good Goth comic? It must be a little dark, the humor has to be a little twisted, perhaps even silly, and monsters always make for good reading. Voltaire’s “Oh My Goth” or Roman Dirge’s “Lenore” definitely meet these criteria, as does Batton Lash’s “Supernatural Law.” Wait, what? You haven’t been reading “Supernatural Law?” You’re missing something great. Batton says that he feels the idea of the comic comes off as a little “dry” at times, but if one were to read his work it is hardly so. Lighthearted and fun would be a better description. The idea of the comic is two lawyers take up casework for monsters. Frankenstein’s Monster, The Wolfman and many other creatures have come for legal advice from Wolff and Byrd.

Batton says that he “wished goth was around when he was much younger … they get all the fun stuff.” With fun stuff he is referring to the culture, the clothes, the angst and the horror movies. With this it becomes really easy to see why Goths should definitely be into Batton’s work. Although the comic was originally geared towards lawyers, Batton says that it is really intended for anyone. Moreover, it does have everything that a Goth could want. It has, well, the clothes, the angst and monsters! Especially in the Deathrock crowd, who wouldn’t want to see monsters finally get their due?

Batton says that he publishes a different comic as well called Mavis. Mavis is the assistant to Wolff and Byrd, at early on in the comic, Mavis has some dealings with the Goth crowd. Have no fear, Batton undoubtedly made light of the culture, just as he does with anything that crosses the pages of his work. This is, most likely, the best reason to read “Supernatural Law.” I have yet to meet a Goth that doesn’t think that popular culture is a joke. Something of a farce, to be picked at, made light of and otherwise joked about. Batton agrees. Nothing in life should be taken so seriously! If you have Voltaire’s collected works, but you aren’t reading this, you’re missing out.

Read more about Batton and Supernatural Law in the September issue of Gothic Angst Webzine and at the following sites:

Supernatural Law Webcomic
Exhibit A Press

Youth and talent are always a great boon to art. The youth provides vitality to the art while talent offers the means to produce moving and inspiring pieces. Jeanine Thiele has both of these and her work is proof. Working mainly in Germany, Jeanine combines her career and something that she loves to create an environment where she can truly live. Her photography tells a story all its own and it can only be appreciated if you see it. Jeanine lives the life of a creative professional with the heart of a true artist.

Gothic Angst Webzine (GAW): How did you first become interested in photography?

Jeanine Thiele (JT): Photography, as I do it now, digs really late into my life. 2002 I started to do some photos of my favorite Band Wolfsheim at a concert. – Just as a fan of their music to share with some friends afterwards and keep the memories. But from that point I knew… that’s my thing and so I did much more concert-pics of this band and for their official website.

The first pictures were made with a little analog pocket camera but I recognized pretty fast, that I need something better to satisfy my claims. I bought my first analog SLR camera in 2004 – began to do more pics of other concerts and festivals. The next step was a digital SLR which I bought in December 2005. I also started to shoot Models. Since that, photography became more and more a part of my life.
August 2006 was something special to me. I started my own company “maywork” – working only as a photographer and getting paid for it. It was a really hard decision to do that – leaving everything I did before behind, but I’m happy with it and that’s the main point. Doing what I love so much.

GAW: Do you consider yourself part of the Goth culture?

JT: Yes and no. On the one hand I live my life what this culture is about. Having deep thoughts and not these typical mainstream opinions – doesn’t matter what it is. On the other hand I don’t think every day and night about all these ‘dark things’. I just have a look behind everything. I also don’t wear black all the time, sometimes you can see me on the street with a Jeans and a red shirt for example… in my opinion Goth Culture isn’t just about wearing black! It’s much more about how you live your life.
(Editors Note: We agree, Jeanine! There is more to it than wearing black.)

GAW: How long have you been involved with the Goth culture?

JT: There was no specific date where I knew – now I’m a goth or into this culture. It was much more a transformation over several months. I had the first contacts to the scene as I heard some songs of Wolfsheim and Peter Heppners side-project with Witt. It was a hit here in Germany in 1998 and played nearly on every radio station. From that time… my taste of music changed more and more.

GAW: How has the Goth culture influenced you art?

JT: A lot. I love to shoot at abandoned places or just to do photos of these locations. I don’t wanna show happy faces at a beautiful location. Life is about much more, than just happiness. Anger, teary-ness, silence, perishable-ness and of course deep thoughts. I also love to play with contrasts. Colorful pictures but with a non-obvious background – you have to look behind my work. I don’t want people looking at my pictures and saying… “Ahhhh that’s nice” without understanding the meaning.
One of my favourite works is a violinist in an untenanted and snowed amphitheater in Gothic clothes. At the first look you may think: beautiful. But you have to ask yourself – why is she playing there? Alone… and nobody is listening? That is what I want… people should think about the pictures and create their own story – there is no right or wrong of it.

GAW: What inspires you to do photography?

JT: Mainly my life and the world around me. The lambency of people I’m confronted with nearly every day – just have a look at the newspapers. Also the skimpiest thing can be very inspiring – a sere rose or just a word you’ve read/heard somewhere or things that happen in my life.

GAW: You have taken many photos of musicians and performances, does music influence your photography?

JT: Yes a lot. There are some of my works which were inspired by songs of Diary of Dreams, Wolfsheim, Neuroticfish and [:SITD:] – just to name a few. Music is also a big part of my life – I couldn’t live without it. I often hear a song, pictures come to my mind and I can’t forget the song. – Then I know… this is worth doing a photoshoot. Well and doing pics at a concert is great… listening to good music and working. You often have the problem, that there’s no good light available, but that’s the challenge. I always try to win and to catch the atmosphere. This is much more important to me, than to do the perfect shot of the concert.

GAW: What is your favorite subject to shoot?

JT: I love to work with people and I’m really into portraits. It’s interesting how you can create different atmospheres – just changing the angle or if the model is smiling or not. Facial expressions and especially the eyes aren’t easy to handle – you always have to catch the right second. The details are really important to me.

GAW: What are the programs you use most often to work on your art?

JT: There’s just one program I use – Photoshop. This program isn’t easy to understand, but there are so many options to do your final artwork or sometimes to give the picture a complete new meaning than planned before. I’m working nearly every day several hours with this program – but I’m still learning new techniques and over and over again I’m surprised what’s possible with this program – it’s just amazing.

GAW: When shooting photos, do you prefer digital or analog cameras?

JT: That differs. You hardly can compare both techniques. If you shoot the same object with the same settings but with different cameras – it doesn’t look the same. It’s hard do explain… an analog camera catches the atmosphere and the colors in a different way than a digital
one. I still use my analog SLR, but only for black and white photography. The results are much better than to shoot with my digital one and the internal black and white settings or doing the retouch afterwards with a program – to convert into black and white. When I’m using my analog SLR I surrender retouching afterwards. I’m just using the camera to create the atmosphere and not Photoshop.

GAW: Is there any particular brand of camera that you prefer?

JT: For the analog pictures I swear by my Minolta Dynax 404si and a good lens with a high focal length (up to 300mm). Digital I prefer Canon. For my portraits I’m using a fixed focal length of 50mm – but a high photosensitivity with f1.8 I really won’t miss this lens – it’s also a good one to use at concerts.

GAW: Do you have any words of wisdom for aspiring photographers?

JT: It’s all about creativity and practicing. You don’t have to read thousands of books to learn how to be a good photographer. This is just to understand the techniques and how everything is working. But this by it’s own won’t make an interesting photo. You need your ideas and not copying others… try to find your own style. This is what a photo makes interesting! Don’t hang in there, because others are saying this isn’t good or perfect. A good photo doesn’t have to be perfect in its technique how it was made – it’s about the thoughts and the idea behind.

My motto: Only photos made with soul will touch.

Jessika is a model out of North Carolina. This set of photos represents a body of work that she did for a group called Madams. She is currently looking for work as a model with great people to further her career. She got started with modeling while taking courses on communications in college. She says she loves being in front of the camera.

Jessika is aiming to model for alternative publications and beyond that she would really like to break into the movie industry. She is hoping to become a “scream queen” as she has always enjoyed horror movies.

Watch for Jessika’s work out and about. In the meanwhile you can find her on MySpace and in the promo materials for Madams.

From a fairly young age, Elle Pedron was interested in art and artistic pursuits. Her initial interests were not painting, but she started to look into that avenue as she got older. As with many artists, her artistic statements range emotionally, but she acts upon all of her emotions vivaciously and without apology. Elle gave us a little time and answered some of our questions. This interesting story is best heard in her own words.

GAW: How did you first get involved with visual arts?

Elle: My first involvement in visual arts was at a very young age in stagework and music. I come from a highly artistic family and it was encouraged to be involved in the arts particularly music. I think I would have been around 5 years old my first stage production.

However I didn’t start painting until I was 19 I was a single mum with a lot of time on my hands and one day I just picked up a brush and started to paint a picture of a girl running down steps closed off by a set of bars. I believe my Aunty has it now.

GAW: What is the sphere of influence that surrounds your art today?

Elle: My life is my main influence for my art the good and the bad in it-there’s a lot to draw from. Music is a major inspiration to me as well I will listen to a song and a painting will suddenly appear in my head and i just have to put it to canvas.

GAW: Does all of your art draw from dark influence or are there more messages that you try to convey?

Elle: A lot of my work is what I am going through in my life at the time it speaks of pains from relationships, my strong Pagan beliefs and ideals and my thoughts on subjects and things that affect my world as I see it. A lot of my work has a dark influence to it but to me there is a lot of beauty in darkness.

GAW: If you had to choose one particular artist that influenced you more than any other, who would it be?

Elle: Oh Picasso! His amazing passion for art has always just held me. Even as a small child I dreamt of being like him and painting outside of the square. My love of his work became even stronger at 17 when I saw “The Weeping Woman” at the New South Wales Gallery it was one of the most minding blowing experiences of my life!

GAW: What is the statement that you are aiming for overall with your art?

Elle: Life, how I see it. Maybe better said this is life through my eyes understand my work and understand me better.

GAW: How does music influence your art?

Elle: Oh music is an enormous influence I cannot stand to paint without my favorite songs on it helps me flow into my work, become one with it. As I stated before it is a major inspiration to me as well I will listen to a song and a painting will suddenly appear in my head and I just have to put it to canvas.

GAW: How has your art been received by people that see it at shows or other events?

Elle: Very well people have always been amazed at how different my work is and how much passion it has within it.

GAW: What are your future plans for your art? Is this a budding career or more of a passion that you pursue in your spare time?

Elle: I would love to be a world known artist, I do not hold a full time job this is my passion, my life. Without my art my world would be sadly lacking. I also would love to do album covers and band logos-that I am in the middle of as we speak. If when I leave this planet if even just one person remembers my work then my job is done.

GAW: Is there something that people should know about the art that you do?

Elle: It is full of hidden meaning do not just look and walk away think about what is there before you study it and learn from my work.

GAW: Is there anything else that you would like to say about your art?

Elle: It is the driving force of my life. It is my soul on that canvas spilling forth for all to see.

Self taught and self made artist, Rich Friend started making art in the form of music. As he got older he found himself in a prime position to start working in visual arts. Now he works as a cartoonist in the new Batman comic. Although he does not claim to be a Goth artist, avoiding the cliches of Tim Burton-esque look, Rich says that he has a certain kinship with the Goth community.

When Rich was younger he fell in with the group of people that were outside of the mainstream. This is undoubtedly a familiar story for many that are in the scene today. Although he never persued the lifestyle he is definitely still intouch with those that do not fit the social norms. Though he works with the Batman team, Batman being a dark comic for certain, Rich truly makes his voice heard most strongly through the artwork outside of the Batman studio.

How old were you when you first started doing art?

I drew a little bit as a kid. I started getting recognized for having maybe a little more artistic ability at 10 years old. I sort of knew it. I could tell it came easier for me than it did for other kids and also I could tell by the reaction of adults when they saw my stuff maybe something was up. Being an only child I guess it gave me something to do. I never took it all that seriously which in hind site was sort of dumb of me.

What influenced you to go into visual arts?

I am not sure exactly. I was in a band and had done music my whole life (since age 11) but I was known for being an artist and was referred to as that also. I did nothing to cultivate that label though but looking back people referred to me as an artist a lot more than I ever realized. Around the age I went into High School it basically became this unused skill I had. It would occasionally come in handy. People always remembered my ability to draw and for some reason there’d be that moment every few years where someone would say ”oh, you need something drawn, you should ask Rich”

At age 24 I saw a job opportunity as an inker for comics and went for it. I got hired in less than a year I went from being a singer and guitarist in a touring punk/grunge band to working professionally as a comic artist. It started out as a side job but I saw a lot of avenues through comics and thought it was a good place to pursue lots of different things…I get my art out all over the world and my name too. I work for Warner Brothers essentially. It doesn’t get much bigger than that. I meet people from all fields of entertainment.

Have you received formal training in visual art? If so, where?

No. I am self taught…no art classes and no art training…I am not opposed to it, but I have never gone.

I understand that you work on the Batman comic. What do you specifically do there?

It’s a new series that deals with Batman at about year 2 of his evolution into the Batman character. It deals with his first meeting with Lex Luthor (Superman’s main nemesis) and this huge army of killer robots he’s created. It’s a monthly comic, and I just ink it. I am not really pursuing comics in terms of my own art right now although I may be doing something in 2007 it depends on the situation. I’ll know in a few months if it’s going to happen. I may pitch my own idea and see if I can create a new book. Inking is a nice way to be involved in commercial art without having to do something I am not in 100% control of for now. Comic work (well commercial art in general) has a lot of restrictions…that’s something I can’t deal with. Inking pays the bills and has been a fun day job.

How did you get involved with the Batman team in the first place?

They asked me. I am sort of known in the business so at this point jobs line up more easily than they did when I started.

What art do you do aside from your current work in Batman?

I do a lot of illustration work; I am very interested in photography and also fine art. I am working on a pitch for a really cool project. I can’t talk about it too much but it ties in with music and working with a band… It’s still in the early stages. It would be a huge, huge deal if it works out, the equivalent of hitting the lottery in some ways. There’s still something I find more appealing with doing my own work and developing my own ideas. I just don’t think I am a great team player when it comes to creativity…either would be great though.

You said that you find a certain kinship with the goth community. In what way do you feel akin to the people in the goth community?

I’ve personally always felt alienated. I am the kid who would go to the library and read about dark things, I focus and I am interested in the darker side of life. It’s a hard way to live and can cause problems like drug abuse or alcoholism. I was listening to dark music when I was as young as 10 years old and was drawn to such sad and depressing things. I felt so alone. I don’t know…growing up in a sunny, happy, sporty place like San Diego and having a personality like I have can be tough. You just don’t fit in always. In High School people thought I was weird because I started dressing different. It was so stupid. You wear black or do your hair a little different and you receive an immediate backlash to it. You end up with 3 or 4 friends who are all mocked….it was me, a lesbian, a gay guy, and a girl who’s dad hit her. That was my life back then. I just buried my head in the sand and did my own thing with this small group of friends. It’s a more creative existence, that’s how I see Gothic people, creative, sensitive, artistic, literate and probably isolated to some degree. That’s me in a nutshell.

How did you first get involved with the goth community?

That’s hard to say. I don’t think I am involved in it that tightly, if at all. I have never felt connected to any one scene. I have gone to some of the different Goth club nights on and off in San Diego. I went to a few of the Fetish Balls and stuff like that. It’s cool I like to see people being themselves.

Would you consider yourself a Goth artist?

No. If people are striving for individuality trying to be something like being a Goth artist to me is a waste of time. Doing some watered down version of Tim Burton like 50 million people try, or doing this “dark” bondage photography we’ve all seen a million times…is done. It’s been done, and done to death…Literally. I say DO great dark art or try and create a new fashion sense or really make a new statement with you work, like a piece of great literature. Do something that moves things forward or opens new doors for people. There’s no label on that, and that is far more appealing to me. You can deal with similar dark or gothic themes but I think the presentation needs to be advanced not rehashed

What is the motivation behind your art?

I just make things up. A lot of it right now is basically demos for future work. Like prelims and studies, little test runs on different things even though the work is pretty tight.

Is there a vein that you follow with regard to what your art says to you and your viewers?

I try and draw things that I think can be presented in an interesting way. There’s a beauty in things like death or dark material, but there’s also something challenging with surreal things as well. I am interested in history, folklore, and different cultures. Sometimes you do a piece of art only because it’s an image that’s striking. Being a musician/writer most of my life. I think I can maybe narrow down an idea into a concept that’s clear or abstract. Like if I wanted to convey the feeling of loss. I can think of imagery that’s symbolic of that emotion and possibly come up with a unique way to present it because my ideas aren’t based only on art I’ve seen. They are based on words, phrases, energy, and rhythm. Other times there’s no message to a piece initially but then it becomes something bigger later or you realize it WAS something more…maybe like a dream that at first was a series of unrelated images or little abstract vignettes…but if you break it down it’s a real thing or an emotion. It’s always a little different. …I don’t know where the desire to draw certain things come from. It comes from everything I’ve experienced I suppose.

Aside from the comics, what audience is your art generally for?

Well again I don’t really do comic art right now. Most of my art (meaning 100% me and the art I am sharing for this interview)….is for people who like imagery and have a bit of an imagination. They’re illustrations for the most part….some are based on photos or little clippings I like and I arrange them, or warp them…others are 100% original and just made up as I go. I think this time for me is about experimentation and learning. Learning about art and myself at the same time.

How do they tend to react to what you say with your pieces?

People seem to like it. A lot of artists are into my work which I find interesting and very flattering. You can tell you are on the right track when a lot of your peers are into your work. I’ve been very lucky to have that support.

If there is any one thing that you would like people to know about you and your art, what would it be?

My work has evolved quickly and as long as I stay focused, I see myself producing a lot of art (all media) over the next few years. I just celebrated my 3rd year drawing, working with photography, and painting digitally and traditionally…so at that, I am still very much a young artist. I hope there’s a little something special when someone sees a piece I’ve worked on that’s intriguing, and they want to see more. I hope it’s as much intangible why they like it, as it is obvious.

Welcome to the world of dark arts and crafts. Welcome to the land on which the preschool macaroni crafter would not dare tread. This is the realm where Denialle Chabot lives. Call it functional art or dark crafting, but either way this is not your mother’s hand-crafted home decor.

As she puts it, Denialle has been doing art since she could hold a pencil. Art is in her genes. Her father was a sign painter, although Denialle did not start painting until about a year ago. She has been doing some traditional painting, but her latest endeavor is meat.

Denialle is not painting on meat, but rather she paints meat on boxes and jewelry. When asked why she likes to paint meat, she simply states that she has been fascinated by meat for a long time. She is a vegetarian so she doesn’t eat meat. This being the case, she doesn’t view meat as food, but rather as art like that of Mark Ryden.

Boxes may seem like a strange medium to use for painting, but Denialle likes the idea of art being functional. Beyond the functionality of boxes, she also likes the shapes that she can find boxes in, and they are fun and interesting. Aside from boxes, she has also started making necklaces and pins because she “wanted to wear meat.”

There is a deeper meaning to Denialle’s meat though. She said that she started painting meat shortly after a bad breakup. She didn’t realize it but at the time, she was painting a representation of what she felt on the inside. She felt like a piece of meat and she needed a way to express this.

Although this art is not targeted at a particular group, Denialle enjoys what she is doing and the journey that she’s on. Her brand of art seems to receive different reactions. Some people laugh, some people really like it, and some people think that she’s nuts. Denialle even said that she had someone from an animal rights group ask her to accompany them to Washington to demonstrate.

Denialle has not only painted on boxes though. She is currently taking a long break from drawing. She has also done things like zombie girl, surrealism and horror. Her art stems from a long line of non-traditional phases. Denialle has 12 years of graphic design experience which she feels also helped influence her current styles and tastes.

Due to her taste in art and the fact that Denialle has been feeling a lack of support for dark art in San Diego, she has started organizing her own shows with a couple of other artists and collectively they call themselves “The Dolly Birds.” She has done lots of craft shows and a few art shows. She even did a single fashion show at a club. Due to a bad write-up in a local magazine, Denialle no longer likes to call what she does “crafting” but rather “functional art.” No matter what she calls it, you can be sure that you will continue to see her work around San Diego and perhaps she will branch out and you could have a little bit of Denialle’s functional art in your house.

Visit Denialle online:

MySpace
TheOblongBox.net/