Archive for the ‘Interview’ Category
Interview with Mike & Ike
Nearly everyone will have heard of Mike and Ike the chewy, fruit flavoured fat-free candies and most will have heard of Mike and Ike the budgies of so many hilarious YouTube videos. Unfortunately it doesn’t seem that enough of you know about Mike and Ike the entertainment gurus for the neo-millennium and the officially acknowledged unofficial spokeswhores for Evil Dead-The Musical. Well you should as society would benefit from their fame! Here is why they hate budgies but can still tolerate candy.
Steve: Firstly by way of introducing yourselves can you let me know who’s not Mike, who’s not Ike, what do you do and why do you do it?
Mike: (English accent) Well, there are a lot of Mikes.
Ike: (Southern accent) There are a lotta Ikes.
Mike: There are even more not Mikes.
Ike: Ditto.
Mike: But we are the ONLY Mike & Ike.
Ike: Except for the candy.
Mike: (Short pause) We are the ONLY Mike & Ike that matter.
Ike: And what do we do?
Mike: We smoke an exceptional amount of pot, we watch an exceptional amount of entertainment, and, in the long term, we are building an all encompassing media empire. In the short tern, we are building an army of higher life forms that appreciate artistic genius and are tired of the continual short comings of overpaid, douche bags. And why do we do it?
Ike: Cause we’re stoned.
Steve: Apart from being the entertainment gurus for the neo-millennium, you are also officially acknowledged unofficial spokeswhores for Evil Dead-The Musical, what is your connection with said musical and what makes you two the spokeswhores?
Mike: We first heard about the show in 2006 before it came to Broadway.
Ike: We knew it had dancin’ zombies, we knew it had a song called “What the Fuck was That”, we knew we had ta see it.
Mike: You know, all this information is available in the archives at Mike & Ike at MySpace
Ike: But since we know you’re a lazy bastard like us, here are the bullet points:
Mike: We heard about the show, we started whoring it before we saw it. Because of our whoring, we got written and video interviewed with both the 2006 Broadway cast AND the 2007 Toronto cast. After that, we asked George Reinblatt, who wrote the book, lyrics, and a lot of the music, if we could give ourselves that illustrious title and he, being a fan, said yes.
Ike: Shameless self whorin:’ There was a production last year here in Ohio. Partially because of us, that became the longest running show in the the-ater’s history.
Mike: Definitely because of us, Mr. Reinblatt came down to Ohio to see the show, and loved it.
Ike: And THAT’S what makes us the officially acknowledged unofficial spokeswhores for Evil Dead-The Musical
Mike & Ike: (Together) THE GREATEST PIECE OF ENTERTAINMENT IN THE HISTORY OF HISTORY PERIOD
Steve: You obviously have a great passion for as well as a great knowledge of some obscure areas of horror. What about the horror genre makes you foamy at the crotch and what horror movies have had the most impact on your state of mental unfitness?
Mike: Humor and horror have a lot in common. There is a set up, there is a punchline, and there is a physical response. The only real difference is the response.
Ike: And we like scarin’ people. We think it’s funny.
Mike: And as for horror films that have unfitted our mentality, here is a brief list: The Exorcist
Ike: George Romero’s Day of the Dead.
Mike: John Carpenter’s Halloween.
Ike: Anthony Spadaccini’s Head Case.
Mike: And Sleepless in Seattle.
Ike: Oh fuck, I forgot about that thing.
Mike: I didn’t.
Steve: Another of your passions seems to be the bountiful herb garden created by our Lord Satan to make us question the existence of God. How do the magical herbs available inspire and influence your quirky methods of film critique?
Mike: Two things: 1. When we’re stoned, it’s a lot easier to notice plot holes and the never ending stupidity of most Hollywood films.
Ike: And B. Half a Falcor and 20 minutes a writin’ and we had the script for Surprise which 15 people now have said scared them more than Paranormal Activity.
Mike: Pot makes you lazy, my ass. It makes you as lazy as you want to be.
Ike: And by the way, Satan did not bless us with pot. Paladine did.
Mike & Ike: (Together) Palido Calib.
Steve: What is in the pipeline for Mike and Ike with regards to world domination of the entertainment industry? What can we expect to have seen from you two in five years time?
Ike: Depends on when someone gives us money.
Mike: Or wider exposure.
Ike: I want the money. If I want exposure I’ll go to the library again.
Mike: Know this. We have a very detailed business plan. All we need is the exposure.
Ike: All we need is the money,
Mike: But until then, Series
Ike: Season
Mike: Two of our webseries will be premiering soon.
Ike: Which is a helluva lot different than season
Mike: Series
Ike: One. But we still got the same production values.
Mike: There is a reason our company is called Very Amateurish Productions. But no matter what we do, you can be sure of one thing. It will either be funny or it will make you want to shower afterward.
Ike: Or both.
Steve: Tell me a bit more about how you plan to outsmart your main competitors in the near future to enable you to become for popular than the already cult status budgerigars and fruit flavoured candy?
Mike: We’ve already outsmarted our competitors.
Ike: No challenge there.
Mike: Again, we just need the right people to notice us.
Ike: And give us money.
Mike: Once we are noticed
Ike: And have money.
Mike: We’ll buy a LOT of pot.
Ike: A lotta shotguns.
Mike: To shoot the budgies
Ike: And a lotta fruit flavoured candy.
Mike: Because we will definitely have the munchies.
Steve: Would you punch a Koala while it slept?
Mike: Only if it was five years old. We DO have standards.
Ike: By the way, in addition ta the myspace page. Ya can find us on YouTube and on Twitter
Mike: And on the walls of several post offices.
Ike: So until they catch us
Mike & Ike: (Together) Namaste.
Still craving budgies and candy? Maybe these will change your mind:
Interview with Eric Pigors
Welcome to the sick and twisted world of Unkle P. AKA Eric Pigors. His designs are that of sugar induced coma, full of macabre, ghoulish, and comic creations which never fail to burn themselves on to your retinas. Mixing mediums from hand drawn sketches, computer manipulation and collage, his disturbed progeny just jump off the page. A total fiend for the ‘Monster Kid’ culture, it is easy to see where Eric’s inspiration comes from. Unkle P. takes time out of his extremely busy schedule to talk to Lipstattoo for Horror-Extreme.
Lips: Hi Eric, how was it working back at Disney?
Eric: It was a lot of fun seeing and working with old friends. They rehired a lot less which meant we had to do a lot more work. And once we were done with the project we were let go which sucks since you get into a groove drawing and now it looks like it could be a few years until we get another picture, If it even happens again?
Lips: I know that you’re quite passionate about 2-D animation, are you 
feeling more positive about a resurgence in interest in 2-D animation due to “The Princess and the Frog” having great success at the cinema?
Eric: Well unfortunately the film didn’t do quite as well as they were hoping. You have to make about $200 million these days for executives to get excited. It cost $100 million to make and made $105 million domestically. It made millions on merchandise and it’s now just starting to play in Europe and comes out on DVD in March over here. So I’m sure they aren’t going to lose money at all!
We just heard they don’t think it did so well because boys didn’t want to go see the film because it had the word Princess in it. So the next film, Rapunzel which is a computer film, has had its title changed to “Stranded.”
They are starting a “Winnie the Pooh” hand drawn film right now but are only hiring 12 of the 45 artists in my department back whom I worked with on Princess film.
The next hand drawn feature we were to work on in 2011, called “SNOW QUEEN”, has been cancelled because they feel it’s too many girl films in a row. It’s too bad the company is second guessing every film these days. They used to be the leaders in animation and they haven’t been for many years. Luckily they have PIXAR films which make huge amounts of $’s for Disney. They can’t stray too much from what Disney is known for in their hand drawn films and now computer films. And these days the audience I think just wants the kinda films like Shrek and Ice Age.
I don’t think hand drawn films will ever see the days like the ones in the past 70 years. It’s funny, the first animated films were more adult themed like Tex Avery, Bugs Bunny, Popeye even the early black and white Mickey Mouse cartoons, now it’s just a dumbed down medium to babysit your kids and sell toys. There are a few good T.V shows being made now, but nothing like those good old days.
It feels like the USA seems to look at animated films and comics as kids stuff. I think Europe has a more open-minded attitude about the artistry that goes into making these things.
So actually I don’t really feel good about the medium of hand draw films these days at all.
Lips: You also worked on ‘Hercules’ and the animation of the films’ villain, Hades. Did you feel
that Hades’ design was the closest to your own style you got to work on at Disney?
Eric: Yeah that film was a blast and Hades was my favorite character I drew at Disney.The film was based on the designs of Gerald Scarfe who designed Pink Floyd’s ‘The Wall’ album art and animation in the film. Plus Hades felt like you were working on Warner Brothers Cartoon.He had lots of fun poses and snappy animation like the Bob Clampett cartoons.
Lips: How do your bosses and colleagues at Disney react to your pet project Toxic-toons?
Eric: Some thought I was a weirdo and some dug it. It’s to be expected. Most people would tell me after actually meeting me that I was a lot more normal then they expected from looking at my drawings. I’m sure Tim Burton must have gotten the same reaction when he was working there. When I started in 1987 , I had an art show and I was banned from the venue afterwards from having anymore. The guy in charge of shows just didn’t get my work and said to many people thought my art was negative, my art wasnt anything like it is now.
Maybe it was the Ronald Regan head I stuck out of one of my T-shirts saying “Wake me when it’s over”. The higher-ups used to have meetings in this room and I can only imagine what they were saying during the month my weird art graced the walls, Hahaha!
ED ‘Big daddy’ Roth , who created Rat fink, had lunch with me a year later and wanted me to do a short Rat Fink Cartoon. I told him I was banned from having art shows at Disney, and he said “I’d rather be known as the artist who didn’t get to have an art show at Disney then the ones who did”.
Lips: How much of your art is influenced by movies, music and general pop culture?
Eric: Well most my art just comes from what has influenced me through my life and then it’s is kinda blended up in my mind. Mostly stuff from when I was a kid I feel is what you see in my art. Things like The Munsters, Addams Family, Groovy Ghoulies, Halloween time, Monster masks, Monster movies, Frankenstein’s monster, Horror hosts like Vampira, and also things such as Mad magazine, stickers, Odd rods, Wacky packages, Plop and EC comics.
Lips: Your gory ghouls have been featured on many bands merchandise, from Metallica to The Murderdolls. What was your favorite to work on and do you have any more band art work lined up?
Eric: Well they all fun to draw. I really liked working with Wednesday 13 and The Murderdolls,
they are on the same wave length as me. Metallica was fun just because James and Kirk were so nice and supportive of my art. They were wearing my Toxictoons line of shirts all tour and even on a few Magazine covers like Rolling Stone. I also love designing art for The Ghastly ones and Psychocharger. One of my favorite CD covers is for The Creeping Cruds album ‘Tennessee Bloodbath’.
I just did some art for The 69 Eyes which was a lot of fun. I met Jykri the singer of The 69 Eyes at Fangoria convention last year. I don’t have any band art lined up at this moment. But things change day-to-day. I’m working on some new art for ‘Netherworld’a Haunted House in Atlanta. My wife and I have gone there for the past 3 years and sell my merchandise a few days and then get decked out scare the crap out of people inside the haunt. I have designed a few shirts for them and other Haunted Houses in the USA. I love the Halloween season.
Lips: Do you have any thoughts on making Toxic-toons in to an animated feature or comic book?
Eric: Well I would love to see a Halloween animated show, but it’s tough to sell stuff out here in Hollywood as they usually want all the rights to it. I did draw some characters on the Ed, Edd, and Eddy Halloween special called ‘Boo haw-haw’ Back in 2004. I drew the neighbourhood kids so they looked like my monsters but still resembled the kids.
Lips: Are you working on any new projects involving Toxic-toons?
Eric: Yes I just signed a contract with a brand new monster mask company. They plan on making 1-4 masks based on my art this year. They are attending the Transworld Halloween trade show at the end of February and then their website goes up. So lookout for Toxic-toons masks this Halloween on my website www.toxictoons.com.
Lips: Who are your own personal heroes in art, music or films?
Eric: Jack Davis, Bill Elder, Don Martin, Harvey Kurtzman, Basil Wolverton from Mad magazine, Frankensteins monster, Herman Munster, Vampira, Charles Addams, Ed ‘Big Daddy’ Roth and Al Jorgensen of Ministry.
Lips: What are your favorite horror movies? How do you feel about current horror cinema?
Eric: I love the old horror films, like Frankenstein, Vincent Price films, Children Shouldn’t Play with Dead Things, Night of the Living Dead. I like some of the new horror films, but films like Saw and torture films I’m not really a huge fan of. I like ones that are more spooky and campy like Munster Go Home, Premature Burial and Tim Burton’s films. Shutter Island looks like it might be good from the previews I have seen.
Lips: You’ve worked will Bill Moseley and his musical project Cornbugs, how did that come about?
Eric: Well speaking of Bill I just did a shirt design for his new band called ‘Spider Mountain’ and they are now on MySpace. I met Bill at a Fangoria show about 8 years ago, he was in a booth behind ours getting made up as Chop Top and we just hit it off. He then asked if I would design a CD cover for a Cornbugs and I ended up doing 3 for him and now this shirt design.
Lips: You have an amazing tattoo flash set for sale on your website, how do you feel when people get your gruesome designs inked on themselves? Would you have any of your art tattooed on yourself?
Eric: Thanks, I have one tattoo of my art, a Frankensteins monster with bat wings on my forearm. It’s great seeing people come up to me or email me pictures of tattoos they have of my art, I mean it’s the highest compliment to an artists when someone likes your work enough to have it permanently inked on them. A few fans have both arms sleeved with my designs.
Lips: Do you have any plans to release another DVD after the very successful Unkle Pigors Spookhouse?
Eric: Not at this time. I put everything but the kitchen sink in that one, like my animated cartoon I drew back in 1990, The children’s day at the Morgue video and a nice interview my horror host friend Ormond Grimsby put together.
Lips: As a huge fans and admirers of your work, thank you for taking the time to talk with Horror Extreme. Any final thoughts?
Eric: Sure, come on down to WWW.TOXICTOONS.COM and grab some goodies if you like what you see, I have a great special deal on my website for my 3 books, and who knows, you might even end up getting a Toxic-toons tattoo!
www.toxictoons.com
www.myspace.com/toxictoons
www.twitter.com/toxictoonspigor
*All photos used with kind permission of Eric Pigors
COMPETITION IS NOW OVER
We have a bunch load of Toxic-Toons swag to give away to one lucky winner.
You could win:
Ltd Ed SIGNED ‘Netherworld’ poster
Rare SIGNED ‘The Ghastly ones’ print.
Two button/badge packs
A super rare pumpkin witch pendant (Not available to buy ANYWHERE)
Stickers
Send an email to toxictoons@horror-extreme.com to be entered into the competition with the subject “Toxic Toons Competition” and be entered into the draw. The winner will be picked randomly on 27th March 2010 and contacted via email for address details.
Small print:
Interview with Monique Dupree
Tromette, Fango regular, pot zombie and singer. Monique Dupree has one of the most diverse C.V’s in cult cinema. She is a constant on the horror convention scene and the darling of ‘B’, indie and horror movies. Monique currently has at least a dozen projects waiting to be released, and is probably most well known for her roles in The Skeleton key 2, Pot Zombies and Bachelor Party in the Bungalow of the Damned. Not adverse to exposing her triple D ‘talents’ in the name of her ‘First black scream queen’ moniker, Monique also has the ability and the personality to back that title up.
Lips: I know this is something you must get asked lots, but how do you personally feel about the term “The first black scream queen” being used to describe you? Do you wish people would stop using it, or have you embraced it?
Monique: Well, I’ve had worse terms used to describe me, lol. But really, at this point, I try to focus on the work and let everything else sort itself out. I love what I do..and no matter the genre, acting is my passion.
Lips: You’re a very striking looking woman, do you find that works to your advantage when auditioning or against you?
Monique: Why thank you much 
I find it difficult to get the roles that I want unless I’m working with a director that’s already aware of my abilities and willing to put me in a role that no one else might think to. I get a lot of offers involving nudity or eye candy..things like that. But I work really hard to showcase my versatility in the acting realm and I’m finally starting to get more offers suited to challenge my abilities. I’m very blessed and thankful to have worked with the talented directors that saw something more in me than just a “face”
Lips: I know that your first break was “Lean on me”, but what was your first foray in to horror movies?
Monique: My first appearance was actually in Pot Zombies. It was such a small part, but a large doorway into horror for me. Working with Lloyd Kaufman himself and really immersing myself in Troma (well, because they’re the best!) It opened so many doors for me in both acting and horror films.
Lips: Being that it is currently Women in horror month, do you feel that there are enough strong female role models in horror?
Monique: Yes, I do. It always comes down to personal opinion and what you FEEL a strong female role model IS in horror or anything else for that matter. But in horror as a whole, I’ve seen plenty of strong female role models and I expect that it’ll only get better with time.
Lips: As most fans of the genre would know and expect, there is all most always a little T&A in horror films, but do you feel that it is a required element to make a horror movie work?
Monique: First I have to say, I don’t frown upon T&A in ANYTHING at all. Having said that, I don’t think that there always HAS to be an element of it in order to make a horror film work. I don’t see where it hurts though, lol. My only critique with that is that sometimes its just too much. I like when some films give you a taste of T&A….to tease if you will.
Lips: You’ve been involved with a few Troma titles, which haven’t been so warmly received as some of you other work. Do you feel they deserve the bashing they get? (The team here at Horror Extreme are big Troma fans).
Monique: Well, I’ll say this if I may: opinions are like assholes, everybody’s got one. I’ve heard some fans tell me how they LOVE Troma films and others that say they suck. Some reviews will be good and some won’t, but all in all, I try not to pay attention to any of it. It clouds the focus..
Lips: Pot zombies looked like a riot, how was it to film, and do you have any plans to work with Lloyd Kaufman and the Troma team again?
Monique: It really was a blast!!! Troma is like my family now. Any chance I get to team up with Lloyd and/or spread Troma’s message to keep independent film alive, I do. I’m teaming up with Brenna Lee Roth & Troma Entertainment to do a workout video called “Scream Your Ass Off” so watch out for it!
Lips: Would you be interested in acting in new wave exploitation/grindhouse films (Such as Death Proof, Planet Terror, Run bitch Run)?
Monique: Oh most assuredly. I’d jump at the chance for that! (hint, hint!)
Lips: What film projects are you currently working on?
Monique: I’m working on quite a few projects including a couple that I’m not allowed to talk about as of yet. I’m doing a film project in a couple of weeks called Avantgarde and the scream queen workout video called “Scream Your ass off” Other projects include: Plan 9 (remake of plan 9 from outer space), Haunting Kira, Love don’t love me, Reptilians and many more.
Lips: Is there anything else you would like to add or promote before we wrap up?
Monique: I’d just like to thank Horror Extreme for taking the time to chat with me a little. It was a pleasure.Anyone wanting more information about me, convention appearances etc. can check out these websites:
http://www.imdb.me/moniquegatadupree
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monique_Dupree
http://www.moniquedupree.com
http://www.twitter.com/originalgata
http://www.facebook.com/theoriginalgata
Interview by Miss Lipstattoo
Check Out Miss Lipstatoo’s Etsy Store for some gorefilled goodies
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