A black-and-white photo of a person mid-air in a Superman-style body suspension pose, supported by multiple hooks in their back and legs, smiling joyfully toward the camera. They are suspended horizontally in a large indoor space with high ceilings and visible rigging. A group of onlookers—some seated, some standing—watch with expressions of admiration, amusement, and support. The atmosphere is lively and communal, capturing a moment of shared experience and transformation.

Fishmaul / Fishmouth / ZygZag Cheek Stretching

This was originally posted on BodyTwo, but I was asked about it again this morning, and I thought it related well to the lip disc posts.

One of the most asked-about members of the modification community is “Fishmaul” (“Fishmouth”) or “Zygzag”, who is said to wear massive plugs in stretched cheek piercings. Here’s the photo set that most people have seen reposted over and over:

fishmaul-zygzag-cheek-stretching-1.jpg

Some people claimed he was part of the German street punk scene in Aachen, others claimed he was Russian, and others claimed it was simply a fake Photoshopped picture. As it turns out he’s Polish, and quite real. A reader wrote me about him,

Hi Shannon. That “Fishmouth” is from Poland and everyone calls him “ZygZag”. For now he lives in Germany in a punk squat or something. I don’t know him but he’s a Polish BodyMod legend. For now he doesn’t wear his plugs. I’ve got different photos of him without plugs.

Here are the photos that came with that email:

fishmaul-zygzag-cheek-stretching-2.jpg

He was drinking a beer at the time, so clearly he’d figured out how to live with giant holes in his cheeks…

Not long afterwards I received this photo of ZygZag with his plugs in at an event, wearing his cheek plates and other piercings:

fishmaul-zygzag-cheek-stretching-3.jpg

As I wrote at the time, I can’t begin to express the admiration that I have for ZygZag’s dedication to developing this look… He’s got to be the only person on the planet, maybe the first in history, to push cheek stretching like this, and the degree he’s done it to is staggering. It’s really amazing to me, and the first time in a long time that I’ve seen something that’s genuinely new.

Unfortunately not much information on ZygZag is out there, as another Polish reader explains,

In January I discussed with my friends the subject of cheek stretching. Someone said that Zygzag is the only person in Poland with stretched cheek piercings so we started to look for his pics. After a few months of searching some guy contacted us and said that he knew Zygzag, and we wouldn’t find anything because he never wanted to have his pictures published. We also came to know that he removed the plugs because his eyes were constantly irritated and he couldn’t speak properly cause of the facial deformation. He had his skin transplanted few times to make the holes smaller. I don’t know how much of this is true, but it’s some additional info about the guy anyway.

So there you go… It won’t surprise me if he ends up being the only person to do this, ever. If anyone knows more (or knows anyone else that’s done this), please do write me!

Comments

875 responses to “Fishmaul / Fishmouth / ZygZag Cheek Stretching”

  1. Lucas Avatar
    Lucas

    Looks like a Star Wars caracter!

  2. Lucas Avatar
    Lucas

    Looks like a Star Wars caracter!

  3. Lucas Avatar
    Lucas

    Looks like a Star Wars caracter!

  4. Lucas Avatar
    Lucas

    Looks like a Star Wars caracter!

  5. Lucas Avatar
    Lucas

    Looks like a Star Wars caracter!

  6. Kelli Avatar
    Kelli

    Okay, so.. a ton of comments were deleted, and they.. say February, for some reason?

  7. Kelli Avatar
    Kelli

    Okay, so.. a ton of comments were deleted, and they.. say February, for some reason?

  8. Kelli Avatar
    Kelli

    Okay, so.. a ton of comments were deleted, and they.. say February, for some reason?

  9. Kelli Avatar
    Kelli

    Okay, so.. a ton of comments were deleted, and they.. say February, for some reason?

  10. Kelli Avatar
    Kelli

    Okay, so.. a ton of comments were deleted, and they.. say February, for some reason?

  11. toby Avatar
    toby

    I saw that guy in denmark, to the biggest festival in the north, Roskilde festivallen, few years ago…. i never heard about him before until now, and not so many stretch their ears, lips, nose or chin here so i didnt knew it was special, but my fucking god it looked crazy…..

  12. toby Avatar
    toby

    I saw that guy in denmark, to the biggest festival in the north, Roskilde festivallen, few years ago…. i never heard about him before until now, and not so many stretch their ears, lips, nose or chin here so i didnt knew it was special, but my fucking god it looked crazy…..

  13. toby Avatar
    toby

    I saw that guy in denmark, to the biggest festival in the north, Roskilde festivallen, few years ago…. i never heard about him before until now, and not so many stretch their ears, lips, nose or chin here so i didnt knew it was special, but my fucking god it looked crazy…..

  14. toby Avatar
    toby

    I saw that guy in denmark, to the biggest festival in the north, Roskilde festivallen, few years ago…. i never heard about him before until now, and not so many stretch their ears, lips, nose or chin here so i didnt knew it was special, but my fucking god it looked crazy…..

  15. toby Avatar
    toby

    I saw that guy in denmark, to the biggest festival in the north, Roskilde festivallen, few years ago…. i never heard about him before until now, and not so many stretch their ears, lips, nose or chin here so i didnt knew it was special, but my fucking god it looked crazy…..

  16. joeyyy Avatar
    joeyyy

    i think last year (2007) he was on ”rock werchter” in belgium,i saw him in a video on tmf in a report about the festival.First thought was what the f*ck did that guy….and now i’m sure its him

  17. joeyyy Avatar
    joeyyy

    i think last year (2007) he was on ”rock werchter” in belgium,i saw him in a video on tmf in a report about the festival.First thought was what the f*ck did that guy….and now i’m sure its him

  18. joeyyy Avatar
    joeyyy

    i think last year (2007) he was on ”rock werchter” in belgium,i saw him in a video on tmf in a report about the festival.First thought was what the f*ck did that guy….and now i’m sure its him

  19. joeyyy Avatar
    joeyyy

    i think last year (2007) he was on ”rock werchter” in belgium,i saw him in a video on tmf in a report about the festival.First thought was what the f*ck did that guy….and now i’m sure its him

  20. joeyyy Avatar
    joeyyy

    i think last year (2007) he was on ”rock werchter” in belgium,i saw him in a video on tmf in a report about the festival.First thought was what the f*ck did that guy….and now i’m sure its him

  21. Kaylaa Avatar
    Kaylaa

    Woah.
    That is CRAZY, He had to have a lot guts to do this; I would be way too afraid!
    I give him respect for doing what he wanted with himself.

  22. Kaylaa Avatar
    Kaylaa

    Woah.
    That is CRAZY, He had to have a lot guts to do this; I would be way too afraid!
    I give him respect for doing what he wanted with himself.

  23. Kaylaa Avatar
    Kaylaa

    Woah.
    That is CRAZY, He had to have a lot guts to do this; I would be way too afraid!
    I give him respect for doing what he wanted with himself.

  24. Kaylaa Avatar
    Kaylaa

    Woah.
    That is CRAZY, He had to have a lot guts to do this; I would be way too afraid!
    I give him respect for doing what he wanted with himself.

  25. Kaylaa Avatar
    Kaylaa

    Woah.
    That is CRAZY, He had to have a lot guts to do this; I would be way too afraid!
    I give him respect for doing what he wanted with himself.

  26. NiKki_in rainbows Avatar
    NiKki_in rainbows

    That’s cool as shit..

    but i wouldn’t do it. LOL

    I love looking at the decisions people make

  27. NiKki_in rainbows Avatar
    NiKki_in rainbows

    That’s cool as shit..

    but i wouldn’t do it. LOL

    I love looking at the decisions people make

  28. NiKki_in rainbows Avatar
    NiKki_in rainbows

    That’s cool as shit..

    but i wouldn’t do it. LOL

    I love looking at the decisions people make

  29. NiKki_in rainbows Avatar
    NiKki_in rainbows

    That’s cool as shit..

    but i wouldn’t do it. LOL

    I love looking at the decisions people make

  30. NiKki_in rainbows Avatar
    NiKki_in rainbows

    That’s cool as shit..

    but i wouldn’t do it. LOL

    I love looking at the decisions people make

  31. friend of zigi Avatar
    friend of zigi

    real name andrzej p. born in brzozow (south-east poland)about 38 years ago. now prapably living berlin. never give him drink in glass that has a flower printed onto it. he hates this.

  32. friend of zigi Avatar
    friend of zigi

    real name andrzej p. born in brzozow (south-east poland)about 38 years ago. now prapably living berlin. never give him drink in glass that has a flower printed onto it. he hates this.

  33. friend of zigi Avatar
    friend of zigi

    real name andrzej p. born in brzozow (south-east poland)about 38 years ago. now prapably living berlin. never give him drink in glass that has a flower printed onto it. he hates this.

  34. friend of zigi Avatar
    friend of zigi

    real name andrzej p. born in brzozow (south-east poland)about 38 years ago. now prapably living berlin. never give him drink in glass that has a flower printed onto it. he hates this.

  35. friend of zigi Avatar
    friend of zigi

    real name andrzej p. born in brzozow (south-east poland)about 38 years ago. now prapably living berlin. never give him drink in glass that has a flower printed onto it. he hates this.

  36. joo Avatar
    joo

    w 2004/5 widziałem go na squacie we wrocku.
    miał wtedy trochę mniejsze te krążki i były kolorowe. (czerwony i zielony chyba)
    i chyba nie chciało mu się gadać z nikim.

  37. joo Avatar
    joo

    w 2004/5 widziałem go na squacie we wrocku.
    miał wtedy trochę mniejsze te krążki i były kolorowe. (czerwony i zielony chyba)
    i chyba nie chciało mu się gadać z nikim.

  38. joo Avatar
    joo

    w 2004/5 widziałem go na squacie we wrocku.
    miał wtedy trochę mniejsze te krążki i były kolorowe. (czerwony i zielony chyba)
    i chyba nie chciało mu się gadać z nikim.

  39. joo Avatar
    joo

    w 2004/5 widziałem go na squacie we wrocku.
    miał wtedy trochę mniejsze te krążki i były kolorowe. (czerwony i zielony chyba)
    i chyba nie chciało mu się gadać z nikim.

  40. joo Avatar
    joo

    w 2004/5 widziałem go na squacie we wrocku.
    miał wtedy trochę mniejsze te krążki i były kolorowe. (czerwony i zielony chyba)
    i chyba nie chciało mu się gadać z nikim.

  41. friend of zigi Avatar
    friend of zigi

    i prosze nie nazywac jendrka rybiamorda. zasluguje na troche “respect”. sprubujcie pojezdzic z nim na stopa. naprawde uczy pokory. i uwierzcie on jest kochant.

  42. friend of zigi Avatar
    friend of zigi

    i prosze nie nazywac jendrka rybiamorda. zasluguje na troche “respect”. sprubujcie pojezdzic z nim na stopa. naprawde uczy pokory. i uwierzcie on jest kochant.

  43. friend of zigi Avatar
    friend of zigi

    i prosze nie nazywac jendrka rybiamorda. zasluguje na troche “respect”. sprubujcie pojezdzic z nim na stopa. naprawde uczy pokory. i uwierzcie on jest kochant.

  44. friend of zigi Avatar
    friend of zigi

    i prosze nie nazywac jendrka rybiamorda. zasluguje na troche “respect”. sprubujcie pojezdzic z nim na stopa. naprawde uczy pokory. i uwierzcie on jest kochant.

  45. friend of zigi Avatar
    friend of zigi

    i prosze nie nazywac jendrka rybiamorda. zasluguje na troche “respect”. sprubujcie pojezdzic z nim na stopa. naprawde uczy pokory. i uwierzcie on jest kochant.

  46. Bathory Avatar
    Bathory

    So if I read that article correctly, it would seem that this guy stretched his cheeks to the point that all of the skin on his face sagged and dragged his lower eyelid open, opening it more to irritants. This eventually led the guy to get skin grafts and close the holes.

    My question is, how the hell do you stretch holes in your cheeks that wide without something getting infected or going wrong?

    Wait, don’t answer that, I already know the answer (hint: You don’t. Faces don’t work like that).

  47. Bathory Avatar
    Bathory

    So if I read that article correctly, it would seem that this guy stretched his cheeks to the point that all of the skin on his face sagged and dragged his lower eyelid open, opening it more to irritants. This eventually led the guy to get skin grafts and close the holes.

    My question is, how the hell do you stretch holes in your cheeks that wide without something getting infected or going wrong?

    Wait, don’t answer that, I already know the answer (hint: You don’t. Faces don’t work like that).

  48. Bathory Avatar
    Bathory

    So if I read that article correctly, it would seem that this guy stretched his cheeks to the point that all of the skin on his face sagged and dragged his lower eyelid open, opening it more to irritants. This eventually led the guy to get skin grafts and close the holes.

    My question is, how the hell do you stretch holes in your cheeks that wide without something getting infected or going wrong?

    Wait, don’t answer that, I already know the answer (hint: You don’t. Faces don’t work like that).

  49. Bathory Avatar
    Bathory

    So if I read that article correctly, it would seem that this guy stretched his cheeks to the point that all of the skin on his face sagged and dragged his lower eyelid open, opening it more to irritants. This eventually led the guy to get skin grafts and close the holes.

    My question is, how the hell do you stretch holes in your cheeks that wide without something getting infected or going wrong?

    Wait, don’t answer that, I already know the answer (hint: You don’t. Faces don’t work like that).

  50. Bathory Avatar
    Bathory

    So if I read that article correctly, it would seem that this guy stretched his cheeks to the point that all of the skin on his face sagged and dragged his lower eyelid open, opening it more to irritants. This eventually led the guy to get skin grafts and close the holes.

    My question is, how the hell do you stretch holes in your cheeks that wide without something getting infected or going wrong?

    Wait, don’t answer that, I already know the answer (hint: You don’t. Faces don’t work like that).

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