Edit/Update: After being offline for ages, here’s an archival link for the first-ever published interview with Rick Genest / Rico / Zombie Boy/ Skullboy.
Sorry about not getting this online earlier — it’s been a long day, which among other things, includes having a transport truck smash into me while I was driving with my daughter to an appointment! Ack!
Big thanks to Veronika for scoring (and doing) an interview with the infamous “Skullboy“, more appropriately known as Montreal’s Zombie. Click through to check it out, and as always, come on back to comment.
PS. You may remember Veronika from her cat portrait neck tattoo as well as her half-sleeve — she’s no stranger to both being featured and creating features!
Comments
425 responses to “Zombie (“Skullboy”) Interview Posted”
he’s like a thug goth kid, wierd…
great mods, lets just leave it at that!
The mods are crazy and i’m just so surprised to see he lives 1/2 an hour from my hometown. I admire the fact he chose to have a full body tattoo, even with the chances he now has to fin a job. Nevertheless, i was really disappointed too, cause he’s the kind of person who makes the general population think body mods are for dumb asses who don’t think about the consequences of such modifications. I think that kind of procedure has to be taken seriously with a lot of consideration.
You know I find it a little sad the amount of judgment being passed here on BME. Honestly it seems a little hypocritical and immature. BME is a community founded on people who come from different places, think different things, and most commonly look different. Outside of here people may point and gawk at us for looking different, but here? I can’t believe some of the comments I saw on here. Quite honestly, unless you can stand in Zombies shoes, or anyone’s as a matter of fact, you shouldn’t be judging them. Now for my two cents on the interview, thought it was awesome, horror flicks are why I decided to become a film major. And, damn, those tattoos are seriously intense, beautiful.
Geez Shannon, just because someone thinks it’s a disappointingly boring interview doesn’t mean that they’re implying that BME shouldn’t publish it.
Shannon — You, I would think more than most, should know that the majority of people are not ‘cool’ with tattoos. Just because someone doesn’t have visible tattoos doesn’t mean that they won’t ever be assumed by others to be the same type of person as people like Zombie.
Many believe that tattoos are a slippery slope — my father, for example — and that when you get one tattoo you’ve begun your descent into looking like Zombie, or at least ending up with your arms, hands, neck and skull tattooed. Furthermore, a large number of people still associate tattoos with the ‘outlaw’ or ‘criminal’ lifestyle and judge people with tattoos accordingly.
(plus there’s the whole concept of mods being visible when swimming, or playing sports, etc. which means that usually-not-visible mods often become visible (but that seems an unnecessarily obvious point to have had to make)
Basically, to say that just because someone doesn’t have visible mods means that the general public will never associate them with people like Zombie is wrong. I see where you’re coming from, but it is simply not true. It happens all the time. Though admittedly, and fortunately, less and less.
..come on..posts super moralist,,let him live like he want..what u care for real?
he looks awsome!! clap clap clap for that
..live mods in the way like u like!!
What I find funny is that the russian guy who had tattoos everywhere ( https://www.bme.com/news/2008/02/28/no-future/ ) didn’t receive any bad comments and the guy didn’t seem to have a theme while Zombie at least has one and he gets criticized? Come on people…
For the job thing, it’s all a matter of priority in life, I would love to have facial tattoos, but I still prefer working as a teacher, which I couldn’t do if I had facial tattoos so I will have wait until I retire to do that… This guy probably don’t want to work with the public and if he decided to go back to school or something he could probably get a desk job, it would be harder to get the job that’s for sure, but most of the time if you don’t work with the public directly it isn’t much of a problem (the Catman has a desk job as a programmer or something like this and his mods are quite intense!)
Lately I’ve been noticing a lot of comments on Modblog saying things along the line of ‘this person is not a good representative of the modified community bla bla bla’ and this irritates me no end. Would you prefer if the only people interviewed or modblogged were vetted for their views and behaviour so only people who present what you feel to be an acceptable personality and lifestyle made it onto the site?
This is ridiculous. BME is supposed to be a cross-section of ALL modified people.
I find the idea of a modified all inclusive ‘community’ unlikely anyway. There are many groups of people with differing interests on BME and I personally don’t feel like I ought to automatically feel some kind of connection with somebody just because they have big lobes or a certain amount of tattoo coverage. If someone regularly suspends yet holds views I find abhorrent then I won’t find any reason to talk to or try to get along with them.
For what it’s worth, I think Zombie looks great. I love the smiling photos.
He’s just some guy with a lot of tattoos, just like I’m just some woman with a lot of tattoos, just like the rest of you. BME is a group of individuals, not some hive mind or Borg entity where we all have to agree with each other and abide by some code of behaviour.
A huge fuckin’ laugh at all the people who care what others think about their mods because a punker with a skull on his face and a great sense of irony doesn’t spill his guts and tell his whole tale in a short interview haha. Some challengers of society’s norms you lot turned out to be! Mmm I love body mods on people but only when that person will share every personal reason for doing what he does in a completely serious manner! A big cheers to Zombie!
I have quite a few visible tattoos now and while I get a LOT of stares when I wear a tank top to the mall, I have never had a negative reaction from the public, and in fact get a lot of positive feedback from all different kinds of people.
I think in general we are seeing the public’s attitude towards tattoos relax and change, and while there are still people in the older generation who associate tattoos with crimminal activity or other negative connotations, this type of thought is growing further away from the norm.
I don’t feel that someone like Zombie is casting any kind of bad light on people like me. And in fact, I don’t care. The truth is that the public needs to learn to suck it up. Lots of different people in life have tattoos, and there are all kinds of reasons behind them, including no reason.
I don’t think the onus is on people like Zombie to bust stereotypes, or on BMEZine to post specific kinds of content, but rather on the public to open their minds further and learn to accept all walks of life. Screw the close minded, they are getting left behind.
And holy shit does his back piece ever look awesome! His interview also really took me back to my punk days… I miss it!
*scratches head*
I wonder why some of you guys are even reading Modblog…
it’s funny how accepting people are now- i love it.
so many girls think this guy is beautiful- he is.
i’d be his girlfriend anyday- and have beer time with him.
‘Surely you’re not saying that if a person with remarkable mods doesn’t say what you politically want him to, that we should not post his interview?’
Nope, I’m saying it’s not adding anything. Nevermind.
so what, who cares, why bother?
This guy is great and just playing with you.
he talks like an idiot but his tattoos are cool. id like to see the teeth, if he gets em filed
Unlike a lot of people I don’t care that he comes across as an idiot. What does confuse me though is why, if he regrets most of his tattoos, does he continue getting more ink?
Unlike a lot of people I don’t care that he comes across as an idiot. What does confuse me though is why, if he regrets most of his tattoos, does he continue getting more ink?
i didn’t realize he was so young.
with him regretting most of his tattoos i wonder how he will feel when he is a bit older.
@ 268: the whole interview is dripping with sarcasm and I love it.
A little late to be commenting I think, but for those who are disappointed in “Zombie’s” attitude towards his tattoos, I would just like to point out that he has a skull tattoo on his face. That just screams “I don’t fucking care about anything!” Did you expect a man that looks like that to be some really deep thinker with a plan for the future?
It would have been better if he was at least pleased with the effect that tattooing his bloody face has had!
…and didn’t he have a mental breakdown a while back because he couldn’t remember what he looked like or something?
wow! Comment Central! I think a lot of people were disappointed by the way he presented himself, but does it matter? it is his choice and who are we to judge? Tattoo is an aesthetic art form, so why not get ink simply because it looks good? i think we expected something else of him because he is so heavily modified and here on BME people with mods such as his generally do have a deeper meaning behind them, but again, it is just a matter of personal motivation. the art is amazing and really suits him, the interview was excellent and he said what he felt and why. could we really ask for more than that?
Regarding Punk, dear shannon…
You NEVER got it. Ever.
I’m so glad that Fishmaul/ZygZag doesn’t like to be photographed or interviewed. People would probably bitch about him too (because he’s a squatter) or because he didn’t conform to some preconceived ideas that people have about him and his reasons to heavily modify himself.
BEST POST ON modblog EVA!
219?)Something that consistently cracks me up is when people who have almost no visible mods — and certainly none that test social boundaries — worry that guys like Zombie are somehow going to reflect on them…. hahaha, trust me, NO ONE is going to get you mixed up or assume that you’re in the same category.
Having a kitty cat tattoo on your hip is not going to make people think you’re going out boozing in a squat with Skullboy…!!!
It’s almost as funny as people getting worried that the Wandalaput interview would make people assume that all people on BME love eating shit out of HIV+ diapers…
Shannon on March 19th, 2008 at 10:21 am
His tattoos do look great, just hope he has good hands..seeing he’s got a life of poster hanging to look forward to…
Hah, I liked it, actually. I’ve always been curious about him…
Oh, and I hope you and your daughter are all right, Shannon! Car accidents = the suck.
I love him- he has nothing to prove to him self- or anyone else– he is also young-i do not mean biologically- but come on- most of us are breed from the same freak nomad ooze that crawled from beneath when the world was anew- I would wager hard cold cash that every person on here has wandered down a city street eye’ing the *norms* and thinking “those bastards are judging me..” and allow them selves to spill out al sorts of anger and hostility- and I would as easily wager that any passerby are making a grocery list or wandering about the increase in transit fair.
Most of us AIM to look different- sure any of us who are sacredly and symbolically adorning our holy temples and journey through the transcendental fields so often blocked to our psyche..
but truth has it… all those norms judging you—in actually fact you are judging them.. and that is simply unkind.
I wouldn’t wear a day-glo silk blouse with plastic flowers up it- but it if makes the one who wears it happy- that brightens my day!
fuck stop worrying about who is judging who and ~*breath.. and maybe take a good hard look at what your mods mean to you on a personal level.
EGO- my facial tattoos are no more insignificant than the tutu my daughter wears weeks (months) at end- simply because it makes her feel good and she doesn’t give two flying fucks what anyone else thinks..
(i just spent a few year
choosing my *tutu*s before permanently adding them to my *look*- or rather.. adding them until the look is complete- ha
he get it yer a bad ass.. the swearing and such probably doesn’t rive the point home nay further… and like most us freaks I am sure you love your grandma and and have comfort toys and are as loveable as anyone else- thank you for sharing Zombie!
Oh fucking hell…
To anyone worried that this will reflect badly on them, I refer to a quote from the “Droid Master” interview: “I impress them with what I do, not how I look”. If you can’t set yourself apart from some FTW gutter punk, then that speaks far more about you than it does about Zombie.
Oh, and by the way, I’ll take an honest-to-goodness “fuck the world” over an obvious scene whore running down a checklist of modifications under the guise of “I’ve always wanted them!” and “I’m on a path to deep spiritual wisdom!”
There, did I manage to offend both sides?
Okay, people don’t read, and they really don’t get it, read up the posts I’ve made in this forum…
And he DOESN’T regret his tattoos, the tattoos he regrets are the “small” ones that aren’t part of the body suit BUT that now they blend in together, he doesn’t notice them anymore…
Read up people before getting all pissy and shit…
: )
hey Veronika, you should hook me up with Zombie’s number.
fuck, thats pretty intense,
i’d heard of him a long time ago.
um, yeah, just wow.!
wouldnt even think of anything so insane myself
but i guess each to their own.
i admire his commitment
but it doesnt seem like he has high hopes in life.
i love the lil intricate details such as the flies that adds on to the entire look..
the way he answered the questions is just, adorable.
He says he doesn’t own a computer but you don’t have to own one to get online. I can’t shake the feeling that he’s read Modblog enough to have formed an opinion, and that he wants to be disliked by as many of its readers as possible.
Though I could be wrong.
I really enjoy the 200+ comments here, especially the ones essentially saying that if you thought this was a shallow, uninteresting Facebook status update of an interview, you’re obviously an intellectual snob.
Because interviews here SHOULD be roughly on par with, say, listening to kids at a public transit terminal, or reading MySpace blogs, or watching a LiveJournal comment thread derail into rickrolling. That IS something I couldn’t get elsewhere. Thanks!
I think this is a case where interviewing the legend has altered the status itself. I love the tattoos mostly(being a super horror freak myself)but the attitude is suprisingly common-and nothing special to Montreal either(much as I heart Montreal). Come spend a weekend in the Haight ashbury in SF and some of the ickier parts of the tenderloin. There are heavily tattooed gutterpunx aplenty-badly hand-inked faces and hands in total hands-up-fuck-the-world energy. but nihilism isn’t what punk is about to me-there are plenty of people just as nihilistic sitting on the couch at home endlessly pressing the remote control button to surf to the next channel. A bad attitude is hardly punk(and calling something punk always felt like being too lazy to come up with something more descriptive than “rebellious” anyway-its so limiting).
Seems a rather short, not really very interesting story. his tattoos are interesting. He himself does not seem as interesting as an interview subject-not because he needed to traipse down some intellectual highway, but because-nice tattoos aside-he didn’t have that much to say. Minus the photos, it sounds like internet chat.
Total side note: It did make me wonder if BME has ever thought about doing something akin to posting a boy or girl of the month+photo spread. You could do it by lottery-and let people who didn’t want to participate opt out-or just PG or whatever. There’s certainly enough of us now to do something like that and its probably a few lines of code to write a bot that would notify people. it would be democratic and show off ‘everyone’.
I hope I’m not the only geek who wondered what Erica (#280) meant by ‘For The Win gutter punk’… :/
*n
Reminds me of the London punks in the late 70′s, early 80′s..so this interview leaves me more nostalgic for a time that has gone than anything else.
it was definitely interesting. In a different way to a lot of the other interviews, but yeah, the whole FTW mentality obviously plays a big part in his ideals, and there’s nothing wrong with that, there’s plenty of peopld that can live happy like that,
live fast, die young and make a good looking corpse.
I agree with Brui above that an interview with his tattooers would be great.
So, Frank did the bodysuit, which is amazing work.
Who did his face?
a whole new meaning to the word necrophilia… xD
Well I thought at least he’d be a die-hard Misfits-fan, but obviously not…
I think that his claim that he doesn’t care does not fit the fact that he has hours of very detailed and well thought out work on him.
Frank did the face too. Zombie had something done already (a few lines I think) because Frank didn’t wanna do it in the first place, then when he got them, he went back to see Frank to fix/cover them up.
lol so funny, i bet people wanted to hear something like this:
“Transforming my body into a work of art has been an amazing journey, many people see it symbolic of death but I see it as quite the contrary…life. To me being the way I am is an expression of freedom, that we should be able to express our inner desires and dreams on the outside without having to worry about the opinions of society and main-stream thinking…I am reaching out to all my brothers and sisters in the mod community yadda yadda…
instead u got, ‘yeah just woke up and thought fuck it’
I’d love to see this guy in ten years, and read another interview with him then.
290: comment 280 wasn’t “for the win”, it was a far less geeky and much more old fashioned version of FTW, “Fuck the world”.
this guy is better SEEN and not HEARD. what a dope. 298, i would love to see a follow up in 10 yrs as well.
That interview went pretty much exactly as I expected it would… Come on, think of any other “full concept” modified people out there… Lizardman, Kat, Enigma… They have their reasons for choosing their transformation. Just what kind of deep, meaningful explanation for changing into a zombie was anyone expecting? Maybe he had wonderful experiences with zombies as a young’un? Lol. It’s not a lot of mental math. He started with one zombie tattoo, dug it, and expanded it and pushed it as far as he could because he doesn’t care about the repercussions and thought it would look cool. That’s the gist of what I thought I’d read, and that’s how it went.