Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Interview with Black Mass.



Full Name:
S. Du Val/Black Mass
Please explain the whole “Black Mass” thing for any readers who don’t know what that’s all about.
Sure. I’ll try. Basically the definition of a “Black Mass” is by its nature is an occult “ceremony/ritual”. It is basically the ridicule of any established religion, organization or social ideology. Tho most often associated with “Satanism and the occult” in truth a Black Mass can be anything as long as the intent is to poke fun of a certain group and it’s beliefs and practices. This is the SOUL of all my art… Ridicule, exposing of social dogma, hypocrisy, satire. A middle finger to the established RULES whether they be in society, politics, religion or art. I have been a long time practitioner of the occult and come from a long line of Freemasons/Knights Templar, I am a direct descendant of the “real” Robin Hood. It is in my blood to oppose those who would try to subvert, control or rule over me and my spirit or personal forms of expression. So basically, as my work embodies the idealism of the “Black Mass” and given that I was constantly being assumed to worship the devil due to my use of occult symbolism and themes (I do not worship ANYTHING, or ANYONE except myself, tho I do practice the occult/chaos magic) and consequently was more often than not having my personal life , career, and the reputations of both myself and my family placed in a negative spotlight due to these false assertions of my personal belief systems and of my intent/messages implanted in (some) of my work, so, I chose to adopt a new name/persona which fulfilled their need to demonize me without allowing their views to affect me in my “real” life. They wanted the Devil, so I gave them Black Mass…”He” has always been here inside me, along with many other of my “personalities”. I just gave him a name and an identity and lived that identity to its conclusion. While I still maintain and use this identity for some projects, I have also moved on and assumed a new identity which better serves my current needs. A kinder, gentler me so to speak, and that is S. Du Val. How long he sticks around remains to be seen.

Do you have a nickname?
None that ever stuck... and considering I add a new identity every few years or so, it’s hard to know for certain…so maybe #5? I think I am also called “That Guy” a lot, “When you're strange faces come out of the rain, When you’re strange, no one remembers your name...When you’re strange.”-Jim Morrison, lol.

Birthplace:
California, Los Angeles County

Current hometown:
Long Beach

Favorite city:
London


Birthday/Age:
March 1970, 43 yrs.

 
How would you describe yourself physically?
Average.


How would someone else describe you physically?
Intimidating.


The first thing people notice about you is…
Tattoos. I’m tattooed from face to foot.  Nearly solid 80% of my body.

What do you do when someone asks the eternal question of the visibly tattooed, “Did that hurt?”?
I do my best to make them even more scared than they already were by telling them it’s worse than they ever imagined. There are enough schmucks and bro-dudes out there with tattoos as it is. The more I can discourage most people from getting them the better.

I can’t believe I never thought of that. I’m doing that from now on.
“Did it hurt?” –puts on a dead serious face- “It was the single worst experience of my entire life. I pissed myself. Then passed out. And while I was passed out I shit myself. And the tattoo artist drew Sharpie dicks all over me and told me they were tattoos. But if you really want to get a tattoo…”


Hair Color/Eye Color/Race?
Black hair, hazel eyes, caucasian.


Sexual orientation?
Gay, straight, Bi. Whatever works…


Religion, if any?
Chaosophy.

What's "Chaosophy"?
Chaosophy is my own term. So to explain it is a bit difficult but suffice it to say it is a philosophy based on the themes of Chaos theory, Quantum Physics, and a holistic view of the nature of consciousness/physical matter and its origins. The Hyperverse as a mutable thing capable of being manipulated through conscious/subconscious thought. In essence it’s all about the MATRIX and how to use it to re-program the “Source code” to one’s own advantage.

I’m sold! Sign me up!


Are you superstitious at all?
I’d like to be but am still waiting for a truly supernatural experience to convince me.


Do you smoke/drink? If so, what?
Smoke 2 packs a day, drink socially. Marlboro Ultra Light 100s, Jaegermeister and redbull drink (not jeager bombs), Vodka Cran.


Any bad habits?
Impulsive. Sex, Drugs, and TOYS!!!!

And sex toys?
I suppose, but I prefer to use living flesh and blood adult orifices as my sex toys.

As do I, although I once scratched up a girl so bad with my linoleum knife that her friends asked her if she got drunk and fell into a rose bush and tried to swim her way out the night before. All consensual of course.

Current occupation/Dream job:
Freelance artist. Dream Job. I don’t dream of jobs.. any jobs.. but I’d be happy to work in film/sfx.


What do you like to do when you’re not at work?
Watching movies and playing video games, toy collecting, etc.


What is your zombie outbreak survival plan?
I live near a harbor with small manmade island used for the oil industry/utilities. I’d swipe a boat and head for one of ‘em.


Weapon of choice:
A Baseball bat of course.


Do you have any special skills?
Creative thinker. I could invent all kinds of gadgets or come up with the “plan” man!


Did you go to college and, if so, what for?
Yes, advertising/illustration major.


Any pets? If so, what are they and what are their names?
Yes. Two boxers, Dozer and Wyatt.


What is your favorite animal?
My two boxers. So I guess the Boxer breed of canine.


Speaking of pets, any pet peeves?
Deceitful people. I hate LIARS!


Favorite/Least favorite Food:
Fav. Popcicles. Least fav: Raw onion.


What is your favorite quotation/motto/saying?
”You wanna get out of here? You talk to me!”-Mad Max
“Warriors, Come out to Plaaaayyy!- The Warriors


What is the best thing that ever happened to you?
My Spouse.


What is the worst thing that ever happened to you?
The unexpected death of my mother when I was 35.


Ever had your heart broken?
Probably when I was a teenager, like most naïve to the thrills and spills of the love game.


Ever broken someone’s heart?
Probably a few, never bothered to look back and ask. They are ex’s right? Fuck em. Who cares?
 
I can totally understand that, but I always feel bad if I leave someone in the lurch. I know what it’s like to feel more strongly about someone than they feel about you, so I always try to be as honest as possible from the get-go. It’s cost me a few decent opportunities to put parts of myself into parts of someone else, but it’s also spared me a lot of hassle since I always try to play fair and be honest.
True. I know it sounds mean. But I’m 43, been and been with the same person for nearly 13 years, I’m married. I just don’t think in those ways any longer. I mean if I concerned myself over every person who had a crush on me I’d be a basket case. I tend to attract needy, stalker types who leech onto me for a sense of purpose and meaning in their lives. Unfortunately lots of people want to be me and be with me for some reason. They don’t know the real me, or they wouldn’t be so quick to want my undivided attention and certainly if they knew any better would stay far away from my volatile and chaotic emotional state of being. I court CHAOS. I thrive in a hyper stressed and disorderly environment. I crave stimulation of any kind, good or bad, and I get bored easily and have tons of empathy, but very little sympathy, so, chances are if I broke anyone’s heart I did them a favor.


What is the best thing you’ve ever done?
I haven’t done it yet.


What is the worst thing you’ve ever done?
I plead the 5th. But I feel most guilty for the way I treated my mother at times out of anger and I can never say I’m sorry to a memory and its ghost.

Oh man! That’s a tough one. That’s why I try to always be nice to my mother even if she doesn’t “get” any of the stuff I’m into and she cried when she saw my ankh tattoo.

If you could kill one person, consequence free, who would it be?
Mary the mother of Jesus. As without her the blight of Christianity would never have been levied upon the world.

So you believe that Jesus was a real person and not a reincarnation/reimagining of the solar cult myth?
I do not discount that a human named Yeshua (jesus) may have walked this Earth. I doubt highly that he was of supernatural/divine origins any more than ALL beings are. I tend to gravitate toward the ascended master theory that there have been and will continue to be individuals born into this realm with a higher level of awareness of the divine nature of all things and an un corrupted level of psycho-spiritual consciousness. If nature can produce Genious than surely it can also produce “prophets” in other words beings capable of tapping into the higher levels of the Hypervers/Consciousness, able to re-call what they saw, felt, experienced while in those states and are able to convey them without their own ego’s or personal agendas filtering into them.


How did you get started doing what you do?
I have been drawing ever since I could pick up a crayon, it’s pretty much all I know how to do.


What is your advice to other people that want to get started doing what you do?
Rinse and repeat. Re-rinse, repeat again. Trial and error and try again and again.


What projects are you working on?
ADHD magazine, random pieces for exhibits and other artistic endeavors.

Tell me more about ADHD magazine. We’re Facebook friends and I see your updates in my News Feed but I’m still not sure what it is that you’re trying to accomplish or what your goals are for the magazine. This is your big chance to promote your project so promote god damn it!

Ok, well let’s see here… Firstly ADHD is synonymous with a short attention span. To me this is symptomatic of our fast paced society, social media, fast food, etc. Everyone has a short attention span nowadays. I wanted to create a ‘zine/comic/digest, that spoke to this generation as well as those who straddle the line between the slower paced/relaxed life view of the late 60’s and 70’s generation and the hi-speed ain’t got time for shit generation of now and tomorrow. Not everyone wants to read an article or interview. In fact if you take the YouTube model and revise it for print it would look a lot like ADHD, random 30 second clips of weird, meaningless shit that mean a lot to those looking for it and irritate those missing the point. ADHD is a place where I can bring together all the things I love in one place. Art, comix, satire, subversion, toys, etc. It’s like an already completed coloring book. All you need to do is open the pages and enjoy the “pretty colors”. No work needed. Of course it is far more than that, but I don’t expect most to look deep enough into it to uncover the actual messages and subversive thought process lurking within its false identity of purely vacuous/mindless drivel. In reality it is super intellectual, but, SHHHHH!!! Don’t tell anyone. I just want people to have fun, to recall the mags and spirit of the late 60’s and 70’s when underground art was dangerous, ugly, non-commercial. Mags like Mad, Crack’d, Heavy Metal, Famous Monsters as an example, subversive views covered in sugar and sprinkles. The era when Rat Fink, wacky packs, funny cars, tricked out vans with airbrushed murals of dragons and big titted ladies ruled the road and filled the news stands. ADHD is a revival of the spirit of ‘77, punk rock, stoners, star wars, happy days, Smurfs etc. ADHD is an evolving thing, where it will lead to who knows? But the ride will be worth the price of gas for those looking for an adventure, not a seminar. This I guarantee.

So what are you looking for as far as contributors to ADHD? And how does one go about submitting content for consideration?
Well, it’s hard to say, I know it when I see it, feel it. I know what I like and I seem to have a knack for discovering what others like or don’t know they like yet. Currently I produce the Zine by myself, I do all the graphics, layouts, spoof ads, activity pages etc, and while I am open to submissions I mostly scout the web, tap into my friends/peer group, or just stumble on things I think would work. Each Issue has a different theme. The first issue was basically an illustrator/comic artist theme with random shit thrown in to see if anyone was actually paying attention. I like to fuck with people, see if they’re still breathing ya know? The next issue should be out by Dec 21st and so being a winter release ADHD #2 will feature all black and white art, sketches, graphic art, photography etc. The basic vibe is “A Tribute to Contrast and Line”. I wanted this next issue to be different than all the rest of the “Let’s do Halloween and scary monsters” winter/fall themed stuff. I wanted to go a colder, stark, isolationist/depressive vibe, but still maintain a measure of humor and light heartedness at its core.
Those looking to submit can send anything they would like me to consider, art, photography, comics, funnies, activity pages, etc. The main thing is we are a VISUAL based Zine, so anything with too many words is likely to get passed over for a quick fix so to speak. To quote ADHD’s issue #2’s YouTube Celebrity showcase feature Sweet Brown, ”I Ain’t got time for dat!”


What are you watching?
American Dad, The Heart She Holler


What are you listening to?
AFI


What are you reading?
ADHD


Favorite author/book?
Slovenly Peter, Heinrich Hoffman.


Favorite band/song?
The Misfits. “She”


Least favorite band/song?
Creed. ANY.


Desert Island Music/Movies/Books: You know the deal. Five of each.
AFI “Sing The Sorrow”, Fleetwood Mac “Rumours”, Sex Pistols “Never Mind the Bollocks”, The Misfits “Legacy of Brutality”, Kiss “Destroyer”, Books, Slovenly Peter, Alice in Wonderland, Alice through the Looking Glass, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Willy Wonka and the Great Glass Elevator, James and the Giant Peach.


If you could do anything other than what you do now, what would you do?
Be an entertainer/actor/musician.


Who would you want to meet that you haven’t met?
Lady Gaga, Davey Havok, Johnny Weir, Tom Savini, Peter J. Carroll

You get three choices:
Alive. Davey Havok
Dead. Aleister Crowley
Fictional. Willy Wonka


What’s the best and worst job you’ve ever had?
Best-tattooist, Worst: order puller for thrifty drug stores main distribution warehouse.


Got any questions for me?
Any Regrets? “Regrets, Aye av ad a few, but then again, too few to menshun, Aye did what Aye ad ta do an saw it through witout exempshun. Aye planned each charted course, each careful step along thee bywaaayyyy, An more, much more dan dis, Aye did it F’N MY Waaaaaay!!!!!”-Sid Vicious, The Great Rock N Roll Swindle


Pitch parade: Give me all of your links for things you want to promote. All of them.
 www.adhd-magazine.com
Twitter @adhdzine
www.facebook.com/ADHDzine

About the Interviewee:
Self taught artist/painter, 20 year professional career (retired) tattooist, writer, publisher, occult icon. Multiplied personalities/identities, Chaosopher, Masonic lineage, punk rock prophet, Super Nerd, toy collector, Disney die hard, cartoon nut, popsicle/dark chocolate addict, loves Hormel Chili/Spaghettios with franks/ meatballs, only child/latch key kid, bona fide genious and idiot savant… Free thinker, fool, dream weaver, ALIEN HYBRID MAN CHILD.


About the Interviewer:
     Scott Lefebvre has probably read everything you've read and can write about whatever you want him to write about.
     Mostly because when he was grounded for his outlandish behavior as a hyperactive school child, the only place he was allowed to go was the public library.
     His literary tastes were forged by the works of Helen Hoke, Alvin Schwartz and Stephen Gammell, Ray Bradbury, Richard Matheson, Stephen King, Clive Barker, Edgar Allan Poe, and H. P. Lovecraft.
     He is the author of Spooky Creepy Long Island and a contributing author to Forrest J. Ackerman’s Anthology of the Living Dead, Fracas: A Collection of Short Friction, The Call of Lovecraft, and Cashiers du Cinemart.
     His reviews have been published by a variety of in print and online media including Scars Magazine, Icons of Fright, Fatally Yours and Scream of Terror, and he has appeared in Fangoria, Rue Morgue and HorrorHound Magazine.
     He is the Assistant Program Director for The Arkham Film Society and produces Electronic Music under the names Master Control and LOVECRAFTWORK.
     He is currently working on a novel-length expansion of a short-story titled, "The End Of The World Is Nigh", a crowd-funded, crowd-sourced, post-apocalyptic, zombie epidemic project.
     You can check out the blog for the book here:
     You can check out the Facebook Fan Page for the project here:
     You can check his author profile at:
     You can follow him at GoodReads here:
     You can check out his electronic music here: https://soundcloud.com/master_control
     You can check out his videos at: http://www.youtube.com/user/doctornapoleon
     You can check out his IMDB profile here: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3678959/
     You can follow his Twitter here: https://twitter.com/TheLefebvre
     You can follow his Tumblr here: http://thelefebvre.tumblr.com/
     You can check out his Etsy here: http://www.etsy.com/people/arkhamscreenings
     You can join the group for The Arkham Film Society here:
     You can stalk his Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/TheLefebvre
     You can contact him at: Scott_Lefebvre@hotmail.com

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