If you haven't already had the pleasure of being acquainted with ZuZu, you're in for a treat. We could blather on about what a great sense of humour she has, or how wonderful every single project she commits herself to is, but why? There's more than ample evidence of all of this below, and if you're still skeptical you can always see for yourself at one of her many websites mentioned.
Aren't we a little low on images of this Devilish dame? Yes, actually. It seems that we came across a bit of trouble regarding some of her photographs and weren't able to get them in time to add to the interview quite yet. For now, enjoy what's available. More should be added shortly.
With that said, let's get on with the interview, shall we?
Charming Devil: You're an incredibly busy woman. Why don't you introduce yourself to the readers by acquainting them with the multitude of projects that you are involved with?
ZuZu: Oh, no fair! Ok, here goes.
I own Devil Dollz (ornamentation, altar items, decor, t-shirts) and Ol' Black Magic (50s lingerie). They're both on the diaboli.com site, which I co-own with Kevin Slaughter. In case you're into trivia, "diaboli" means "two demons". We didn't find that out until after we'd registered it, but it's perfect, really.
I also own and run DangerMedia Guild (dangermedia.org), which is an international collective of writers, artists, musicians and technicians. It's not specifically Satanic, though some of the members are. The site is like a bunch of different zines in one place, and our members are quite talented.
I do a radio show on Radio Free Satan (radiofreesatan.com) called Swamp Fire! (swampfire.diaboli.com) To my surprise, it's rated pretty high so far. I play a completely eclectic mix from Martin Denny to Danzig, Esquivel to Black Widow, Eartha Kitt to David Bowie, and it seems to work well. I have a lot of fun with it, anyway.
I own DangerMedia webhosting and design. I haven't put much into the hosting lately, as we're getting a new dedicated server in a month, where we'll host sites with no restrictions on content. I'm sick of rules. Damn the man! (Ok, maybe not.)
I'm also developing a distribution company with a UK business called Toxico called Toxic Media. We plan to distribute things from independent US manufacturers like zines, music and clothing. We're just starting, but we've got some exciting companies signed up with us already. If anyone's interested in peddling your wares in the UK, let me know.
I represent two infernal artists for the UK and Europe. Sexpressionist painter and delightfully mad Rev. Steven Leyba from San Francisco, and an up and coming artist from Australia, Elvi A. Howel. You can see Rev. Leyba's work at http://satanicapache.dangermedia.com/ (he's got a book coming out on Last Gasp soon!) and Elvi's DMG gallery is at http://dangermedia.org/elvi, which also contains a link to his official site.
CD: How did you first get involved with your co-conspirator, Kevin Slaughter?
ZuZu: I met Kevin when he emailed me long ago. I'd posted on a list owned by
Master Canino of the Mephisto Grotto that I was opening a Satanic store
online (Devil Dollz, which was then called Devil's Rain after the
Shatner/Borgnine movie...a classic!). Kevin had one, too, the Den of
Iniquity. He'd planned to buy jewelry and t-shirts and such, but had started
with books and CDs. I'd started the opposite way, so he thought we could
work together. He was right. He's the most reliable, incredible ally I could
hope to have, and I'm honored to have him as a friend. Despite a couple of
near misses, we've never met face to face, but that should be remedied soon.
I've "known" him for...wow, over a year now!
CD: With "Ol' Black Magic" you recently began offering some incredible,
top of the line lingerie. This is a welcome change from the usual fare
directed at Satanists. What has the response been to these items so far?
ZuZu: The response has been shocking. I don't mean that in a good way. It's
horribly slow, but I have to say that it doesn't really surprise me. I guess
our witches aren't as interested in the really high end stuff as I thought
they were. I've put stockings on sale now, but the only sales have been to
non-Satanists. Frustrating, but business equals risk.
CD: When you aren't being the busiest Satanic witch on the internet, what
do you like to do? How do you relax? What do you do for a good time?
I relax by listening to music, which I have to do for at least a few hours a day or I feel...off. I also watch an inordinate number of films and read really strange books. But I have to be honest, I don't have time to enjoy myself without working. Fortunately, I like working, quite a lot. I should add that I also love to go to the pub and have a few drinks, and going to see bands, but I've missed the last three bands I wanted to see because I had one deadline or another to make.
CD: How did you first become involved in Satanism?
ZuZu: 12 years ago, I read the Satanic Bible. I was pleasantly surprised to see
such a parallel with my way of thinking. I always thought I was such an
anomaly for thinking that way, particularly being that my family were
Catholic. Or so I thought. (More on that later.) I didn't send in the $100
right away, but I considered myself a Satanist. When I finally "came out", I
was fortunate enough to meet a good number of members that are fiercely
intelligent and inspiring. It's nice to be around people that can argue with
you viciously one minute, and be really supportive the next. Because most
Satanists (not all, I hasten to add) are solid people, we're allowed to
speak our minds and disagree without harming the fundamental kinship
beneath.
ZuZu: I have a thinly veiled obsession with all things glamourous, and go to great
lengths to get fabulous gear. I genuinely like nearly all forms of music
from the obscure to a couple of songs on the charts (you can tell I've got
eclectic taste from the playlist on Swamp Fire! alone, and that doesn't
scratch the surface). I'm not afraid of popular culture. If I like it, I
like it, whether it's underground and "cool" or silly and "pop". Oh, and
about the "or so I thought" statement above, it turns out that most of my
family are witches and such. A lot of gypsy mysterious stuff going on there.
Ok, I'm bored talking about the inner ZuZu. Next!
CD: You always seem to be adding new projects to your list of self-imposed duties. What can we expect next?
ZuZu: Expect a Satanic calendar featuring the work of Satanic artists (get in
touch if you are one), as well as another Slaughter/Cypher collaboration,
Atrocifixion... it'll be a Satanic zine with a full colour cover and a sense
of humour. There will also be a print zine for DangerMedia before the end of
the year. We'll be giving away 300 meg of space for a year when it's
released, and it's a fundraiser, so keep your eyes peeled. Anybody that
wants to get involved in any of the stuff I have going on, drop me an email
at zuzu@diaboli.com. Special hint: If you can't spell, type in all caps, or
generally behave like an ass, don't expect anything but a prime spot in the
"deleted items" folder.
I'll leave you with a final thought. Go rent Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, watch it with your full attention and try to be as fabulous as Wonka. "We are the music makers. And we are the dreamers of dreams." Hail Wonka! Hail Satan!
