mens fashion daniel ash doc hammer - Auxiliary Magazine

catching up with 

daniel ash 

the gospel according to 

doc hammer 

mens fashion 

style . insight . inspiration 

AUXILIARY october 2009

editor s letter 

Halloween, how could we resist? Fall is defiantly here and Halloween merchandise 

is flooding into stores. I’m a giddy little kid looking at all the spooky useless items 

I could buy but on the other hand, gagging at some of the tackiness that comes with 

any commercial holiday (though some tackiness is good… it’s a fine line). So appropriate 

to the season, we had to indulge and include some fun Halloween themed 

articles and features. Though we were sure to include plenty of other content. We 

have an amazing interview with Doc Hammer. He was able to fit in time for us between 

voice recording and editing sessions for the upcoming season of The Venture 

Brothers and we’ve been working non-stop to pull it together in the eleventh hour, 

with a last minute late night photoshoot in his studio in New York City and our own 

late night editing sessions. Along with discussion of his many projects, the interview 

includes some insight on men’s fashion. This fit very nicely into our October issue, 

as this issue features our first full-on men’s fashion editorial. Like always, thank you 

for reading and hope you enjoy! The issue is done and we’re off to our launch party 

in Albany! 

Sincerely, Jennifer Link 

contributors 

Staff 

Editor in Chief 

Jennifer Link 

Fashion Editor 

Meagan Breen 

Music Editor 

Mike Kieffer 

Associate Editor 

Luke Copping 

Copy Editor 

Jenny Santomauro 

www.auxiliarymagazine.com 

email : info@auxiliarymagazine.com 

issue 6 : october 2009 

ISSN 1948-9676 

‘ 

No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic 

or mechanical, without the permission in writting from the publisher, except small 

excerpts for review purposes. Submitted work, reviews, ads, and photographs are 

copyrighted by their respective owners and fall under previous declaration. Copyright 

Auxiliary Magazine 2009. 

AUXILIARY october 2009 

2 

mission statement 

Auxiliary Magazine. Auxiliary = alternative, supplementary, to provide what is 

missing, to give support. 

We have always had a love for the dark, the different, the unique, the creative. But 

from all sides we’ve heard what we love is on it’s way out, is suffering, is dying, 

is dead. Today an alternative aesthetic is seen more than ever. Yet the core, the 

base, the scene (gasp!); everyone is telling us is in a sad state. Reality is what you 

make it. 

Our goal is to provide high quality fashion editorials, photographs, and articles; 

unique reviews and insights on the best music out there; and to create discussion 

and passion about alternative lifestyles. There is a lot of amazing and creative stuff 

happening. We hope to find it, highlight it, and encourage it to grow. 

And that is why we’ve created Auxiliary Magazine; an online magazine dedicated 

to fashion, music, and lifestyle with a darker aesthetic. There are no other boundaries 

than that. That is the strong point of alternative culture; and we hope to include 

it all. 

And that is a lot of ground to cover. So contribute! Send us your fashion, your music, 

your events, your opinions, your projects, your ideas. This magazine isn’t for a 

select few, we don’t know it all, this magazine is for you and what we all love. 

Contributors 

Aaron Andrews 

Meagan Breen 

Jim Cole 

W. Edward Cook 

Luke Copping 

Rachel Haywire 

Mike Kieffer 

Vanity Kills 

Jennifer Link 

Rachel Mazurek 

Paul Morin 

Darren M. Orlowski 

Numi Prasarn 

Sally Reardon 

Edwin Somnambulist 

Graphic Design 

Logo Design 

Melanie Beitel 

Layout Design 

Jennifer Link 

Kristen Szramkowski 

Luke Copping 

Photographs / Illustrations 

Photographers 

Jennifer Link www.jennifer-link.com 

Luke Copping www.lukecopping.com 

Omar Robinson 

Steve Prue www.teamrockstarimages.com 

Ron Douglas www.photo.mediafall.com 

Illustrations on 19, 25, and 36 

Maki Naro www.page8productions.com 

Photographs on 21 

Steve Prue www.teamrockstarimages.com 

Photographs on 22 and 23 

Robert Massey 

Photograph on 31 

Chris Jensen 

Photograph on 36 

Lee Henderson 

Photographs on 42 and 43 

Jennifer Link 

contents 

beauty 

6 beauty still remains 

12 fatal femmes 

hollywood inspired glamour for halloween 

18 update 

the 60s mod 

19 shriek chic 

beauty picks for halloween 

editorial 

20 rpg : reality plus geeking 

media 

21 gotham’s last stand 

the art, community, and culture of 

Last Rites Gallery 

22 13 days of desolation 

behind Desolation Wilderness 

24 film primer : 

unusual children’s films 

lifestyle 

25 my life as a goth girl 

26 the PinUp 

SharonTK in New York Couture 

3 

on the cover 

daniel ash : 30 

doc hammer : 37 

mens fashion : 40 

Photographer : Jennifer Link 

Makeup : Designs by LJ 

Hair : Marlo Marquise 

Model : Marlo Marquise 

37 Doc Hammer 

an interview with one of the minds 

behind The Venture Brothers 

music 

30 Daniel Ash 

32 music reviews 

16Volt, Clan of Xymox, The Orb, A Place 

To Bury Strangers, and more 

35 guest music review 


35 quick picks 

36 DJ tracks : Edwin Somnambulist 

36 mix tape : halloween inspired 

fashion 

38 style 

alternatives to the halloween costume 

40 boys be ambitious 

looks that will have you ruling the night 

44 hardware 

accessories boasting a harder edge 

59 where to buy 

october 2009 AUXILIARY

eauty still remains 

photographer Luke Copping 

makeup artist Rachel Mazurek 

hair stylist Erin Moser 

nails Vanity Salon 

styling consultant Meagan Breen 

models Helena Merditaj, Nichole M, and Rachel Green 

assistants Cris Puccia and Mollie Riester 

specimens provided by Dave Butler, Will Hall, 

Derek Hendrickson, and Mikael Niklas october 2009 AUXILIARY





Fatal Femmes 

Hollywood inspired glamour for a classic Halloween 

photographer Jennifer Link 

makeup artist Designs by LJ 

hair stylist Marlo Marquise 

models Marlo Marquise and Kess M 

AUXILIARY october 2009 october 2009 AUXILIARY

AUXILIARY august october 2009 october 2009 AUXILIARY


update 

making the old new again 

The mod look of the 60s was a mutable yet influential style. The mods were originally a working class, 

fashion-conscious group arising in England during the late 50s and 60s. In terms of women’s fashion, the 

look combined androgynous elements with a self-conscious, well-edited sense of style. Menswear was 

often adapted to the female form and a uniquely simple but memorable makeup style was created. The mod 

style is being rediscovered as an elegant, fun look that is adaptable to contemporary fashion. It can be 

worn day to day if slightly toned down or the volume can be turned all the way up for social 

events or more creative applications. This is not a style to be afraid of, and it is 

about time it made its way back into the world of fashion. 

hair 

For a mod look, hair should be simple but deceptively well 

crafted. Overall mod style tends to go one of two ways. The 

first being a chin length (or longer) very straight hairstyle, 

and the other being a very short hairstyle like the classic 

look donned by Twiggy. The trick to keeping a mod 

look modern is to keep it from being too severe. If 

going for the longer look, make sure it is well crafted 

and glossy. If picking the shorter look then add 

some texture to keep the style from being overly 

masculine. The lines of either style should be sharp 

and clean but should still flatter and frame the face 

well. The main concerns are shine and texture. A 

good setting spray and a shine product will greatly 

aid you in achieving this look. 

eyes 

Two words should define your eye application: 

simple and intense. The bright colors of the 60s 

mod look can be updated with modern pigments 

and products. Stick to one tone for the eyes and 

make sure it is bright and defined. Good palette 

choices are yellows, warm rust colors, and deep, 

almost metallic greens. The rest of the look 

should be about defining your shape with careful 

application of brightening whites and defining 

blacks. In contrast to the classic full bottom lash 

popular in 60s mod style, we have decided to soften 

the lash but anchor the lower eye with both a bright 

white and a strong line of black. A soft shimmery 

white or cream tone blended up into the brow line 

balances out the strong lower eye. A good lengthbuilding 

mascara or set of nice false lashes will finish 

this look off well. It is important to use an easy-to-control, 

well-pigmented product for this look. For our updated mod 

look, we used Yaby and Makeup Forever cosmetics. 

lips To keep this look sharp and current, balance is very important. 

Since the style calls for very sharp and dramatic eyes, consider 

going with a simple nude or lightly tinted gloss. Subtle tones 

for the lips will compliment the shine of the hair while at 

the same time providing a softer component to this style. 

MAC makes a great line of wearable tinted glosses. 


BEAUTY 

author Rachel Mazurek 

photographer Luke Copping 

makeup artist Rachel Mazurek 

hair stylist Kristin Draudt 

model Lydia Dominick 

assistants Cris Puccia and Mollie Riester 

Shriek Chic by Vanity Kills 

Stop me if you’ve heard this before in the October edition of *insert name of generic 

beauty blog or fashion magazine here*: “Bewitching black nails bring all the boys 

to the yard.” Or, “bring out your inner rocker grrl with sultry smoky eyes.” Or, 

“punk up your pout with richly decadent wine lipstick,” alongside other generic goth 

beauty how-to’s you had mastered in your sleep about six years go. I, Vanity Kills, 

henceforth declare a moratorium on: Halloween homage to Kat Von D, complete 

with lopsided liquid eyeliner stars drawn on one’s face; proclamations that wearing 

$2.99 Wet N’Wild silver foil eyelashes still makes one “edgy” in 2009; and sketchy, 

allegedly pumpkin-pie-flavored waxy lip gunk that haunts the aisles of the local Rite 

Aid come every autumn. Instead, I humbly offer a fall beauty cheat sheet aimed at 

ladies who never bought a bagged Party City costume labeled “Corpse Cutie” or 

“Pretty in Punk”. 

EYES candy corn sweetie 

Eyeshadow - Miss-X Cosmetics . Limecrime . MAC 

available at surgeon-x.com, limecrimemakeup.com, maccosmetics.com . $12-17 

Sample the saccharine flavors of seasonal sweets, minus the pesky side effect of falling 

into a diabetic coma, with tri-colored candy-corn-inspired eye shadow. Grab an 

eye shadow brush with a tapered edge and wet it a little. Dip your dampened brush 

into a bright tangerine pigment (try Orange Rolls Angel’s Spit by Miss X Aesthetic 

Industries) and gently tap, DO NOT SWIPE, the pigment across the outer 1/3 portion 

of your eyelid from lashline to crease. Clean your brush. Using the same technique, 

add some lemon yellow pigment (I recommend Lime Crime Magic Dust in Circus 

Girl) onto the middle 1/3 portion of your eyelid, from lashline to crease. Blend it into 

the tangerine pigment using a blending brush to ensure a smooth transition. Finally, 

with the help of a small fluffy brush, sweep frosty white eye shadow (such as MAC 

Cosmetics Eye Shadow in White Frost) onto the inner 1/3 portion of your lid, from 

lashline to crease. Blend into the lemon yellow pigment with a clean blending brush 

to prevent harsh lines. 

LIPS fashionable vamp 

Twilight Venom - DuWop 

available at www.sephora.com . $16 

I’ve remained blissfully disconnected from the mass hysteria generally associated 

with Twilight, True Blood, and other assorted tards-with-fangs franchises. Despite 

the fact that my best friend starts off most of her sentences with “OH MY GAWD, 

guess what RPattz did today?” I’m pretty clueless about keeping up with the Cullens. 

Quite frankly, I like it that way. Alas, the masochist in me enjoys the cinnamon-y 

goodness of DuWop’s original Lip Venom stung lips. While I continue being wholly 

unaffected with the gimmicky “Team Edward” nature of DuWop Twilight Venom, 

the medical fetishist gore-whore in me rejoiced at the thought of pulling out a tube 

of lip plumper, which closely resembles a blood vial, out of the depths of my purse. 

According to the press release, this ruby red stain “captures the blood red lips sported 

by fashionable vampires”, “Twilight Venom can let you play the part!” While I don’t 

see myself frequenting local Twilight LARP sessions anytime soon, I’m more than 

down with the idea of lips that appear to be freshly bitten in that hot post-makeoutwith-a-hot-industrial-boy 

kind of way. I’ll take that over the cold, clammy flesh of 

an emo vampire any day. But I get to keep the Lip Venom! 

19 

BEAUTY 

PERFUME macabre maven 

Funeral Home - Demeter Fragrance Library 

available at www.demeterfragrance.com . $6-39.50 

Question: What is the perfect accompaniment to your couture evening gown inspired 

by Morticia Addams that you just blew three months rent on? Answer: Demeter 

Fragrance Library Cologne in Funeral Home, naturally. A spellbinding scent crafted 

with the discerning tastes of the macabre maven who doesn’t just wish to live in 

a funeral parlor, but smell like one too. The faint of heart need not fret. Funeral 

Home’s fragrance notes consist of lilies, carnations, gladiolus, chrysanthemums with 

stems and leaves, with a hint of mahogany and oriental carpet. Notice how “partially 

decomposed cadaver” was omitted from the above list. 

NAILS monster bride 

Nail Varnish - Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics . Illamasqua 

available at www.occmakeup.com and www.sephora.com . $8-14 

For a fiendishly fashionable alternative to clichéd black nail varnish, look no further 

than toxic green and bruise-purple psychobilly-inspired polish. Apply two coats of 

a gutsy green shade like Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Nail Lacquer in Wasabi 

alongside a poisonously pretty purple Illamasqua Nail Varnish in Baptiste on alternating 

fingernails. Seal with a topcoat. Proceed to revel in your glorious mad scientist 

concocted monster bride manicure unfit for mild mannered mortals. 

Remember kids: In today’s sinking ship of an economy, November 1st’s “All Halloween 

Stock Must Go” 50% off sales can seem like a steal. Avoid the temptation of 

seemingly savvy shopping, by reminding yourself that a train case full of discounted 

oil-slick-in-a-tube crap that passes for “black lipstick” is less “haute” and more “Hot 

Topic”. Save your pennies for MAC’s Style Black instead. Your dignity will thank 

you later. 


Role Playing Games (RPGs) are popularly thought of as escapist fantasy used by 

those, in most cases socially awkward tweens or teens, who shy away from reality. 

The images popularized by movies, sitcoms, and certain infamous Saturday Night 

Live parodies have made participating in role playing games tantamount to social suicide: 

a wound on the soul that can only be balmed by use of a +3/+3 rod of healing. 

For the purposes of this editorial, I’m speaking about role-playing games. Though, 

it must be said, role-playing itself is a gold mine for fascinating wordsmithing (roleplaying 

in the bedroom being only a portion of what could be discussed). RPG’s are 

generally thought of as beginning in their present form in 1974 when Gary Gygax and 

Dave Arneson published Dungeons & Dragons (the alpha and omega of all geekitude). 

To play the game, a group of friends would get together and act out a loosely 

sketched story written by one person, with the others populating that story as characters 

via improvisation. This brings me to the real point of this article: role-playing 

games as a social experience. 

So, RPG’s (with the exception of solitary role playing video games) are a social activity. 

It brings people together for the sake of entertainment. While it is almost always 

fantastic to some degree (as it should be…a role playing game where you sit down at 

H&R Block to pay your taxes would be the saddest thing imaginable), these games 

are one of the most creative forms of entertainment one can engage in with others. 

My personal experience has incorporated many months of Sundays spent imagining 

myself with friends in a dangerous and exciting world. A world populated by monsters 

and saints, gods and devils, artists and cranks, poets and liars; all the flavors of 

humanity. It took us away from the excruciating grind of a 9-5 job for a while and 

gave us a reason to spend time with each other over homemade chili, tequila, and 

late-night pizza. 

Perhaps the time that emphasizes most the tie to story-telling over a camp fire was 

years ago in Buffalo during the “October Storm,” which was in itself akin to a role 

playing game set in a post-apocalyptic future; power was out in many parts of the 

city for almost a week, and what was once a casual 20 minute stroll became an hour 

long trek through debris-strewn city streets full to bursting with downed tree limbs 

and broken bits of urban lawn ornamentation. Those of us from our group who were 

able to overcome the city’s paralysis made it over to the usual spot and continued our 

weekly sacrament to the gods of nerd over candlelight. As the afternoon faded to 

dim twilight, the atmosphere took us back to a time when there was no TV or board 

games for entertainment, just friends and a warm fire to while away the night. 

EDITORIAL 

RPG reality plus geeking 

We think it is important that alternative culture 

has a voice on important and current topics. 

Let us know what you think! 

by W. Edward Cook and Jim Cole 

Anyway, those days have been gone for over a hundred years or so. Only our eldest 

grandparents or great-grandparents can remember a time when you were often 

expected to have a story to tell or a handy supply of riddles when passing the time. 

Today we can turn on the TV and lull our minds into sophomoric stupefaction, entertainment 

being at the touch of a button. But it must not be forgotten that story telling 

and role-playing were the soil that modern entertainment grew from. 

In my opinion, the worst thing you can really say about role-playing is that it’s too 

good. And I mean that literally; when done well RPGs can be addictive. When faced 

with a job that I hated years ago, I would spend hours at work daydreaming about the 

hydra-headed plans my character and the rest of the group were scheming in order to 

further their goals (or more frequently just survive till next Sunday), and the powers/ 

abilities I wanted my character to gain so he could be just a little more badass. This 

can be a little disconcerting, because at times I would have to remind myself that no 

matter how cool my character became, I still had a crappy job. RPGs tend to steal 

away our considerations for the everyday because their most mundane tasks make 

real life’s day-to-day monotony wither when faced with unbridled numinosity. For 

instance: it’s hard to remember to pack yourself a lunch for the day when you are 

trying to figure out how to get your army’s camp followers to stop murdering the 

soldiers mid-coitus, while maintain a double-time march in a frozen wasteland while 

also on a personal crusade to slay a dragon who can not only tear you in half, but 

drain the life out of your body just by breathing on you. 

All that time spent in your head trying to think through weird little situations that 

most people just never bump up against is what really contributes to the anti-social 

image. The cure for that ailment? Greek philosophy: all things in moderation. (All 

things? That seems excessive…) As long as we remember that the “G” in RPG 

stands for game, we should be able to avoid having them take over our lives, and they 

can remain the brain-tearingly awesome form of entertainment that they are. As it 

may make the old cranium tingle when thinking about dragon-slaying and maidenrescuing, 

you’re still going to have to find a lunch to eat at 12:00. But the crux of it is, 

it’s a valid and empowering escape for the social and the creative. 

So the next time you hear someone mention that they play Vampire: The Masquerade 

or old school DnD, keep in mind that it means they’re the sort of person that likes 

to keep their entertainment creative and imaginative, and it’s people like them that 

kept stories alive when it got dark outside and there was just you, your friends, and 

the fire. 

Our editorial section is for your opinions. 

email : editorial@auxiliarymagazine.com 

Gotham’s Last Stand : 

Nestled on the fringes of midtown Manhattan, some blocks past Penn Station and 

steps before the roaring Lincoln Tunnel, there is a humble building on the edge of 

33rd Street. From the outside, one could mistake it for any industrial space, loft, or 

office, unassuming in its slate-gray exterior and cavernous painted walls. However, 

the curious wanderer will find untold treasures if he ventures up the booming elevator, 

to the third floor, and into a space that belies all that surrounds it... 

Stepping into the Last Rites Gallery is akin to a drop of water in the cultural drought 

of Manhattan. Inside rich reds bathe the visitor; scented smoke pervades the space, 

and candles suffocating in their own wine-colored wax burn all around. An imposing 

gate marks off the tattoo studio. Sinister meat hooks loom overhead. The visitor 

enters into an era where fantasy and history weave together, where iron, blood, and 

force may have forged the strongholds of nefarious monarchs. Even so, touches of 

humor and a tongue-in-cheek sentiment permeate the space, even the imposing gate 

bears a plate declaring, “Thou shall not whine”. Nearby a well-lit and starkly modern 

art gallery contrasts the Dionysian vision of the reception room. Rich reds give way 

to simple lighting that highlights the gallery’s current exhibition. Far from appearing 

disjointed, the paintings echo the mood of the reception room and studios. 

Despite its impressive ambience, Last Rights would be just another gallery, bar or 

nightclub with a “gimmick” if not for the people that run it, contribute to it, and 

frequent it. Visit during one of their crowded opening night receptions. You’ll notice 

that something more difficult to maintain than ambiance is going on: true collaborative 

work in progress. All night, multiple artists are seen making their mark 

on a common canvas, the painting slowly taking shape throughout the course of the 

evening. Meanwhile, an unusual combination of attendees mingle: fans of Booth’s 

work, curious residents and passersby, people attending for the first, second, tenth 

opening and beyond. They are here for many reasons: as fans of the current exhibitors, 

to socialize, to imbibe the free flowing conversation and alcohol, to take in the 

entirety of Last Rites Gallery. 

The September 12th opening of Last Rites marked my second visit to the gallery and 

my first experience with featured artists Scott G. Brooks (Domestic Terror) and Jeff 

AUXILIARY october 2009 20 

21 

MEDIA 

the art, community, and culture of Last Rites Gallery 

gallery attendees at show opening 

By Sally Reardon 

McMillan (Pepto Dismal). True to Last Rites’ mission statement, the art featured 

dark, surreal and fantastical visions rendered in a highly detailed way. As before, Last 

Rites continues to focus on art that is representational/symbolic as well as more realistically 

rendered than not. While Jeff McMillan’s work may have featured converging 

skulls and symbols of corporate America (“Another Event in Progress,” “Zuben’s 

Memorial Barbeque”) each image was exquisitely conveyed, allowing the viewer to 

take in the message as well as the carefully-honed technique evident in each work. 

The aptly-named Pepto Dismal showing left me with a vague feeling of queasiness 

as I acknowledged how ubiquitous mega-corporate culture and corporate logos have 

become in America, bringing as much in the way of “progress” as serious ethical concerns. 

Domestic Terror represents the comparatively lighter end of the spectrum—at 

least at first glance. Where Pepto Dismal is all asphyxiated cheeks and lips, Scott G. 

Brooks’ Domestic Terror bounds forth in a twisted carnival of color, vibrancy, blank 

gazes, and juxtaposed imagery. Central to Brooks’ otherwise-diverse subject matter 

is the juxtaposition of the innocent and the unnerving, whether it is the apocalyptic 

carnival of amputees (“Battle for Thorazine”) or the freak show-esque family portrait 

(“In a Family Way”). If the somber colors and foreboding skulls of Pepto Dismal are 

giant omens, then “Domestic Terror” is the silent assassin, luring me in with whimsical 

themes and shaking me to consciousness with disquieting details. 

Last Rites is much like the space it resides in; art, community, and innovation converge 

in a gallery that embraces transience and the dark as much as the light and the 

idealized. One visit to the gallery assured me of its unique point of view and the 

important work being done here. The second visit, however, cemented my understanding 

that the core of Last Rites is community, not a flash-in-the-pan foray into 

public interest in “edgy” or pop-culture art. For some, the critical, stylized, and 

even grim outlook of dark art may appear to be a fad, defined only by the contrast of 

the commercialized images that permeates daily life. Others will relish tracking the 

evolution of new art communities; these places where niche creators digest, interpret 

and ultimately redefine the line between fine art and art unapologetically announces 

a perspective, no topic too taboo to be discussed. This is the art that will shape the 

future; this is Last Rites Gallery. 

[from left to right] Paul Booth, Scott G. Brooks, 

Jeff McMillan, Andrew Michael Ford 


13 

by Darren M. Orlowski 

days 

What follows are my experiences on the set of an independent film, Desolation Wilderness. 

First off, let me say that when I started writing this, I figured that some 

stories about four guys spending a week and a half in the wilderness filming a movie 

had to be exciting. Once I started putting these stories on paper, I realized it’s all not 

so exciting. Don’t get me wrong I love my job as a sound guy. But watching an actor 

say “You’re not” 40 different ways just isn’t thrilling. Perhaps if my writing skills 

measured up to Bukowski or Thompson, I could make day-to-day life on the film set 

interesting. But trust me, the skills I share with those two are definitely not writing. 

Let me give you the exciting and not-so-exciting highlights of what happened on our 

13 day excursion and shed some light on the world of no budget/low-budget films. 

Unless you’re either a part of the filmmaking machine or a massive film buff, you 

will never see most no-budget or low-budget films. However, you will, every once 

in a while, hear the success stories. Basically, low-budget encompasses everything 

up to roughly three million dollars. People like to use phrases like no-budget, micro-budget, 

and shoestring-budget to label films on the lower tier of the low-budget 

spectrum. 

Up until a few years ago, the only low-budget film I can remember knowingly seeing 

was Clerks, a small film about a guy who worked at a convenience store that was shot 

for under thirty grand and launched Kevin Smith’s career. Other low-budget success 

stories include Robert Rodriguez, who started with El Mirachi and went on to do 

many films including Once Upon a Time in Mexico, and Sam Raimi, whose first film 

The Evil Dead became a cult classic and who later went on to direct the first three 

Spiderman movies. 

Success stories are few and far. And it is amazing how many of these no budget/ 

low-budget films are being shot every day. Filmmakers primarily make these films 

to submit them to major independent film festivals like Sundance in hopes of attracting 

the attention of studio execs for either a distribution contract or recognition of the 

following bold statement: “I did this for this small amount of money, imagine what I 

could do with a bigger budget!!” 

I was recently asked to do production sound on a film titled Desolation Wilderness. 

It’s a feature length piece that was shot over 13 days in Illinois and Wisconsin. The 

of desolation 

MEDIA 

behind the scenes of a 

shoestring-budget film 

majority of the $7,000 budget mainly went to the Canon EOS 5D Mark II Camera. 

The Canon EOS 5D Mark II is a sharp looking camera for its price. Usually thought 

of as a still camera, the 5D has a large sensor area that allows the video to be recorded 

with a shallow depth of field and gives it a “film look”. This is the second feature in 

a row that I have worked on that used this camera. The rest of the budget went for 

food, a couple of plane tickets, and a very small amount of sound gear. Either calling 

in favors or promising people points on the back end financed the rest of the film. 

“Points on the back end” and “deferred payment” are ways of saying: “We can’t 

pay you right now, but if this film goes big we’ll pay you later.” Accepting gigs on 

this type of payment is always a gamble, especially if you don’t know the people 

involved. I took the job because I knew the main guy involved, Derek, was a good 

guy, and he also promised to feed me while I was working. Since work was slow in 

L.A., the offering of food made this project very attractive. 

The main crew of this project included four guys. Besides myself, heading the massive 

sound department of one, there was also Derek Mungor and Robert Massey, who 

wrote/directed/produced/starred and filled any other role that needed filling. Ralph 

Jimenez was brought in, also from L.A., for duties as director of photography and 

camera operator. 

“the crew” clockwise from top left 

Ralph, Derek, Darren, and Robby 

We didn’t have a lot of gear to move around. My sound equipment fit in to a small 

suitcase. The camera and accessories were pretty minimal, and there were only a few 

lights since we planned to use natural lighting. Basically, we could fit everything into 

the back of a pickup truck. 

In an age where everything and everyone is perfectly lit no matter what the situation, 

there is something to be said for a film using natural light. First off, it’s cheaper. 

You don’t need the crew and everything else that goes with large lighting packages. 

Secondly, it gives the film a darker, grittier look. The thick shadows give a hint of 

lurking doom around every corner. Desolation Wilderness wasn’t shot 100% with 

natural light, but lighting was used very sparingly. Derek and Robby are big fans of 

Stanly Kubrick and David Lynch, and their influence is evident throughout the film. 

Two Lane Black Top, an existential road movie from the early 70s, also influenced the 

style of a lot of the car scenes. 

The first location was a gas station pretty close to the Midway airport and was shot 

without proper authorization. The plan was to hop out of the car, setup, and film a 

couple scenes as fast as possible before any one could figure out what we were doing. 

We were hassled by the owner after a bit, but somehow Derek convinced him 

we were just filming the pay phone and he left us alone. With the gas station scene 

complete, we drove two hours to a grocery store to film for a few more hours. We 

finished the day by arriving at Derek’s parents’ house in the Walnut, Illinois. 

The most intricate scene of the movie was shot on day two. It involved an overturned 

car complete with screaming victim, eight volunteer fire fighters, a few fire trucks, 

and a police officer. Since he is from a small town of 1,500, Derek talked the local 

police and fire crew into helping with the scene for free. 

The shot is basically this: the two characters are driving at night and pull up to the accident; 

an officer leans in and they talk for a second; the characters then drive past the 

accident as the victim is being rescued. We shot it in that order, filming first inside the 

car as it pulls up to the officer. This took about four takes before everyone was happy. 

Then, we laid track down alongside the overturned car so the camera could smoothly 

glide by as the victim was being rescued, to give the impression of a car driving by. 

After two takes, the directors pulled the track farther back for a wider shot of the 

firefighters smashing windows and tearing into the car. The last shot of the scene 

involved the camera being mounted to the front passenger side of the characters’ car 

AUXILIARY october 2009 22 23 

MEDIA 

pointing down the side towards the trunk of the car. This was done so that when the 

characters drove past the accident, it would slowly fade in the distance. All in all, this 

scene took us close to three hours to shoot. 

After that, we headed north to Rhinelander, Wisconsin, where the rest of the filming 

took place. With the difficult shots behind us, the rest of the filming went smoothly. 

We spent the downtime watching movies like The Shinning and The Thing, great 

flicks when you’re spending a lot of time in a secluded cabin in the woods. 

We managed to finish the film with enough time to enjoy some scenic boat rides 

around the lake, and none of us had to hide any bodies. I spent the trip back to civilization 

in Derek’s car where we talked about the future of this film. His hopes were 

high as he told me of his plans for distribution, and, in my honest opinion, even if he 

doesn’t get the distribution he expected, he still has a great looking film to show off 

his skills as a writer/director. 

[upper] Ralph 

on camera 

[middle] Darren 

rigging lighting 

[lower] the 

directors, 

Robby and 

Derek 


film primer : MEDIA 


) 

In an era where all too often the television has become both a companion and babysitter 

for children, there is a huge market to be taken advantage of in the genre of 

kid’s films. But for every bad direct-to-video Disney sequel with their sickeningly 

sweet musical numbers and celebrity voice talent, there are an equal number of films 

that can entertain you as well as the kids, with the added bonus of possibly messing 

your kids up for life. 

The Peanut Butter Solution 1985 

directed by : Michael Rubbo 

A little known film outside of its native Canada, this utterly strange movie concerns 

a boy whose hair falls out due to fright, and his attempts to grow it back with a magical 

peanut butter based formula. It sounds pretty standard and uneventful, until you 

throw in two factors. A fascist art teacher who steaks children’s hair to make paintbrushes, 

and a scene in which one of the main character’s friends uses the formula to 

help him grow hair... down there. 

The Great Yokai War 2005 

directed by : Takashi Miike 

Some would say that Takashi Miike, director of Visitor Q and Audition is possibly 

the last person who should ever direct a children’s film. But The Great Yokai War 

is a fun and endearing if not slightly demented kid’s film. The strangest aspect of 

the film would have to be the strange leaps in character design back and forth from 

almost Muppet like silliness to creatures that rival the creepiness factor of a lot of the 

better J-Horror titles. 

Return to Oz 1985 

directed by : Walter Murch 

The less beloved sequel to The Wizard of Oz stars a very young Fairuza Balk. A 

departure from the singing and dancing of the previous film installment of the OZ 

series, Return to Oz features demented bike men, a villainess with a penchant for 

replacing her own head from a large gallery of options, a clockwork soldier, and perhaps 

strangest of all, a patchwork being made of a bed and a decapitated moose. 

Watership Down 1978 

directed by : Martin Rosen 

Based on Richard Adams beloved novel, Watership Down will entertain children 

with adventure, but pushes the story a little too far with the gory scenes of rabbit on 

rabbit combat. Live action war films and some horror movies will have a hard time 

matching the levels of visceral violence in this animated classic. 

Spirited Away 2001 

directed by : Hayao Miyazaki 

An absolutely beautiful and well-made film beloved by people of all ages that is still 

chock full of strangeness and wonder. A scene of a little girl discovering her parents 

being transformed into pigs is off putting enough, but it is No Face that steals the 

show. A wraith who haunts the bathhouse that is the setting of most of the film, No 

Face alternates from melancholy shadow of existence to terrifyingly obsessive monster 

and back again during the course of the story, yet still somehow manages to be 

absolutely off putting in all incarnations. 

unusual 

children’s 

24 

by Luke Copping 

films 

) 

The Adventures of Mark Twain 1986 

directed by : Will Vinton 

A stop motion adventure culled from various pieces by Mark Twain. The film has 

achieved near cult status due to one short vignette that is often omitted from broadcast 

versions of the film. In it Twain drops three children off for a short lesson about 

the purpose and nature of humanity with an angel named satan. In a span of less than 

four minutes the film moves from intelligent and lighthearted discourse to scenes of 

supernatural genocide and ends in a moment of abject philosophical horror. 

Grave of the Fireflies 1988 

directed by : Isao Takahata 

Some films are on this list because of their bizarre or awkward qualities, Grave of 

the Fireflies is here because this film is presented in such an urgent and dead serious 

manner. This tale of two Japanese siblings near the end of World War II is one of the 

most powerful anti-war films ever made. Capable of reducing children and adults 

alike to tears. 

Coraline 2009 

directed by : Henry Selick 

Many children dream of running off to a fantasy world where everything is better 

and more fun, where they can stay up late, meet magical characters, and escape the 

tedium and hum drum of their every day lives. Very few of these fantasy worlds have 

the pre-requisite that in order to stay in it and play, one must remove their own eyes 

and sew on buttons in their place. Despite the great production and story, this singular 

notion twists this Neil Gaiman penned tale into one of the single more disturbing 

concepts in children’s movies to date. 

Adventures of Baron Munchausen 1988 

directed by : Terry Gilliam 

Terry Gilliam is a madman, this is an accepted fact, and we encourage him in this 

so long as he keeps creating films that are utter departures from the norm. Baron 

Munchausen, as well as Time Bandits, are his forays into the genres of kid’s films. I 

am sure it goes without saying, but this film is as twisted and strange as they come 

while at the same time being totally lighthearted. John Neville leads a fantastic ensemble 

cast and chews Gilliam’s beautifully designed scenery in one of the best and 

most absurd movies for children ever made. 

The Garbage Pail Kids Movie 1987 

directed by : Rodney Amateau 

I would love to have sat in on the development of this once terribly difficult to find 

film. How on earth did the producers go from the gross out trading card series that 

I was obsessed with as a child in the 80s to a film that was just so strange, surreal, 

and badly made that naturally it became a cult obsession. No description of this film 

would do it justice, it just needs to be seen to understand how horrible and fun it is. 

by Vanity Kills 

I have been secretly counting down days, hours, and minutes until tonight’s fabulous 

excursion to Sanctum. Well, as fabulous as an outing to a dive bar in the midst of the 

ghetto can be. Normally, I don’t get THIS psyched to attend our weekly drama and 

watered-down, booze filled goth night; but as you have probably guessed, the fact 

that Eli will accompany me has SOMETHING to do with the enthusiasm. 

I began mentally dissecting the contents of my closet the millisecond Eli suggested 

we go clubbing! Matter of factly, the initial thought process which succeeded his 

brilliant plan to invade the dance floor and cause all the poorly outfitted losers to 

feel bad about themselves did not even remotely veer in the direction of, “I wonder 

what my boyfriend Shayne would think of all this?” It was more along the lines of, 

“What the hell am I going to wear?” Naturally, such concerns caused me to panic 

and gut the contents of my wardrobe the minute I got home from Lord of the Wings 

this past Monday night. Yes, I officially lost it and actually tried on every last article 

of clothing I owned in order to concoct the ultimate “Knock-Eli-Dead-The-Second- 

I-Open-His-Car-Door” ensemble. After multiple “OH MY GOD THOUSANDS OF 

DOLLARS WORTH OF CRAP AND YET I STILL HAVE NOTHING TO WEAR” 

episodes I finally settled on something I deemed worthy of the occasion. 

I opted for a “leaves just enough to the imagination” black latex mermaid skirt with 

contrasting lavender lace accents paired with a matching puff sleeve top. Surely I 

will be boiled alive come 3:00 AM, but at least I’ll look stunning. Not to mention 

the fact that Eli will most probably appreciate my efforts. Shayne is just as likely to 

ignore me in a thousand dollars worth of latex as he is in an ancient Siouxsie shirt 

I wear to bed. Which is precisely why I felt zero remorse or sympathy for my inattentive 

cold-hearted jerk of a boyfriend. At this given point in time Shayne simply 

ceased to exist in my Eli engrossed brain. 

Why should I even give Shayne the time of day anyway? Would he take me to 

Sanctum in Eli’s place? Clearly the answer was no. Shayne Hart came in two flavors: 

working and being the lust object of the local lolitas. He’d do the 9 to 5 thing, 

cleaning up spyware-infected computers and then moonlight as a tattoo artist. The 

second gig yielded him many barely legal groupies, who would continuously shoot 

evil looks my way at Sanctum. I rolled my eyes, never ceasing to wonder exactly 

why these teenybopper tarts seemed to think that he’s the second coming of Ogre 

(as he’d often describe himself). Then I remembered that they were literally a week 

past the age of consent. Perhaps to an 18 year old, someone 

like Shayne was god. To his own girlfriend, he was just some 

douche who would come home at 2 AM, brag a bout how many 

chicks, with too much makeup and not enough clothes on, informed 

him of his hotness on any given day and then proceed to 

pass out. Being ogled by prosti-tots at his unnecessary second 

job left no time to take his woman to the club on Friday. This 

left a void in my life. A void I was more than happy to fill with 

Eli quality time. 

The extended bout of boyfriend bitterness was abruptly interrupted 

by the sound of an incoming text message. My delectable 

distraction, Mr. Erickson himself, just pulled up in front 

of my place. I doused myself with enough perfume to qualify 

as a chemical weapon and started my wobbly journey toward 

LIFESTYLE 

his Wumpscut sticker covered Pontiac G5 in my torturous eight inch spiked stripper 

heels. While I wasn’t very mobile I was aware that my drool-inspiring getup would 

be the cause of one very dramatic entrance. Minor league matters, such as the ability 

to move, worried me none. I’m always more than willing to sacrifice some comfort 

in order to compel a cute boy’s jaw to hit the floor. Oh, the things I’ll do for male 

adulation! 

I graciously accepted the flood of flattery Eli lavished me with upon laying eyes on 

my fetish queen attire and carefully lowered myself onto the passenger seat of his 

car. Latex and heels require some careful maneuvering indeed! And so, the princess 

departed for the ball without managing to lose her shoe or twisting her ankle within 

the first five minutes of leaving her humble abode. I took that as an omen that we’re 

off to a good start. 

Since weekly trips to Sanctum involve driving through the hood for at least 10 minutes, 

it is customary for the passenger to play Ipod Commando. A sacred ritual of 

goth night club goers which consists of finding the most obnoxious Terror EBM, 

playing it at maximum volume and rolling down all car windows. I settled on the 

goblin-like vocal styling of Psyclon Nine this fine evening; a choice which was immediately 

met with a nod of approval from Eli. And so “As You Sleep” quickly 

drowned out the sounds of Ice Cube we were previously treated to courtesy of the 

vehicle next to us. 

Three songs later, El Basurero, a tiny Mexican watering hole, which hosted Sanctum 

on Friday nights welcomed us in its entire destitute splendor. Sandwiched between 

a Dollar Tree and a liquor store, it truly epitomized all things classy and tasteful. 

From it’s constantly out of order toilets, the hookers that hung out outside, and the 

aging swingers in cheap Leg Avenue PVC that patronized the establishment itself, 

the joint seemed to reach a new low on a weekly basis. But it’s a place my friends 

and I called home. 

We made our way past a Hot Topic clad couple pushing third base in the middle of 

the entrance and joined Justine who held fort at the bar. Already on her third drink, 

she bought a round of red devils to kick off the night. The second I finished the last 

of my beverage Cassy appeared and demanded that we celebrate her most recent 

breakup with tequila. Three shots later, my head began to spin violently and my liver 

began to sing “La Cucaracha”. As DJ Ironic Moustache Ride played “Rose Colored 

Skies” by SITD, Justine and Cassy hurried to dance while Eli and I chose to publicly 

display our affection to all. 

A tap on the shoulder disrupted my lip locking bliss.

Auxiliary Magazine Presents 

SHARON TK 


the PinUp 

Auxiliary’s playful take on the sexy 

centerfold pin up. Flip the page, 

cut out, and tac on your wall! 

photographer Steve Prue 

hair and makeup SharonTK 

model SharonTK 

featuring fashion by New York Couture 

name : Sharon TK 

birthday : that’s for me to know 

and you to find out ;-) 

birthplace : Syracuse, NY. gangsta! 

eye color : light blue 

hair color : red 

turn-ons : animal lovers 

turn-offs : ignorance 

why do you model? : It’s the only artistic thing 

I’m any good at. It’s a release in a way for me. 

how did you get into modeling? : I was asked 

by a friend to be in the 2008 Seul Contre Tous 

Calendar shot by the fabulous Dale May. Then 

I discovered the wonderful world of Model 

Mayhem. The rest is history! 

favorite musical artist : Depeche Mode 

favorite movie : too many to list 

favorite tv show : at the moment I’d have to 

say Project Runway 

favorite book : all the Twilight books, I’m an 

addict 

favorite cocktail : extra dirty martini’s! 

favorite color : black, not a color but a hue, I 

know! 

favorite tattoo : my leopard spots 

favorite article of clothing : A Lip Service winter 

jacket I have worn for three seasons now, even 

though the pockets are ripped out. 

favorite fashion designer : Betsey Johnson 

favorite fashion style : vintage mixed with a 

punk rock edge 

favorite star/icon : Gwen Stefani 

favorite outdoor activity : walks with hubbie 

and dogs at the beach 

favorite indoor activity : watching a good 

movie with friends 

favorite club : QXT’s in Newark, NJ 

anything you’d like to say to our readers? : 

Try going vegetarian for yourself, the animals, 

and the planet! Never buy puppies from a pet 

store, 99% come from horrible puppymills, your 

money just goes back to help continue this 

horrible practice! Rescue a forever friend from 

outfit by New York Couture 

ring and necklace by RockLove Jewelry 

your local shelter or www.petfinder.com! october 2009 AUXILIARY

SHARON TK 

in New York Couture

Daniel Ash 

by Aaron Andrews 

Daniel Ash, reluctant goth icon, motorcycle enthusiast, DJ, and man of fashion, certainly 

has an infamous name and reputation in alternative music. The recent release 

of a Love and Rockets tribute album is evidence of that. Ash started out playing in 

cover bands with the Haskins brothers before all three joined with acquaintance Peter 

Murphy to form Bauhaus. At the end of that iconic band, he went on to front Tones 

on Tail and its follow up Love and Rockets with one and then both of the Haskins 

brothers. It’s an impressive list of bands and an impressive body of work. Despite 

having a ton to get a swelled head about, Daniel Ash has to be one of the most pleasant 

people I’ve ever talked to. He’s forthcoming, friendly and gracious. Talking to 

him over the phone was like chatting with a new friend, and he made it seem like 

he’d love to talk about music or motorcycles whether there was a project to promote 

or not. 

However, he is currently doing press for New Tales to Tell the aforementioned tribute 

album, put together by friend Christopher “The Minister”. Christopher is a DJ for 

Sirius XM radio, a fact that escaped me for a few seconds as Daniel repeated over and 

over to me that he was a “serious” DJ and I thought, “of course, why do it if you’re 

not serious?” Of course, it dawned on me what he meant and I, still kind of shy, 

meekly suggested, “the satellite?” With the misunderstanding resolved, we moved 

on to the album itself that Ash had no hand in but evidently his friend The Minister 

has made a pet project. 

There are quite a few different artists represented, including fantastic names like The 

Flaming Lips, Frank Black, and Maynard James Keenan’s Puscifer. Ash seemed 

genuinely pleased to have Black as a fan, and, when asked to pick a favorite, he 

expressed his preference for Dubfire’s version of “I Feel Speed”. While he had quite 

a few nice things to say about contributors, he seemed a little disappointed that Tom 

Jones didn’t appear with a cover of “So Alive”. The Welshman played the song in 

his Vegas show and Ash “kept hearing his version was coming out, but it didn’t make 

it.” 

Daniel Ash isn’t really the kind of person to sit around waiting to be adored and have 

his songs covered. He’s still interested in making his own music. In fact, I happened 

to call on one of the days that final mastering was going on for an EP’s worth of new 

material to be sold on iTunes. Previews are available on his Myspace page: www. 

myspace.com/therealdanielash. The press notes I’d received said this EP is due in the 

fall to be followed by a full length in the new year, a fact Mr. Ash corrected, “No full 

length. The full length album is really kind of dead.” I was surprised to hear an artist 

who’s come up through years of making albums to declare them obsolete and not 

even be wistful about it. “What about the concept album?” I asked. “Concept albums 


30 

are awful,” he answered. “I guess I liked Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of The Moon as a 

concept album; it was very good. But like Yes albums, they’re just awful.” Resistant 

at first, he explained that he’s come to see the digital music revolution as an exciting 

turn for the better. Ash mentions a love of the “perfect three minute pop song” a few 

times, and the new tracks are definitely just that: five three-minute tracks that are all 

distinctly his, some sexy and quiet with a few guitar driven rock songs. 

He also has an interest in branching out to film, an avenue that seems almost inevitable 

considering the mood and atmosphere he’s always managed to instill into his 

guitar sound. Also because for me and my friends our first ideas of what Daniel and 

his Bauhaus bandmates looked like came from the cameo in 1983’s The Hunger. He 

contributed guitar parts for several songs in the recent film Repo! The Genetic Opera 

adding to a list of well-known contributors. This follows up his television experience 

with 2003’s Keen Eddy, an action comedy that saw one season altogether split 

between Fox and Bravo. Ash is credited with a few songs for the series on IMDB 

but when talking suggested he’d written or co-written much more. He seemed very 

hopeful to branch further into scoring in the future and enthused about a potential 

project, “with motorcycles coming up that I’m interested in working on, I can’t talk 

about it much, but I’m hoping it comes my way.” 

Motorcycles are not something unfamiliar to him. He’s an incredible lover of British 

and American bikes, Nortons and Triumphs from the British bike world, and he 

complemented America on its Harley. From there we struck off on a long tangent on 

Triumph when I mentioned some childhood memories of my father’s Bonneville. He 

lit up at the mention of it and took the opportunity to recommend I get myself to a 

Triumph dealer to see all the newest models. Clearly this was the man’s other love, 

maybe even his first love. 

There is something he sees as more of a hobby though: his DJing career (although, 

after a quick reflection he decides it is more than just a hobby as, “they are paying 

gigs.”) When discussing his DJing gigs, it becomes very evident that Ash is interested 

in other music than alternative rock saying, “I love 70s disco, I think it’s just 

some of the greatest music.” He also mentions Deep Dish and its side project Dubfire 

again as personal favorites as well as taking a liking to The Ting Tings, “an excellent 

British pop band.” His DJing sessions seem to be all about his own personal enjoyment 

as he has some trouble picking out any more than a few specific artists or sounds 

he likes just saying, “I just play what I like and it’s a lot of fun. It’s very different than 

performing live, less pressure and the feedback is instant.” The one thing he’s quite 

sure about not playing is goth music, “I can’t stand it really. I know it sounds funny 

since I was in Bauhaus but really we were an art band not a goth band.” 

The legacy of Bauhaus is obviously not lost on him and I 

wanted to find out more about the Love and Rockets moments 

and feelings. When asked what high points stood 

out in his memory in regards to the Love and Rockets, 

he picked a favorite memory, “being number three on 

the American charts, with Prince at number one and Madonna 

at number two. We thought we’d be starting all 

over in America and we were big, playing huge shows.” 

True to his love of the perfect pop song, he picked “So 

Alive” and “Ball of Confusion” as stand out tracks for 

the band. With recent Bauhaus and Love and Rockets 

reunions still in close memory I wondered if he thought 

them successful. After a pause he went on, “I think they 

were very successful. I mean, we toured with Nine Inch 

Nails and sold out 29 shows. So yeah, that’s successful. 

It’s odd doing that, though, especially with Bauhaus because 

the songs are 30 years old.” A potential Tones on 

Tail reunion is not looking like it’s on the horizon. But 

he did say they’d re-recorded “Go!” and marveled at the 

enormous success that it’s had being used everywhere in 

both commercials and films. 

Looking through pictures of his performances it’s obvious 

Daniel Ash has always been a fashion conscious 

man, a fact he didn’t shy away from when asked if fashion 

or visual appeal matter to music. “It does to me,” 

he said. “You have to be doing something up there. A 

lot of bands show up in jeans and tee shirts like the 60s, 

like hippies you know?” His approach to fashion has 

changed over the years, “just look at the album covers 

and see that,” but its importance hasn’t. He emphasized 

that being involved in the visual aspect of the show and 

looking the part is essential. 

Over 30 years after Bauhaus had its beginnings, Daniel 

Ash seems to be very content with the path he’s walked. 

He’s contributed to an excellent sum of music and 

strived to find originality and new sounds at every opportunity. 

In all this he’s maintained a jovial attitude and 

friendly demeanor. The time I spent talking with him 

felt more like catching up with an old friend than talking 

to one of my musical heroes. Thanking him for his time 

he shrugged it off as if the pleasure was equally his and 

thanked me in return. 

MUSIC 

“I think the full length is 

kind of dead, really I like the 

perfect three minute pop song.” 

31 

photo by Chris Jensen 


music reviews MUSIC 

Clan of Xymox - In Love We Trust 

released by Metropolis on 18 August 2009 

data : 11th album . 10 tracks . 48:33 run time . www.clanofxymox.com 

reviewed by : Aaron Andrews 

genre : darkwave 

Clan of Xymox have been making music for 25 

years under the current name and the shortened 

version, Xymox. Fronted by the lone remaining 

founding member, Dutchman Ronny Moorings, 

through its entirety the band has explored different 

styles, record labels and, of course, identities. 

In Love We Trust is their latest release 

on the band’s current label Metropolis. In Love 

We Trust is a little different for me as the releases I’m most familiar with are Clan 

of Xymox and Medusa. I’ve been pleased by this release, and, if they sound like 

this, then I’m regretting missing out on their Metropolis era releases. This album is 

composed with a heavy emphasis on the synths and singer/band leader Ronny Moorings’ 

vocals. It’s the best of both Xymox worlds: the moody atmosphere of the early 

works and the solid understanding of the dance hook and pop song structure found 

later. Moorings vocals are catchy and enjoyable, not earth shattering but well crafted 

in a tight rhyme structure that never seems clumsy. The only thing I’m cranky about 

The Orb - Baghdad Batteries (Orbsessions Volume III) 

released by Malicious Damage on 7 September 2009 

data : 9th album . 11 tracks . 53:33 run time . www.theorb.com 

reviewed by : Alex Kourelis 

genre : ambient, ambient house 

The Orb has once again released a stunning 

collection of ambient house experiments, this 

time entitled Baghdad Batteries. For the uninitiated, 

The Orb at the surface would seem to 

be cinematic and soundtrackish, perhaps some 

lighthearted or pleasant melodies to have on in 

a background setting. Those familiar with the 

British duo, however, have a knowledge this 

group’s music can hook a listener in very quickly. In this collection of “Orbsessions” 

longtime Orb headman Dr. Alex Paterson (actually London native Duncan Robert 

Alex Paterson) and partner Thomas Fehlman bring their unique styles of ambience 

and signature ears for experimentation to complete another masterwork worthy of 

the fabled name under which they work. Gone of course are the days of eighteen 

minute tracks The Orb once released from prior albums (Orbvs Terrarvm and Adventures 

Beyond the Ultraworld, for example) however remaining still is the lifeblood 

of those prior works. As Baghdad Batteries opens we are treated to two different 


32 

is that in this release Moorings uses a deeper vocal style that is more than a little 

reminiscent of Andrew Eldritch. However, he sells it well, and, after a few songs, 

I’d almost forgotten it entirely. The album has quite a few strong points, starting out 

strong with the catchy single “Emily” (one of three songs named after women in the 

band’s tradition). “Morning Glow” has a guitar part reminiscent of New Order, and 

it helps the song along very well; it’s one of my favorites. “Love Got Lost” is notable 

for its heavy plodding rhythm and excellent synth hook. “Home Sweet Home” has 

an excellent hook as well that manages to dig into my mind as deeply as the band’s 

classic “A Day.” I looked forward over and over to the last batch of songs on this 

album. All things considered, I’m never going to pick this album over classic Clan 

of Xymox but I think it is definitely above average, and it’s leaps and bounds above 

lots of other contemporary goth/darkwave releases. I’d recommend checking into it 

if this band ever tickled your fancy. It’s exciting to hear an artist after a decade and 

half of steady production. 

recommended tracks : Emily, Morning Glow, Home Sweet Home 

if you like you may like : The Sisters of Mercy, The Cure, Cruxshadows 

grade : overall 6 - music 6 - lyrics 6 - recording quality 7 

styles of theme. A house theme permeates throughout “Styrofoam Meltdown” and 

other tracks further on (“Dolly Unit” and “Super Soakers” for instance) but appears 

to be merely an afterthought as we move along to more ethereal pieces in “Chocolate 

Fingers,” “Raven’s Reprise” and the album’s title track. One might think these drum 

lines were merely what was found in the studio that day along some ancient vinyl 

to be sampled and processed. The pieces of soundtrack within this album however 

are so cohesive and so complex that it conjures visions of Pink Floyd, Brian Eno, or 

Shpongle at the controls. To say that is high praise for the duo would be an understatement, 

however this is also how The Orb has been operating since 1988. Considering 

their 21-year career, it is thrilling to hear that these legends of chill out rooms 

have not compromised their style in the least, and I strongly recommend this album 

to those looking for something off the dance floor. 

recommended tracks : Baghdad Batteries, Super Soakers 

if you like you may like : Autechre, Underworld 

grade : overall 9 - music 9 - recording quality 10 

music reviews MUSIC 

A Place To Bury Strangers - Exploding Headreleased by 

released by Mute on 6 October 2009 

data : 2nd album . 10 tracks . www.aplacetoburystrangers.com 

reviewed by : Paul Morin 

genre : post-punk, shoegaze, psychedelic 

Like My Bloody Valentine? Like Big Black? 

The Jesus and Mary Chain and Joy Division? 

Yes, this is the kind of the moment where your 

chocolate has entered my peanut butter (or viceversa). 

Opener “It Is Nothing” sounds like a lost 

track from Isn’t Anything, complete with guitars 

that bend and blur into every chord change. 

“In Your Heart” sets a laid-back vocal delivery 

against sudden bursts of guitar noise straight out of the big book of Lee Ranaldo and 

Thurston Moore, and “Exploding Heart” rests somewhere between The Cure’s “Primary” 

and “Accuracy.” Hints of the obscure, darker side of alternative (particularly 

the criminally underrated Red Lorry Yellow Lorry) also come to mind. But while 

A Place to Bury Strangers may wear their influences proudly on their sleeves, they 

more than make up for any similarities with a fistful of great songs punched right 

this issue’s FREE MUSIC PICK 

Ad Noiseam Label Compilation Summer 2009 

released by Ad Noiseam in August 2009 

data : 15 tracks . 72:42 run time . www.adnoiseam.net 


genre : noise, distorted dubstep, cinematic, 

downtempo, jazz, breakbeat 

With a reputation for being a distorted noise and 

breaks label, Ad Noiseam’s Summer 2009 Label 

Compilation blends many of their artists together 

with choice cuts covering an alarmingly vast 

array of genres. Unfortunately for this reviewer, 

it stretched a bit too far for my liking. Beginning 

with an entirely unexpected twist, the first 

track on the compilation, “Embers,” is by The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble. If 

you enjoy drudging, meandering goth tunes with trumpets, you’ll probably like this 

one. For me, it was 4m30s of my life I’ll never get back and was a signal this could 

be a really bad review. I was thankful for the pleasant surprises later on in the comp 

however; in fact, the second track “Borderlines” by Detritus gives a cinematic break 

beat pulse to it, and the follow-up was the hard-hitting tune “The Traveller” by DJ 

Hidden featuring an unmistakable ambience and the professional polish I was looking 

for from the start. Further on in the compilation, we’re treated to more inventive 

dubstep breaks and sampling by Mothboy on the track “Beg”; true industrial clanging 

with Math Head’s “Terror Inc” and full on gabber thrown together by The Teknoist’s 

“Full Metal Teknoist”. While variation of genres may seem like a great idea to bring 

in a fresh audience with a something-for-everyone approach, this compilation is an 

example of near schizophrenia. It’s just way too much for me to want to hear it twice. 

There are examples of drum n’ bass, cinematic alt-rock pieces like Larvae’s track 

“Turning Around,” goth jazz, dub step, powernoise, heavily distorted noise and yes, 

some kind of hardcore rap. It gave me a headache. Badly. As a whole, this compilation 

doesn’t work, but pick it apart and you will find gems on it. It is free, so you 

won’t break the bank, and, who knows, maybe you will find something new to like. 

recommended tracks : The Traveller, Borderlines 


33 

through the speakers with a conviction and ferocity that puts their peers to shame. 

The bass and guitars are cranked into the red, with the volume allowed to peak at 

such a high level that it often distorts the entire mix, giving an unsettling howl and 

buzz like a prop-plane taking off in your living room. The drums, cold and robotic, 

pound and thunder away with the metronome set to warp speed. Touted by their label 

and critics as louder than hell, they deliver their roller-coaster-off-the-rails sound 

with bitter conviction and a deafening fury, allowing blasts of distortion, feedback, 

scrapes and screeches to pierce your eardrums at every turn while maintaining a terse 

pop structure and a vocal calm that keeps the band centered like an eye of a storm. 

If you’re still wondering what ever happened to your rock and roll, APTBS seem to 

have found the answer. 

recommended tracks : Ego Death, In Your Heart, Exploding Head 

if you like you may like : BRMC, Spaceman 3, DFA1979 


Access to Arasaka - Oppidan 

released by Spectraliquid and Tympanik Audio 

data : 1st album . 17 tracks . 70:15 run time . www.accesstoarasaka.com 


genre : IDM 

Entering the fray with a debut release on both 

Spectraliquid and Tympanik Audio, Access to 

Arasaka brings forth compelling ambience and 

a feeling of mystery with the album Oppidan. 

Truly, after reading the press sheet, artist bio, 

and doing a bit of online investigating, I can 

only compare what I’m hearing to something 

I would imagine as a soundtrack to a William 

Gibson or Bruce Sterling cyberpunk work. Access to Arasaka describes itself as a 

bit of a cliché: an artificial intelligence that became self-aware and began studying 

human nature and whatnot. My apprehension after reading that was lost shortly after 

I heard the first few seconds of the album. ATA brings with it/him a full toolbox of 

impressive hacked glitch, IDM stutter beats, and incredible mood. Ticks, buzzes, 

and degraded sounds are rife within Oppidan and serve well to the daunting technical 

aspect and attention to detail the artist has given this work. Too often however 

it drops into a formulaic pattern where ambience is not left alone long enough to be 

digested, and the artist simply must insert a millisecond-length loop buzzing noise 

because there hasn’t been one in five seconds. It’s unfortunately a pattern many 

artists within this genre are falling into. That being said. if Neuromancer were ever 

to be made into a film and I were the director, Oppidan would be the soundtrack I’d 

choose in a heartbeat. Arrangements like “Monoscan” and “Parisville” are so heavy 

and suggestive that you can fully immerse yourself in daydreams of Neo Tokyo in a 

rainstorm or the sky painted in a color of television tuned to a dead channel. Oppidan 

is a terrific first effort for an artist of this genre, and I look forward to hearing more 

Access to Arasaka in the future. 

recommended tracks : Monscan, Waiting War 

if you like you may like : Telefon Tel Aviv, Tapage 



music reviews 

Displacer - X Was Never Like This... 

released by Tympanik Audio on 8 September 2009 

data : 5th album . 14 tracks . 66:44 run time . www.dsplcr.com 

reviewed by : Aaron Andrews 

genre : IDM 

Hailing from Toronto, Ontario, Displacer is the 

audio project of artist/musician Michael Morton. 

X Was Never Like This... is the second release 

on Tympanik Audio. The cover art (by Crime 

League, a Displacer alter ego) is a collage-like 

composition with a dirty, gritty grind house feel. 

The bright red is both lusty and violent, with the 

islands of light blue type a very welcome resting 

place for your eyes. It matches the mood of the title track and is somewhat disturbing 

to look at in a detached cartoon way. The album contains about half original tracks 

(featuring contributions by Victoria Lloyd and Broken Fabiola) and the other half remixes 

by talent like Mark Thibideau, Daniel Myer, Keef Baker, Famine, Lucidstatic, 

and Marching Dynamics. The songs are pretty, endearing, and often melancholy. 

They’re written with strong bass, engaging synth parts, and subtle guitar overlays. 

Samples add to the moody feel whether it’s the chattering confusion of “X Was Never 

Atlas Sound - Logos 

released by Kranky on 20 October 2009 

data : 2nd album . 11 tracks . 43:47 run time . www.myspace.com/bradfordcox 

reviewed by : Paul Morin 

genre : indie, experimental 

Bradford Cox, better known as the front man 

for indie art-rockers Deerhunter, returns for his 

second solo effort under the name Atlas Sound. 

Let’s get this out of the way right away: This 

album screams: “Take drugs and listen to me.” 

Just forget about hitting the bong or rolling a 

dollar bill. Run straight for the whipped cream 

canister or your mom’s anti-depressants instead. 

With the opening track, “The Light That Failed”, the listener is dropped into a world 

of peculiar sounds bathed in reverb and delay with vocals wandering lazily around 

the soundscape. There is no building action or warning about it; you just step into 

Cox’s blissed-out world staring at clouds and walking on rainbows. The mix is somewhere 

between Brian Wilson, Mercury Rev, and that guy clapping and singing to no 

one in particular at the subway station. It’s deep, it’s weird, and it’s out there. The 

songs rely on samples of whatever Cox found around the house (acoustic guitars, 

bright keys, and simple percussion instruments or drum machine loops make up the 

bulk of the structure). The samples are repeated and thrown into a blender to keep 

the album in a narcotic haze. Two highlights come from collaborations with Noah 

Lennox (aka Panda Bear) on “Walkabout” and Stereolab vocalist Laetitia Sadier on 

“Quick Canal”. Both bear the stamp of their respective main projects. “Walkabout” 

sounds like an outtake from Merriweather Post Pavillion. “Quick Canal” spirals 

out for over eight minutes in a Krautrock-workout of guitars blasting into the stratosphere, 

an insistent rhythmic figure and Sadier’s ethereal lilting. The end result is a 

sonic place far away from this world: a music of dreams and drugs as only Cox’s wild 

imagination can express it. 

recommended tracks : Walkabout, Quick Canal 

if you like you may like : Broadcast, Animal Collective, The Beach Boys 


AUXILIARY october 2009 34 

MUSIC 

Like This...” or the sad reminders of the end in “Elbows Bent at Right Angles (Instrumental)”. 

The vocal contribution of Victoria Lloyd cannot be understated, especially 

the excellent version of “Elbows Bent at Right Angles” she sings over. Her voice 

adds a sincerity to the song that makes it the best of the three versions. The original 

compositions sometimes reminded me of albums like Haujobb’s Ninetynine and 

UNKLE’s Psyence Fiction, both great works of mood and strong feeling. The half 

and half format is gratifying for being able hear the original compositions followed 

almost immediately by the remix. These mixes are excellent; the exceptional ones in 

my mind are by Thibideau, Myer and Keef Baker with a nod to Famine as well. All 

are excellent, and the personalities gathered up to contribute are each unique and play 

with a different angle of Displacer’s original moods. 

recommended tracks : Elbows Bent at Right Angles (w/ Victoria Lloyd), X Was 

Never Like This..., Windmill, Never Compromise (Resonant Club Mix) 

if you like you may like : Detritus, Architect, Xingu Hill, UNKLE 


16Volt - AmericanPornSongs 

released by Metropolis on 8 September 2009 

data : 6th album . 15 tracks . 55:04 run time . www.16volt.com 

reviewed by : Mike Kieffer 

genre : industrial rock 

When 16Volt founder Eric Powell returned 

from his seven year hiatus in 2007 with the album 

FullBlackHabit, he showed the scene that 

16Volt wasn’t going to be a fading memory 

from the 90s. FullBlackHabit was, in my opinion, 

one of the best albums of 2007, and now 

in 2009 he has smacked us in the face again. 

The new album AmericanPornSongs is harder, 

stronger, heavier, and more aggressive then a raging bore on amphetamines. Along 

for the ride is a who’s who of industrial rockers including full time member Michael 

Peoples, Steve White, and Jason Bazinet. You will also recognize names of the single 

track-contributing artists as well, but name-dropping isn’t needed to help this album 

along. The album starts off strong with the song “Alkali”, which lays the pattern of 

killer guitar riffs and relentless electronic percussions overlaid with Powell’s stellar 

vocals and infectious lyrics. The song “Enjoy The Pain” brings the hard grinding 

industrial song to the plate, raising the aggression meter to 11, and makes me want to 

punch my girlfriend in the face. This album doesn’t let up either, one song after the 

other just pummels you into a bloody pulp. In the end the songwriting and production 

puts this head and shoulders above most industrial rock out there today. This 

album is solid through and through and could be what is needed to spark a stronger 

resurgence in industrial rock, a genre that seems to have lingered in the shadows since 

the height of popularity in the mid 90s. 

recommended tracks : Enjoy The Pain, Useless People, With Fire And Burning 

if you like you may like : We Got This Far, Mankind Is Obsolete 


guest music review MUSIC 


Rachel Haywire is a reality terrorist from the metaphysical gutters of post-apocalyptic 

hell. Known not only for her electro-punk project Experiment Haywire, she 

is also in command of her record label machineKUNT, which focuses on promoting 

outspoken women in the darker subcultures. In addition to those fulltime projects, 

she also finds time to be a writer, director, model, and social activist. 

Be sure to check out her sites thehaywire.net and machinekunt.com 

Angelspit - Hideous and Perfect 

released by Metropolis Records on 8 September 2009 

data : 3rd album . 12 tracks . 47:20 run time . www.angelspit.net 

genre : electro 

While Angelspit’s third album Hideous and Perfect 

keeps their trademark style, it also moves 

forward and takes a lot more risks than their 

last release, Blood Death Ivory. With witty inyour-face 

vocals mixed with distorted industrial 

guitars and powerful beats, this duo, Amelia and 

Zoog, knows how to kick your social and musical 

conditioning in the ass. The track “Fink” 

tells a cyberpunk tale and it is sure to become 

a huge club hit with its solid composition and lyrics. “Making Money” stands out 

because Amelia’s vocals alternate between her signature spoken word and distorted 

singing that blends oddly yet perfectly. “Princess Chaos” is the best song on the 

album; it shows that Angelspit have truly evolved. Here Amelia almost sounds like 

she is performing an electronic opera. This song showcases the best elements of 

Angelspit, and it also manages to introduce us to something completely new. “Sleep 

Now” is a great anthem of political decadence, the sound design is particularly innovative, 

it is Zoog at his best. “Channel Hell” is a public service announcement 

that wakes you up from your stupor while you are still able to party and have a great 

time. This album is not entirely flawless. “Let Them Eat Distortion” and “Fuck The 

Revolution” are too self-referential and predictable. I’m not sure “On Earth” fits the 

album, though it will definitely expose their avant-garde side to listeners. Overall, 

the track order could flow a little better. Yet, as a whole, Hideous and Perfect takes 

many risks. It proves that Angelspit can stay true to their music without putting 

themselves in a box. 

recommended tracks : Fink, Princess Chaos, Channel Hell 

if you like you may like : Chiasm, Revolution State, Azida, Lady Mystery 


quick picks 

Megadeth - Endgame 

released by Roadrunner Records on 15 Sept 2009 

genre : trash metal 

Dave Mustaine and crew, slightly retooled as Chris 

Broderick replaces Glen Dover on guitar, return from 

the studio with their twelfth album, Endgame. In 

2007, United Abominations re-ignited my interest in 

Megadeth after they lost me in the late 90s. Now, it 

is good to hear consistency in Endgame: hard, fast, 

intense songs with plenty of wailing guitar solos and 

Mustaine’s unmistakable singing throughout. But 

the record shines during the political and social issues 

songs, which is typically where Megadeth soars. 

8/10 - MK 

Herzschlag - Fest Der Liebe 


genre : electro 

Herzschlag’s debut album is all about pounding beats, 

heavy synths, and grinding, distorted male vocals. 

Each track is full of energy; any one could crush the 

dance floor. You must break out the translator to understand 

these lyrics, unless you’re fluent in German. 

Although, it doesn’t matter much if you can’t comprehend 

the meaning behind the songs; your feet won’t 

care. There is a mystery behind the band: the German 

producer behind the project is well-known but is remaining 

anonymous. 8/10 - MK 

35 

Psyclon Nine - We The Fallen 


data : 4th album . 12 tracks . 52:34 run time . www.psyclonnine.com 

genre : industrial metal 

I wasn’t sure what I was expecting to hear from 

the latest Psyclon Nine release. I must say that 

I was pleasantly surprised. We The Fallen is 

not a club-friendly album meant to please the 

dance floor or even a simplistic industrial metal 

rampage. Instead, it is a highly complex fourth 

album that redefines their sound. The title track 

“We The Fallen” immediately hits us with aggression 

and power while the synth lines here 

are especially moving. “Thy Serpent Tongue” is one of the most hard-hitting tracks 

on this album, and Psyclon Nine manages to alternate eerie and unexpected sounds 

with intense and raw emotion throughout. The track “Suicide Note Lullaby” is a 

particularly beautiful and captivating piece of storytelling. Marshall has not changed 

his vocal style very much. What has changed here is the sound of Psyclon Nine, and 

I am very happy to see them moving in this new direction. It is obvious that they are 

now creating exactly what they want. The results are definitely worth checking out. 

It’s the sort of evolution that keeps us happy as music listeners who are not into frame 

and formula but rather mature and experimental innovation. 

recommended tracks : The Serpent Tongue, Widowmaker, Suicide Not Lullaby 

if you like you may like : Lamb of God, Dioxyde, Dawn of Ashes 


Digital Geist - Motorcade EP 

released on 22 September 2009 

genre : electronic dance music 

The three years since the last release were put to good 

use as this EP shows progression in their sound. This 

EP features four beat-driven tracks, the first “Aeroplane” 

mixes in acid lines and atmospheric sounds. 

“Lunar Patrol” parts 1 and 2 bring an upbeat feeling 

and supply inorganic bleeps and blips that root the 

soundscape in the future. Motorcade features vocals 

by Bill Boulden/Spruke and tosses in guitar, which 

adds a new dimension to DG. With any luck we will 

see a full-length album soon. 8/10 - MK 


dj tracks mix tape 

Edwin Somnambulist 

Edwin Somnambulist is the host of the 

online radio show, Industrial Strength 

Nightmares, and a veteran of club and 

radio Djing, doing so across Canada 

since 1998. Based in Toronto, Canada, 

ISN is an hour-long radio show devoted 

to industrial, EBM, electro, noise, 

gothic, and other forms of underappreciated 

music, with new episodes every 

Monday. In addition to best and latest 

music, Edwin brings his unique blend 

of commentary, comedy, and cynicism 

to his weekly podcasts. The show’s 

current mandate is to focus on new and 

underground material, including work 

by local and independent artists. 

“Bass Alert” Modulate 

The debut album of this project out of Manchester is killer all the way through, but 

“Bass Alert” stands out as a high energy floor filler. 

“Tanz im Kopf v2” Valium Era 

All of Valium Era’s EPs are available for free download through his MySpace site. 

The Tanz im Kopf EP is a great place to start. 

“Stanlinallee” Chainreactor 

The latest release on Pro Noize, and the debut album of this project from Düsseldorf. 

“Stalinallee” has a great beat and some very cool messing with vocal 

samples. 

“Krach Bumm” Noisuf-X 

From Voodoo Ritual, the latest (and, arguably, the best) Noisuf-X album. 

“Kobenhavn” Memmaker 

Memmaker: Kobenhavn - The followup to the album How to Enlist in a Robot 

Uprising from the breakout Montreal band Memmaker, this track is currently only 

available on the Kinetik Festival 2 compilation. 

“Straftanz West (Studio-X 12inch Hardstyle Remix)” Straftanz 

A rumored side project of Rotersand, Straftanz’s debut EP went over huge. Australia’s 

Studio-X kicks the energy up a notch with this hardstyle remix. 

“Glaskastentraum” Schallfaktor 

This album was long awaited and excellent. “Glaskastentraum” is a fast-paced 

song with angry vocals that will fit well in any aggro set. 

“One Night Stand” Alien Vampires 

Alien Vampires releases keep getting better and better. “One Night Stand” is a real 

standout tune on the album, with a great dance floor beat. 

“Rave My Head” Extize 

Great beat, great samples, great energy. This track is easy to fit into any fun club 

set. 

“Power Plant” Simon Viklund 

As I’m a video game fanatic at heart, this update on Bionic Commando’s tracks 

was a welcome addition to my collection. “Power Plant” is a great high-energy 

track that I sometimes sneak into my sets. 

The tenth month in the Gregorian calendar, October, brings a whole slew of holidays, 

from World Food Day to Apple day; arguably the most anticipated of them 

all is Halloween. This holiday inspires us to dig a little deeper into our souls and 

pull out that little extra darkness. And that darkness sparks urges to watch horror 

movies, seek tales of ghosts and ghouls, dress up in costumes, carve jack-o’lanterns, 

and decorate our living quarters with skulls and spiders. For this issue’s 

mix tape we looked back into our music libraries and searched out songs that in 

one way or another incorporate the spirit of Halloween. 

“In My Coffin” – Cult of the Psychic Fetus (Meagan Breen) 

“Pumpkin Head” – The Misfits (Mike Kieffer) 

“Graveyard Love Song” – Miguel and the Living Dead (Meagan Breen) 

“Scary Monsters” – David Bowie (Paul Morin) 

“Hell” – Squirrel Nut Zippers (Luke Copping) 

“Killing Moon” – Echo and the Bunnymen (Aaron Andrews) 

“Kids Will Be Skeletons” – Mogwai (Paul Morin) 

“Fucked by the Devil” – 45 Grave (Aaron Andrews) 

“Release the Bats” – The Birthday Party (Paul Morin) 

“Written in Blood” – She Wants Revenge (Jennifer Link) 

“Bastards Screaming” – Rotersand (Mike Kieffer) 

“No More Ghosts” – Neuroticfish (Mike Kieffer) 

“Thriller” – Michael Jackson (Luke Copping) 

“Everyday is Halloween” – Ministry (Jennifer Link) 

MUSIC 

Doc Hammer, best known as 

one half of the creative team 

that brings you The Venture 

Brothers on Adult Swim, is a 

writer, musician, painter, and 

style maven. 

As the October 18, 2009 

premiere of the fourth season 

of The Venture Brothers looms 

closer Auxiliary Magazine had 

a chance to talk to Doc Hammer 

about style, men’s suits, his 

band, oil painting, and why he 

does what he does. 

THE GOSPEL 

ACCORDING 

TO HAMMER 

INTERVIEWLUKE COPPING 

PHOTOGRAPHSRON DOUGLAS 


Being that Auxiliary is predominantly a style magazine; let’s jump right in with 

the obligatory fashion whoring. You are known as something of a polymath, but 

outside of your multidisciplinary successes you’re also known as something of a 

dashing dresser. Is it more a developed personal style or do you follow fashion 

or certain designers? 

DH: Well, you know, fashion is really weird, I guess you could sum up fashion’s 

strangeness in that there are two basic ways to pursue fashion. One is to be trendy, 

and not in a diminutive sense, the sense of someone who follows trends. The other 

way is to be kind of... stylish, and the way I’m using it implies not necessarily the 

following of trends, but a following of a personal style that kind of transcends trends. 

You would not call Nick Cave trendy. He never dresses to what’s in fashion, but 

he’s always very fashionable, and he changes with the times. If you look back at his 

earlier stuff, and Nick Cave is just a random example, twenty years ago he looked like 

Frankenstein, he dressed in a very weird almost goth style. And then he switched it, 

but at no point did he ever really touch base with the agreed masses fashion sense. 

When it was ok to have mustaches, Nick Cave had a mustache. Fashion is that weird 

thing where if you totally drift out and don’t follow zeitgeist at all you end up being 

this kind of costume dresser, so if you look at it I guess I’m more of a dandy. And I 

don’t mean dandy in the sense that people use it today which is this antiquarian idea 

of a dandy, that a dandy dresses in old fashioned dandy clothes. I mean it in the sense 

that the word dandy is alive, someone 

who who is very immaculate about the 

way he dresses and lives by his wit, it’s 

a very classic paradigm. I think that’s 

more what I fall into. 

I am more interested in the fit of my 

clothes than men who buy shirts in 

packages. I don’t think most men know 

what size they are or that shirts come in sizes. I have this weird theory that they go 

to a store, and they go, ‘Shirt!’ and then they see a package and they say, ‘Color!’ and 

then they buy that and put it on and the sleeves are way to long. Every guy thinks 

he’s a large, unless he’s a little bit big and then he thinks he’s a triple extra large, 

but if he’s an extra large and he thinks he’s large, then he’s wearing his shirt a little 

tight. If he’s a medium, he’s wearing his shirt huge, cause men are just larges. Try to 

fucking buy a t-shirt today! Just a t-shirt printed with, lets say, a Led Zeppelin logo, 

try to find one any size below a medium, and if you actually can find a small, put 

that fucking thing on, that is not a fucking small. This just proves that men like to 

dress in gigantic clothing. It’s this weird kind of thing where now men wear burqas. 

They have lost all sense of sexuality, their pants don’t fit, their shirts are huge, and 

they wear these gigantic winter jackets. They really gird themselves in this kind of 

sexless costume. Which is why I wear my shirt unbuttoned all the way down to 1974 

to show a little man cleavage. 

That’s great, that takes care of the next three fashion questions I had right off 

that bat. 

DH: I could go on forever and ever. I am actually right now getting a bespoke suit 

custom made for me by Paul Smith. That’s how really into having shit fit me I am, 

and I am tiny, I am really small, at 5’11 I am 115 pounds, that’s bird bone small. I 

don’t look unhealthily skinny, but I am... small, so nothing fits me. I have to tailor 

everything but underpants, which they can probably tailor, but I would get them let 

out, if you know what I’m saying, and I think you actually do... 

Talking about men’s fashion, and now that we have a sense of how you’ve 

developed this personal style, it’s interesting that you touched on Nick Cave and 

other icons of the same era and style who made their own statements in fashion 

though bucking the trends and taking the classes to update for themselves. Just 

in terms of how you perceive menswear, and perhaps even as a service to our 

less fashionable readers. Are there any basic items that you think any and every 

man should have in their wardrobe? Classics that never go out of style? 

DH: I’ll tell you this, I love the suit. I love it because you don’t have to think about 

it, and you can dress it up and down. Let’s just call a suit a pair of pants, made of the 

same fabric as a jacket. You can wear them as separates, you can wear them together. 

You can dress them down and wear any shirt you want underneath. You can dress 

it way up and top it with whatever you want. It’s a really great fucking investment. 

And here’s the thing, a lot of people are like, ‘eh, the four button was in like ten, 

fifteen years ago.’ Then it went to three, two, then one, how do you follow that sort 

of thing! Fuck It! You don’t give a shit! Get a really good one, a really good one 

that fits you really well. Nobody is going to care how many fucking buttons it has or 

how big the collar is, just get a good classic suit that fits you really well. And here’s 

another piece of really terrible advice; if you get a wacky suit, it’s never in fashion. 

You’re free to wear it all the time cause you’re uniquely out of fashion, and I’m not 

talking about a giant lapeled orange number, I’m talking about something that you 

just really like. I don’t know who said it, maybe it was the guy from The Talking 

Heads, ‘If you wear the same thing everyday, you will be remembered, everyone 

knows what Superman looks like.’ 

The suit is amazing, it’s such a great thing. It speaks of this bizarre kind of authority. 

The weird thing about a suit is that if you start wearing suits be prepared to start 

hearing this every day for a year and a half, ‘Hey, where you going?’ Your going 

to hear it until people start realizing that you wear suits to functions other than 

weddings, funerals, and reunions. ‘I am going nowhere, and I look great!’ should 

always be your response. 

The suit is one of the key elements of men’s style that transcends all the trends. 

DH: It’s a hundred year old thing, the modern suit that we wear today is based on a 

sack suit, which a well over a hundred year old cut. If something that lasts a hundred 

years isn’t stable enough for you, what else are you looking for? It hasn’t changed 

that much. Men’s fashion is really really slow going. 

Exactly. Moving away from the items that are classic and never really go 

away, there are so many trends that do come and go. Being around stylish and 

fashionable areas like New York are there any trends right now that you just 

want to violently kill off. 

“The suit is amazing, it’s such a great 

thing. It speaks of this bizarre kind 

of authority” 

DH: I was walking down the street and 

I was noticing trends that I thought 

actually died already that I was still 

seeing. Trucker hats that are worn 

perched atop the head at this rakish 

angle, what the fuck? Really? I’m still 

seeing that. That’s kind of weird. 

Here’s the thing, most of these looks are based on irony. Your 80s headbands, men 

wearing bandannas around their neck, bad mustaches... your basic Brooklyn hipster 

is based entirely on irony. The definition of irony is that it’s the last thing you are 

expecting to see, and when you expect this the item it is no longer ironic, therefore 

it’s bad fashion. To wear these things in any kind of a trend makes them skip over 

irony and just turns them into... bad fashion, it’s out of hand. I despise the ironic 

look because once it becomes a trend it’s not ironic anymore. One of my biggest 

problems is the way people look at irony. A lot of what I do in my work through the 

comedy of The Venture Brothers and definitely in my paintings, almost everything 

I do, is this kind of rejection of the ironic and this acceptance of something that is 

truly beautiful and not even concerned of it’s uniqueness. Just a good thing that’s 

fucking well crafted. 

You mentioned that you are in the process of having a bespoke suit made by Paul 

Smith, are there any other designers or boutiques that you follow? 

DH: No, I shop everywhere. My key to shopping is that I shop constantly, I shop 

more than women, I really do shop a lot. But shopping is just a kind of walking 

around and looking at things. Every time I shop, I don’t buy, it’s very rare that I 

actually buy. It’s the opposite of the way that most people buy, which is to go, ‘I need 

a pair of pants’ and then they go look for a pair of... pants, and then they buy... pants, 

and then they have... pants! The pants they get are the pants that they could find on 

that day, that were in stock in the store they were able to find on that day. They are 

not going to be great fucking pants, they are not going to be ideal. Shopping for me 

is a walk that I will do to clear my mind and not do something challenging while 

I’m trying to think. The idea that you can go around and look at a bunch of things, 

and when you come across the ultimate pants, you just get the ultimate pants, you’re 

gonna need the goddamned thing eventually. So that’s sort of how I do that, instead 

of just needing something and going to get it and having to settle for what I find. It’s 

too utilitarian of a thing to do, and it’s just not wise in my estimation. If you just get 

the thing you need, then you’re treating clothing like food. 

They say need leads to compromise, which is never a good idea. 

DH: You’re right on track. The way I do it is, not to just go out and purchase to have. 

I really do just look at fashion, and occasionally I see that thing that I think should be 

part of my life. I’m a clotheshorse, I just love that shit. If art is very important to you 

then adorning yourself is very important. 

Speaking about some of your projects, with The Venture Brothers you and 

Jackson have created one of the most pop savvy and genre bending shows on 

television. Though there have been countless pop references that you guys have 

worked into episodes, are there any that you just won’t go near, any celebrities 

that are too sacred to you to lampoon? 

DH: No, we work in what we need, and never make a conscious effort to throw out 

pop culture references. We were just raised by the same zeitgeist that everybody 

was raised with, so were just referencing our youth basically. It seems like we’re 

throwing out pop references, but I was just raised on Star Wars. 

One of the things that does stand out about the show is that it doesn’t seem that 

cultural references are thrown in with any sort of disingenuousness and that it 

happens in a very organic way. 

DH: That’s because we’re not working them in, we’re just throwing in these little... 

wubbies, these things that feel good to us. There are a lot of ways for jokes to pay 

off, and I hate to get mathy on this crap, but you can use these references the way 

you and your friends use these references. I made a mention of “Little Miss Can’t Be 

Wrong” by... who were they? Pocket Full of Kryptonite? Two Princes? Spin Doctors. 

I made a Spin Doctors reference. Someone asked me if I liked the Spin Doctors, that 

really doesn’t matter. It says a lot, it puts people in the place. If someone brings up 

that song, “Little Miss Can’t Be Wrong”, you’re getting the power of their personal 

nostalgia, you’re getting a sense of their love for the song. To put out a reference that 

we all understand is really kind of a powerful thing to do. Which is why I hate stuff 

like Family Guy, it will just toss this crap 

out at you in this pandering, make you 

feel good way. ‘I’m smart too, I know 

who Gary Coleman is,’ and that’s kind 

of the way Family Guy uses it. They 

just toss out this name so everybody 

can immediately feel the power of, one, 

knowing the reference, and two what that 

reference implies. But it’s not worked 

into the plot and it has no potential 

meaning, it’s just this ugly list; and if 

you didn’t get it the first time shows like 

Family Guy will actually show you how 

the reference is used in a flashback, that 

has no value, of the time Peter and Gary 

Coleman got in a fistfight. 

It does try a little too hard to smack 

you in the face with it. Too much of a 

wink and a nod. 

DH: And it works, the show is very 

successful. This is an effective comedy 

device, clearly. I find it to be slightly 

ugly. 

It’s a little heavy handed. 

DH: And heavy handed things work, they 

work beautifully. 

Gearing up for the new season, Adult 

Swim recently released a teaser of the 

upcoming episodes on their website, 

which has generated a considerable 

amount of buzz. Are you as nervous 

or excited about the fourth season’s 

premiere as you have been is past 

years? Being that you guys have been 

through this a few times, 

DH: I’m even more excited for the season coming after this, and I think that we’re just 

writing our best stuff. We are under a lot of pressure, Jackson and I work incredibly 

hard, I cannot explain to you how many jobs we have on this show and how hard we 

work. There is never a feeling of, ‘lets relax and cash some checks.’ We just care 

so deeply about this shit. If somebody says about our fourth season, ‘second season 

was better and fourth season was a sell out!’ It’s the same thing that I did when I was 

a kid, when any band that had a new album come out I hated it, I fucking hated it. I 

don’t care who they are. I hated the record because I had fallen so deeply in love with 

the album before it. A few years later I would go back and listen to this record I hated, 

and it’s a fucking masterpiece! And then they would put out another record and I 

would think they totally suck now. I kept doing this, have to write notes going, ‘stop 

doing this! The Pixies album is fine, stop acting like it sucks.’ People do that to our 

show, they fall in love with a season, maybe the ones they first saw, and won’t accept 

the one coming after it. But I am telling you, from our standpoint, they are coming 

from the same exact place. There is no sense of relaxing, we are just as in love with 

this crap as we were before, if not more. I think we’re challenging ourselves more 

and doing things that we think the viewer can tolerate. 

You guys have been doing a lot of conventions lately. A lot of creators seem really 

LIFESTYLE 

polarized in their opinions on the conventions. Is it something you guys actively 

look forward to or is it just part of the job having to go out and promote. 

DH: I have no problem with conventions and I have no problems with fans, because 

I’m a fan of stuff, I know what a fan is. There are things that I love and there are things 

that I want to connect to. So the idea of fandom is not this wretched group of people 

that bug me. They are people that are interested in the same things I am interested 

in, they’re kind of like me. So I can’t look at conventions as anything more than a 

place to connect with these people. Who, aside from the cliche that they give me my 

living, are not dissimilar from me, and we have the same tastes and like very similar 

things. I like cons but they are draining and it’s weird to be a celebrity, and the con 

is where you really get that. On a daily basis, once a day someone may be like, ‘Hey 

Doc Hammer!’ It’s nothing. But at a con you feel the power of the cult status of The 

Venture Brothers, and that’s kind of weird. People chase you and expect things out 

of you. I feel strangely indebted to these 

people and I don’t want to give them 

a bad experience. I don’t want to tell 

them to get the fuck away from me when 

I’m having a bad day, so I’ll offer them 

everything that I think they’re interested 

in. It’s this weird sociopathic tendency 

that I have to give them this experience. 

Basically they just look at you and stare 

at you and you talk to them, later they 

will blog about the conversation that 

they had which never really happened, it 

was just me talking at somebody while 

they just looked at me. I really can’t 

explain it, it’s a very weird thing to talk 

to your basic silent fan. And then you 

meet other fans, who at the end of the 

day, you can call them up and go to the 

movies with them, they function entirely 

as part of your peer group. 

So it’s not like we’re going to be seeing 

any Beatles-esque “Hard Days Night” 

montages of you and Jackson running 

through a con with false mustaches 

and hiding in phone booths to hide 

from fans? 

DH: No... well, with any hopes maybe? 

Yeah, Jackson and I do have boy band 

appeal, don’t doubt the mathematic 

equation there. 

You guys have become quite the niche 

sex symbols apparently. 

DH: That’s what I’m hoping for, that 

would change my life. Whereas now, it’s 

pretty much the same thing as before. 

We have quite a few attractive readers, we’ll try to help you guys out. 

DH: They can send fan mail, they can go on Twitter, ‘Those Venture boys are super 

hunky!’ They have to use all antiquated Tiger Beat terms like “Super Hunky!” 

Nothing modern, shit your mom says, ‘they have really cute buns.’ 

Aside from the television work you’re also quite an accomplished painter and 

musician. With your work as an oil painter and the series of female portraits, 

what was the evolution of the Saints series and your latest show? 

DH: It’s weird, I always feel bad talking about this kind of stuff, but the reason I do 

these portraits is that it is a reduction of content. If you look at my paintings, they are 

always the same fucking thing. I keep repeating it over and over again. It’s because I 

am not really interested in concept, I just don’t really give a fucking shit. The idea of 

the painting as narrative does not appeal to me. I’m not being flippant or obnoxious, 

but when you work in the kind of realm I work in today, which is figurism, if not 

representational, it’s overrun by illustrators. They’re not really interested in the 

painting, they are interested in the subject of the painting. It’s a girl and she is crying 

blood, or a piece of meat, all that kind of nonsense which I don’t care about, I care 

about this object, this painting which no one has seen. You see jpegs of it where once

again it is reduced out of its painting realm and back into it’s subject matter of, ‘that 

looks like a girl.’ But if you see the painting itself, I’m really proud of it. That’s 

what I have been working so hard to achieve, just the surface of this painting. Go 

to a contemporary gallery and look at the representational work, and then go to your 

local big ass museum and look at a Velázquez or look at a Rembrandt and you will see 

immediately that the surface is different. You can see through these older paintings. 

There is a sense of dimension that is higher in its ability to describe volume than a 

photograph. It’s really miraculous based on the underpainting and the building up of 

whites that it almost becomes like a topographical map, where the light portions of 

the painting are actually raised up. It’s micro-mental and perceivable, but unseeable, 

the amounts of glazes that liven the skin tones are amazing. There’s a point in my 

work that I think is most represented by the Saints series, where I realized that this is 

what I cared about the most, this surface and the object of the painting. It’s also the 

alienation factor, my work would be far more popular if it was more glitzy, if I had 

them crying blood or if there was something showy or comic bookish about them. 

From a technical standpoint, I read, I believe on your Deviantart.com blog, 

a series of tips and suggestions for oil painters that came across with a very 

teacherly quality. It’s something you don’t see a lot of notable artists in any 

medium do for free these days. I was fascinated by it. 

DH: A lot of people’s work is facile. We’re coming out of god knows how much 

modernism and post modernism, a hundred years ago the dadaists kind of changed 

art on us and were coming out of that. Students today are a little more interested 

in technique and creating something that their uncle can point at and call it art. 

Something that transcends the cliché of, ‘my kid can do that!’ Nobody looks at my 

work and says their kid can do that, unless their kid is fucking brilliant! We grew up 

in this Keith Haring; celebrity as artist world, where the artist is more important than 

the art, and we can rebel against that. I find that students are the ones that respond 

to my work the most. They will look at a late Rossetti from his Venetian style work 

and they might think it’s pretty. But a teacher might tell them otherwise, that it’s 

irrelevant and that it’s not pretty, and the student will believe it because they want 

to get good grades and because the teacher is supposed to know better, so they get 

that beaten out of them. Students can come to me and say, ‘you’re doing the thing 

that I thought wasn’t what I was supposed to do.’ And that’s been happening for 

some time now. When I did the Deviant Art thing I thought that I would be the thing 

that I wished I had when I was learning how to paint. A lot of my tips are more like 

Boy Scout good grooming tips, more than they are how to dress tips. It’s teaching 

people that the discipline and sacrifice are the most important things, that keeping 

your brushes clean is important, that’s really what painting is. Painting is showing 

up and dealing with sucking, that’s the big tip, that’s what I want people to walk out 

knowing. 

A lot of artists want people to think that they are magicians, that it’s easy and no one 

else can do it and that they just shit this stuff out, and it’s untrue. People with skill 


and passion can do it, that’s the talent. The thing that you are born with isn’t the 

ability to render figure, you can always learn that. What you are born with is the drive 

to fucking do it, and to want to do it in the face of constant failure. Painting is entirely 

failure, and if your painting wasn’t failure then your not moving forward and you are 

not correcting your own mistakes. What’s the point of making another one if you’re 

so fucking good that you have painted your masterpiece already. Every painting that 

a good painter does, they hate it, it sucks, and that’s what gets them going to do the 

next one so they can learn. That’s a hard thing to do, to have your occupation, hobby, 

life, be a place where you suck and you know you suck. People will get on me and 

tell me that I need to relax and take it easy, that I’m not really that bad. What they are 

missing is the arrogance of what I am saying, the fact that I know I suck proves that I 

know I am better than this, which is a very arrogant thing to do, so people should not 

be concerned with my self esteem. When I say I suck, it actually means that this is 

not a representation of my ability, I know that inside me is better. Dealing with my 

sucking and proudly saying this sucks is how I get up and do it again. I can’t let that 

thing get out there, I have to apologize for it with my next piece. 

Do you apply those same drives and philosophies to your music as well as your 

painting? 

DH: Oh yeah, and to my writing, and to my life. Once you have this weird operating 

procedure, these strange ethics, it’s everywhere. My music is this thing I do entirely 

to challenge myself and to create things that appeal to me on a very micro-mental 

level. It’s a very strange thing, the music that I make, and, like the paintings, when 

you see or hear it and think that’s a really beautiful painting of a girl or a really 

nice song, but what created that is this really dark drive to create something wholly 

personal and full of challenges. 

Moving into the music then, especially with your current band Weep, which has 

a more rock sound, when compared to your previous bands like Requiem in 

White, which has a more ethereal sound, has there been a major change? 

DH: It’s all the same thing, it came from the same exact place. In Mors Syphalitica, 

the band I was in for the most amount of time, I played all the instruments, Lisa, my 

ex, did all the singing. That was just what I was into then, it came from the same 

place. It really worked well with Lisa’s voice, Lisa had this really good voice. And 

it’s a bitter pill to some because it bordered on operatic, it’s not your basic pop voice, 

but you write for that. I had a violin in the band so I wrote a lot of violin parts. 

When I started Weep, which was a fucking accident, there was never supposed to be 

a Weep, I was just writing songs, because I do it habitually. My keyboard player that 

I had been in a band with previously called me up and asked what I was doing. I told 

him I was just writing my own shit, just to entertain myself, because it’s what I do. 

And he was like... ‘let’s make a band.’ He found two guys and we had a rehearsal 

with my songs and I sang them, I didn’t know I was going to fucking sing... I can’t 

“Painting is showing up and dealing with sucking” 

“No one in the band 

cares about the things 

that ruin albums” 

fucking sing. I didn’t care, I just wanted to write this crap. We had one rehearsal and 

just became a band. We never had a meeting, there was never this point of ‘let’s be 

a band’, we all just sort of inherited this thing because we wanted to work together 

and they like the songs. 

Weep has just become something that I am really interested in. I think it’s a band 

of people that are capable of making a really good record. No one in the band cares 

about the things that ruin albums: we don’t care about being popular, we don’t care 

about being part of the zeitgeist, we don’t care about sounding like another band, we 

just want to do our weird thing. 

Outside of your own music, and it’s that same horrible obligatory question you 

get asked in every interview, what are you listening to? Is it mainly the older 

stuff you tend to reference or are there any new bands you’re really into? 

DH: I go through everything, the way I look at art, comedy, music, it’s all the same 

thing, is that there is no shelf life on this crap. Beautiful things, true things, are 

really eternal, they transcend time and you don’t have to wait for a comeback to 

enjoy Joy Division, if you like that fucking shit play it all the god damn time. What 

was I listening to last night?... Suede, I was listening to Suede! Nineties I guess is 

when they had their popularity, never a really a big band in America, pretty big in 

Britain for a while... But what’s in my turn table, and clearly it’s not a turntable, it’s 

my mp3 or dvd player, but I like the idea of turn table. What’s being played at my 

apartment is a weird amalgamation of wubbie... the word wubbie by the way is a 

word I use for someone’s blanket as a child, this thing that is tattered and smells like 

pee pee, but you adore it. There are these wubbie bands that I can write to because 

they go right through me. I am so familiar with their work that I can just put them on 

repeat and write to them all god damn day long, and I do a lot of writing for Venture 

Brothers. There is a lot of music that becomes my own personal heartbeat, that weird 

cascade of white noise that you agree with. So I listen to a lot of Chameleons, and 

if you remember a band called Catherine Wheel… That band, they put out a million 

records, and I can put them all in the there, same with Placebo. Catherine Wheel and 

Placebo are old enough and I know them so well that I can paint and write to this 

stuff really well. They rock enough to keep me going and they’re dumb enough to not 

challenge me too much. I don’t have to stop and go, ‘my god what is the, that’s earth 

shatteringly beautiful.’ It’s really just successfully written stuff, no clunkers, just 

really competent music. When I say it’s dumb enough, I don’t mean it to be insulting, 

they know that it’s dumb, they know they are creating pop gems. 

I like all of it, there are a few things that I cannot understand, but for the most part I 

am really open to a lot of crap. And there is a lot of crap that I just don’t get, I don’t 

get how anyone ever liked it and it’s just very weird. And I’m not talking about the 

ones that I should hate, like the Journeys and the stuff like that, I get that, that stuffs 

fine. There are just some kinds of music that I doesn’t make sense to me... weird 

gutless garbage. 

Music lacking balls? 

DH: Yeah, and as for balls, I mean Cocteau Twins has balls, it’s a very mechanical, 

solo-less studio driven thing, but it has nuts! 

Looking ahead past the upcoming season of Venture Brothers, do you have any 

super secret project you’re waiting to unveil? 

DH: I’m so deep in production that it’s so hard to think about any other crap. I do 

have a CD I’m trying to finish, and I guess in a couple months once the production 

slows down I’ll finish it. 

Where are you guys in terms of production right now? Last I heard you were 

all set with the first half of the season and getting into the second half of the 

season. 

DH: Yeah, but I’m still editing and doing output. Editing is a really loose term for 

what I do, I don’t really cut film cause it’s fucking animation. What I’m doing is 

graphics and other things that have to be done for the episodes to give them last their 

minute polish. I guess we’re half way done with the season that’s about to air, and 

we’re better than halfway finished with the writing of the season that comes after 

that. And then there is production and post of that season. Jackson and I are working 

all the time, there is never really any off time for us. They all sort of blend into 

themselves and we never really stop writing. So I keep forgetting what episodes are 

gonna air this season and what’s going to air the season after that. It’s all sort of the 

same to me, I can’t really figure it out.

style 

Horror Inspired 

alternatives to a Halloween costume 

It’s that time of the year again when you know you’re 

going to be invited to costume parties all throughout 

the month of October. Most people rejoice at the 

notion of dressing up as their alter ego or modeling 

their store-bought costume. Then there are all the 

rest, the “others” that moan in annoyance at the fact 

that they have to come up with a Halloween costume. 

Step away from the lingerie and bunny ears 

combo, and put down the dollar store mask! There 

is a solution! Try dressing up in comfortable yet 

Halloween-appropriate horror-inspired attire. ‘Tis 

the season to wear blood splattered clothing with a 

socially acceptable purpose! 

styled and written by Meagan Breen 


ACCESSORIES 

Double row pyramid studded 

belt by Hot Topic adds a bit of 

classic punk to this outfit. Studded 

belts are not only fashionable but 

practical; they keep your pants up! 

Spider and skull belt buckle with 

red Swarovski rhinestone crystals 

from CoolBugStuff.com is the 

perfect belt buckle for your horrorinspired 

look. The textured surface 

looks like a dug up part of a grave! 

Bullet wristband by Hot Topic is a 

great accessory. Bullets help kill 

zombies, but as a wrist band they 

just help to pull all the elements of 

this outfit together. 

PANTS 

Cherry red double-dyed jeans by Social 

Collision stand out with a unique color. 

What goes better with Halloween and horror 

than the color red? Especially when it looks 

like your pants have been soaked in blood. 

42 

SHIRT 

This Wednesday 13 band 

t-shirt is a perfect piece for 

a horror-inspired ensemble. 

Wednesday 13 is a horror 

punk band fronted by Joseph 

Poole of the Murderdolls. 

The t-shirt design is 

reminiscent of old B horror 

movie posters, and it’s 

campy just like the horror 

punk band themselves! 

SHOES 

ZSkull and roses sneakers by 

Airwalks have white soles that 

match the white graphics on the 

t-shirt perfectly. Every villain 

needs comfortable shoes in order 

to chase their victims. 

ACCESSORIES 

Lily Munster hair clips by Trash 

Queen Clothing are kitschy, cute, 

and add some classic vamp appeal 

to this spooky ensemble. 

Illusion Victorian Skull necklace 

by Sweetheart Sinner ties in nicely 

with the bloody halter’s coloring. 

Is it a skull or is it a lady looking 

in the vanity? This handmade 

necklace creates an eerie illusion. 

Coffin Pin Up Gal cigarette case 

by Sweetheart Sinner has multiple 

uses. A gal needs a fun case to 

keep her cigarettes in but it can 

also be used to hold your ID, 

money, or business cards. 

SKIRT 

Spiral Skulls Wiggle Skirt by Trash 

Queen Clothing has a red skull print 

and, when paired with the bloody halter, 

forms a deadly pair that will scare 

everyone into submission. 

SHOES 

Vintage purple heeled booties are perfect for the 

fall season. Just because it’s Halloween doesn’t 

mean you can forget the rules of fashion. Red 

and purple match wonderfully. Besides, don’t 

witches wear purple boots? 

43 

FASHION 

TOP 

Bloody Hand Print Halter by 

Trash Queen Clothing screams: 

“being covered in blood never 

looked so sexy!” Whether 

you’re a zombie, a man-eater, 

or Lady Bathory, wearing this 

halter will make you the life 

(or death) of the party. 

HANDBAG 

A DIY tote bag can 

hold all those girlie 

items or act as your 

trick-or-treat bag. 

Take a black tote, add 

a tombstone patch, 

and create your own 

fantastic bag. 


BOYS.BE 

AMBITIOUS 

Put down the band tee and black jeans. 

These looks will have you ruling the night. 

photographer Omar Robinson 

OPPOSITE PAGE 

Military Drape Shirt by 

Retroscope Fashion with pleated 

dress pants by Hause of Howe. 

THIS PAGE 

White button down and chain 

fashion stylist Numi Prasarn necklaces by H&M with skull tie 

makeup artist Margherita Tisato 

hair stylist Numi Prasarn 

by Express Men. White skinny 

jeans by Trash and Vaudeville 

with black reversible belt by 

model Michael Hopwood Express Men. 



THIS PAGE 

Gothic Aristocrat Metal Buckle 

Coat by Retroscope Fashions, 

white skinny jeans by Trash and 

Vaudeville with black reversible 

belt by Express Men. 

OPPOSITE PAGE 

Stretch Eroded Shirt by Shrine, 

white skinny jeans by Trash and 

Vaudeville with black reversible 

belt by Express Men. 


THIS PAGE 

Punk Aristocrat Punk Strap Vest 

by Retroscope Fashions with 

black and white striped jeans by 

Trash and Vaudeville. 

OPPOSITE PAGE 

Black military coat by Tripp 

NYC with pleated dress pants by 

Hause of Howe. 


Hardware 

Who said fashion has to be safe? 

Accessories boasting a harder edge. 

photographer Steve Prue 

fashion styling Team Rockstar 

makeup artist Anita Nouryeh 

hair stylist Kristin Jackson 

THIS PAGE 

Aristocratic Fleur Necklace in 

silver by RockLove. 

OPPOSITE PAGE 

House of Bias Purple Opera Length Latex 

Gloves with Dark Cameo Ring by RockLove. 

Necklaces by RockLove; Double Headed 

Eagle Crest on Lust Chain paired with Dark 

Cameo Pendant necklace on silk ribbon. 

AUXILIARY august 2009 model Siouxsie Radcliffe 



THIS PAGE 

Tomtom Designs hand detailed Punk 

Corset, Black Latex Bra by House of 

Bias with Double Headed Eagle Crest 

on Lust Chain by RockLove. Spiked 

black wrist cuffs are model’s own. 

OPPOSITE PAGE 

Collective Chaos Designs feathered 

Olive Classic Latex Collar. 

THIS PAGE 

Soliloquy by Renee Masoomian 

patterned latex dress and 

merrywidow under clear 

snap-up latex dresses. october august 2009 AUXILIARY

THIS PAGE 

Chain Print Vegas Shorts by New York 

Couture, Black Latex Bra by House of 

Bias with RockLove Queen of Heart 

Hearts Necklace. 


where to buy 

Airwalk 

www.airwalk.com 

Collective Chaos Designs 

www.collectivechaosdesign.com 

CoolBugStuff 

www.coolbugstuff.com 

Express Men 

www.express.com 

H&M 

www.hm.com 

Hause of Howe 

www.hauseofhoweclothing.com 

Hot Topic 

www.hottopic.com 

House of Bias 

www.houseofbias.com 

Irregular Choice 

www.irregularchoice.com 

New York Couture 

www.newyorkcouture.net 

Retroscope Fashions 

www.retroscopefashions.com 

RockLove Jewelry 

www.rocklovedesigns.com 

advertise in 

Shrine 

www.shrinestore.com 

Sweetheart Sinner 

www.sweetheartsinner.etsy.com 

Tomtom Designs 

tomtomfashions.com 

Trash and Vaudeville 

4 St Marks Place, NYC 

Trash Queen Clothing 

www.trashqueenclothing.etsy.com 

Tripp NYC 

www.trippnyc.com 

auxiliary magazine 

email advertise@auxiliarymagazine.com 

for more details

www.auxiliarymagazine.com 

next issue 

december 2009

mens fashion daniel ash doc hammer - Auxiliary Magazine

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