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HM: What inspired you to start Girls and Corpses magazine?
RSR: Ever since I picked up my first Playboy Magazine with one trembling hand, I've admired really beautiful women, I mean, what guy doesn't ? Also, I happen to write twisted horror/dark comedic fiction. I have had two book published " My Brain Escapes Me" and "Satan's 3-Ring Circus of Hell," also several comic books I wrote: "Satan Gone Wild" and "Chicken Soup For Satan" amongst others. You can check out all my weird writings at my home site: http://www.robertrhine.com/
So, each year Im an an exhibitor at Comic-Con San Diego and I would decorate my booth with corpses, lent to me by my corpse wrangler, Kevin Klemm. You can't imagine the looks I get as I drive to San Diego, in the diamond lane, with a corpse strapped in my passenger seat.
Anyhow, at the convention, all these gorgeous girls would walk up to my booth to touch and feel the corpses and I thought to myself, "What's up with Girls and Corpses"?
A light bulb lit in my skull. What a great combination! Like chocolate and peanut butter or soup and sandwich or Sonny and Cher. Girls and Corpses! It's a natural. Two great tastes in one! The two extremes of life -- a rotting corpse alongside a fresh, wholesome, innocent young girl.
And a dynasty was born. At least a mausoleum.
HM: How seriously are people supposed to take the magazine/website?
RSR: We think of ourselves on the level of Time or Newsweek. Actually, considering it's a comedy magazine, I hope people don't take us too seriously at all. This magazine is totally tongue in rotted cheek. But, if you mean are we in favor of promoting necrophilia. Well, it is against the law, after all. Governor Schwartzenegger buried the dreams of countless necrophiliacs when he passed a law banning sex with corpses last year. I have nothing against necrophiliacs. As long as they use protection.
HM: How does your magazine portray women? How does it differ from magazines like Maxim and FHM (aside from the corpses)?
RSR: Our magazine is a satire and parody of men's zines (rhymes for menses) like Maxim, Stuff and FHM, in that we take photos of girls in bikinis, You see, no matter what you photograph a beautiful girl standing next to, that object looks better, right? Take a look at 90% of advertising. I mean, a girl even looks good even standing next to a corpse! I think the magazine empowers women because they can be part of the humor and satire rather than just being a stick of wood with breasts and a bikini. Our models have a sense of humor or we don't hire them. We also have a lot of fun at the shoot. At least this is something the models have never done before. Most importantly, we have a terrific photographer, Lon Casler Bixby, who has shot for Maxim and really puts the girls at ease. What sells the gag, I believe, is how professional it looks and Lon is superb. His website, by the way, if you'd like to have personal photos taken is: LCB Photography
The other way we mimic Maxim is with humorous columns ala Maxim such as: Ask Dr. Necco Feelya, Cooking tips from Chef Cannibal, Croak of The month, letters to the Deaditor and also music and movie reviews.
Maxim loves us, by the way, and did a really nice feature on us. They put up a great link to us on their website. I happen to love Maxim Magazine -- which now outsells Playboy.
HM: Do any women work on the magazine?
RSR: Besides the models, we have a female costume designer, a female makeup artist, and a female corpse fluffer. The more girls around the better, our corpses say.
HM: Why no nudity in the magazine?
RSR: What do you think we are, sick?! Besides, do we really need more more porn in this world? Can you imagine being a future or alien civilization and trying to sort through the skyscraper stacks of pornography that we've piled up as a society? Also, nudity takes the magazine into a realm I'm not interested in publishing. Sure, I'd get a lot of press by having a gaping labia pressed into the face of a corpse. But it's not very clever (nor, is any porn). It's there to titillate, not to make you think, or laugh, or ponder (Well, I guess you can ponder porn). Frankly, nudity is too easy. It captures your attention without creativity. A vagina can't sing, if you know what I mean (good, 'cause I don't).
Now, I'm not saying we didn't have some discussions about how far to take our magazine. When we interviewed porn star Belladonna, for example, we took some pictures of her with our corpse correspondent, Walter Crotchtight. Well, Belladonna naturally couldn't contain herself, and soon she was fellating our grinning corpse. There were some great sick and funny shots -- but they went in a direction I didn't wanted to take the magazine. Also, we would lose credibility with certain advertisers. But boy do we have some sick Belladonna out takes!
When I met Belladonna, who does some of the hardest XXX porn available, I expected to meet a drugged-out, thrashed, air-head. Surprisingly, Belladonna was very sweet, funny, intelligent and extremely sexy. I mean this gal exudes sex. She truly can revive the dead.
But in spoofing Maxim, I ultimately decided to leave the panties on. Though our corpses do appear naked.
HM: Have you had anyone be vehemently opposed to your magazine? Any positive responses? What were the responses you've gotten?
RSR: We're 99% percent positive response to 1% Religious Right negative. Our numbers are better than any President's poll numbers! What does that say about this country?
One irate lady from the Crystal Cathedral wrote to us and kindly suggested that "our corpses rotted in hell!." A bit redundant, don't you think?
HM: Who is the main audience for Girls and Corpses?
RSR: Priests, politicians, Mormons, nuns, scholars and school teachers. Actually, it's more like metal heads, horror fans, goth girls, rockers, stoners, teen girls and guys, bikers, swingers, freaks, gore-hounds, boozers, bondage queens, porn stars, comedians, scream queens, indie moviemakers and major studios.
HM: What are your goals for Girls and Corpses (i.e. print, etc.?)
RSR: We want to go print and need financing which we hope will come soon. We also dream of a Noble Peace Prize.
HM: What kind of advertisers are you seeking for Girls and Corpses?
RSR: Those with money. You interested? Our first ad was for Lionsgate Films and the movie "Hostel," which we are also running a contest for prizes. Movie studios, record labels, and anyone else is invited to contact us for our advertising rates. We get amazing traffic, over a million hits a month. So, if you are interested please contact us at: info@girlsandcorpses.com
HM: What kind of responses do you tend to get from women who are approached to appear in the magazine?
RSR: A slap. Well, let's face it, it's kind of hard to approach a cute girl in the mall and say, "Hey, baby, you want to be in Girls and Corpses Magazine?" But, when I do see a beautiful girl, I first inquire if she had a verrry dark sense of humor and does she like horror. That usually gets me to phase two, finding out if she's ever modeled. Then, I flip her my G&C business card and we see if she calls. Many do. Which continues to amaze me. Maybe you can explain why girls want to do the freakiest thing imaginable, but won't kiss a guy on the first date? Anyhow, most of our models come to us through ads or My Space or Craigslist or agents and managers. So, if you are reading this and are interested in modeling, we are looking for Maxim type, fresh faces, 18 - 24 with killer figures. Please email us with a head shot and bikini shot (small file photos) to: info@girlsandcorpses.com Mention, Pretty Scary Magazine and we'll let you pet our corpse.
HM: Who is Girls and Corpses main competition?
RSR: We have competition?
HM: What girl would LOVE to have in the magazine?
RSR: Celebrities are the next goal for us. Can you imagine Angeline Jolie on the cover or Girls and Corpses Magazine? Well, either can she.
HM: Would you consider someone who is a reader of Girls and Corpses to be a latent necrophiliac? How do you feel about the necrophiliac community? Have you reached out to them? Do you think there might be a market for Boys and Corpses? For the gay men and the ladies out there who enjoy a good naked corpse?
RSR: Hmmm... reaching out to the necrophiliac community. Interesting way to put it. (Is there such a thing as a corpse reach-around?)
Now, I don't want to sound sexist or necrophobic, but do you really want to see dudes and corpses together? It loses something. (Though we will be doing a story about two corpse cowboys who go off fishing together -- called Brokeback Corpse).
Let's face it, women are just more beautiful to look at -- even women agree with that, straight or lesbian. That's why magazines like Playgirl have never struck a cord with women.
By the way, I've never met a necrophiliac I didn't like. Then, again I've never met a necrophiliac. (though some have written us).
HM: Where do you get the corpses? Do you make them yourself?
RSR: Make them? Surely, you jest. We get fresh corpses from grave robber Kevin Klemm of The Ed Gein Collection.
Kevin has connections to county morgues and medical schools all over the country. He's got some guys in South America who deliver in three days on ice.
HM: What demographic is most offended by Girls and Corpses?
RSR: We are an equal opportunity offender. Though I must say that corpses seem to be the most offended. We are fighting with a corpse activist group right now, who are saying that we are only portraying them as sexual objects. We'll let you know how we do in court. I'm sure it will put me in my grave.
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