Bettie Page is undoubtedly a legend known worldwide for her pinup, nude, and campy bondage photographs and her trademark bangs. Beloved by many different subcultures and an endless source of inspiration for artists, including the new documentary film Bettie Page Reveals All by Mark Mori, Bettie Page is clearly an icon. Read the full, unedited interview with director Mark Mori which was not included in its entirety in the issue.

interview by : Ashley Godwin

AUXILIARY ONLINE CONTENT
[ the full interview not included in the February/March 2013 Issue ]

What initially attracted you to Bettie Page’s story? Why did you think her story was important enough to produce a documentary about her?
Mark Mori : When I first [heard] about Bettie Page, my entertainment attorney had taken me to lunch, and he had a prepublication copy of Bettie Page: The Life of a Pinup Legend. That was in 1996. I recognized her image, but I didn’t know her name, and I didn’t really know her story until I read the book, but he was able to put me in direct contact with her. I just thought it was a great subject for a documentary.

What do you think is the single most important aspect of her life that has caused her to stand out so much in history?
MM : The most important thing to me is her attitude, her spirit, who she was. Just the force of her personality… and she’s completely unaware of the affect she has, and that’s part of her charm. This very intense sexiness combined with this disarming innocence, so it has an appeal to everybody. Like, Marilyn Monroe is a big unreachable movie star, but Bettie is, like, the every-person’s sex symbol.

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interview by : Vanity Kills
photographer : Jennifer Link
fashion stylist : Jennifer Link
makeup artist : Andrea Losecco
hair stylist : Jodie McGuire
models : Sarah Wintle & Vena Kayta

AUXILIARY ONLINE CONTENT
[ additional images not seen in the February/March 2013 Issue ]

Though not a milliner by trade, Rose Hemlock wears quite a few hats to perfection nonetheless. As creative director of Rose Mortem, she transposes femininity, tragedy, and innocence into gently ruched bodices, empire waistlines, and dramatically long lace cuffs; seamlessly weaving dark fantasy into each stitch. Coupled with bringing raiment relief to modern dames and dandies who feared that romance was destined to be relegated as a relic of the dusty past, Rose Hemlock will soon be delving into the realm of the ethereal with the upcoming launch of Faerie Clothing, a lighter sister label to her primary brand. In keeping with her status as a Renaissance woman, she lends her musical talents to The Awakening, finds time to flex her literary muscles, and raises two young boys (while wrangling two feisty felines to boot). Her expertise truly spans the gamut, and with ambition to spare it is doubtless that any task thrown at her would be accomplished with magnificence.
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Auxiliary’s own Hangedman had a chat with Sascha Konietzko, frontman of the legendary industrial band KMFDM. Sascha reflects on their new album Kunst and their upcoming tour, the wonderful and crazy place that is the United States, and what keeps KMFDM going strong after thirty years.

Sascha Konietzko is the magnetic front man for KMFDM as well as several other side projects. He’s a man who is unafraid to be outspoken in both his music and personal opinions. On the eve of the band’s 18th studio album Kunst, there is no sign of both him and his band stopping! Sascha joined Auxiliary’s own Hangedman for a conversation covering everything from Pussy Riot in Russia, living in America, children in Germany, and the amazing decades long legacy of music that has made KMFDM among the most forthright and enduring pioneers of industrial rock.

You have a new album coming out, Kunst, and you have this against a vast discography. What’s different about this album compared to the rest?
Sascha Konietzko : The newest one is always important to the artist. I think nearly every artist feels this way. I haven’t actually given much thought about it yet in regards to what is so different about it. Once you have spent twelve to fourteen months working on something it actually blurs your capability to be objective about it. We worked on Kunst for a little over a year and as usual without thinking too much about what is supposed to be done, things just kind of happened in such a way that it developed by itself.

read the full interview in the February/March 2013 Issue

Sisters Tish and Snooky are the owners of Manic Panic, the alternative cosmetics company founded in 1977 that provided American punks with the shocking hair colors that defined their look. Together they opened the first punk rock boutique in America, and saw their hotly hued style evolve from anti-fashion theatrics to mainstream celebration.

interview by : Ariana Paoletti
photographer : Ron Douglas
photography assistant : Jenn Kowalik

You’re sisters and it seems like you’ve always been joined at the hip. Can you tell us a little bit about your childhood?
T : As a matter of fact, a friend of ours who’s one of the founding members of the Alice Cooper band, Dennis Dunaway, he calls us the “Siamese sisters”, we’re so joined at the hip.
S : Sometimes we’ll say the exact same thing at the exact same time, sometimes we’ll just… start singing!
T : Which is very weird.
S : In the same key, at the same point in a song. It’s just so funny, it freaks people out!
T : Yes, we’re definitely… connected.
S : A psychic told us we were supposed to be twins, but somehow Tish was late.
T : I’m usually the late one.
S : There’s no one else in the world that we have such a history with. We’ve known each other longer than anyone else in the world! But we’ve always been like this; Siamese-y.

AUXILIARY ONLINE CONTENT
[ additional images not seen in the February/March 2013 Issue ]

BEHIND THE SCENES

photo assistant Jenn Kowalik and writer Ariana Paoletti with Tish and Snooky

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photo : Amanda Robertson-Hebert
interview : Jennifer Link

Dylan Madeley is the copy editor for Auxiliary Magazine and a frequent contributor. He conducts interviews and writes articles for Auxiliary as well as contributing his writing talents to additional copy and introductions throughout each issue. He brings several years of experience covering the Toronto dark alternative scene with toronto-goth.com and reviewing books for Morbid Outlook. He also makes a hobby of travel and concert photography. Having participated fruitfully in National Novel Writing Month for five consecutive years, he spends some of his efforts attempting to transform novelism from a hobby to a career.

What do you do at Auxiliary Magazine?
I am a copy editor and also a writer.

How did you join the magazine?
I found an Auxiliary Magazine table at the Bazaar of the Bizarre, a seasonal indoor alternative marketplace in Toronto. I gave them my business card. It actually took a couple of tries, because I recall later on being reintroduced to the editors by a mutual friend while at [FAT] Fashion Alternative Week in Toronto and having another go at joining. They were interested in my skills as an interviewer, and I had plenty of samples to give them. It all went pleasantly from there.

With a passion for travel and concert photography and a passion for writing, if you had to choose, which method do you prefer as a means of expression?
I feel much more serious as a writer and I feel more likely to communicate an intended message using words. I have a more complete skill set when it comes to writing, while at this point in my life photography is something I do mostly for fun and experience.

Do you think that the written word is just as important as an image?
I like the written word because I readily took to it as a form of expression in my youth, whereas I had a frustrating time with visual arts until I tried photography. I also place a great value on writing when it comes to keeping histories and traditions. For example, I have been challenged while researching some ancient European cultures for a novel idea because these particular cultures did not develop literacy until much later in history. What I have found instead are conflicting accounts from two different Roman writers, each of whom sought political gains from the opposite portrayals they were making. If you don’t write about your thoughts, thought processes, or values, you leave it to others to interpret how you live. They may not be as interested in how you see your world, or accuracy in general. In contrast, we not only have plenty of visual art to give us ideas about how Ancient Greece or Rome looked, and how people looked and dressed. We have surviving texts, like preserved thoughts. They help us understand the mindset and the values of the time.
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Jinxy and PS of Santa Hates You have been pounding out their unique brand of electro-industrial since 2007. This year sees them kick it into overdrive with their new album It’s ALIVE!.

interview by Mike Kieffer and Jennifer Link

Santa Hates You easily gets labeled as a side project of Project Pitchfork. Was it? Is it now? Do you see this label as negative? And do you do anything to combat this label?
PS : Santa Hates You is a fully fledged band. Jinxy writes most of the lyrics and I write the music to it. So it’s a team, a band. A side project is something you do “on the side”, while my working scheme is always fully concentrated on one project at a time.

Does Santa Hates You and Project Pitchfork have separate types of fans, and if so is there any conflict between the two, Pitchforks vs. Santas?
PS : There are various types of people in the scene. Some love Santa Hates You and also know and love Project Pitchfork. Some love Santa Hates You and hate Project Pitchfork. Some love Project Pitchfork and prefer not to know Santa Hates You. And there are of course people who hate Santa Hates You and hate Project Pitchfork as well. It’s still a mystery to us what kind of music they are listening to. Perhaps country and Western music.

read the full interview in the December/January 2012/2013 Issue

Killing Joke, the band that gave the world some of the first glimpses of goth and industrial, is at it again with the outstanding new album MMXII recently released in North America.

interview by : Mike Kieffer
introduction by : Paul Morin

Formed in the height of punk and postpunk, London’s Killing Joke carved a path in the history of music that even the most outrageous of their contemporaries couldn’t follow. Heavy, distorted guitars were cranked into the red with insistent, tribal rhythms thundering behind them, giving the world some of the first glimpses of the upcoming goth, metal, grunge, and industrial revolutions to come, while turning punk and noise on its head and slamming it all through the speakers with fierce political statements and bitter, nihilistic cynicism. Thirty plus years into the music business and still counting, Killing Joke remain as confrontational as ever and “the system” remains as in need of an overhaul.

Youth (AKA Martin Glover) was a founding member and bassist of Killing Joke. He took a brief hiatus from the band in the mid 80s or, rather, the band took a brief hiatus to Iceland to prepare for the end of the world. Youth followed, but returned to England when the prophecy didn’t pan out, and Killing Joke continued without him. As Killing Joke continued to record and the band took on various additions and subtractions, Youth appeared and disappeared from the lineup through the 90s and into the new millennium. In the meantime, Youth spent time as a producer, working with artists as diverse as The Orb, The Verve, and Tom Jones, and he continues to produce, remix, and perform. Now, Youth has returned to the fold (and has been a solid member since 2008), and with the world poised for doom and gloom again as the Mayan calendar comes to a close, it shouldn’t be much of a surprise that Killing Joke have returned with one of their strongest albums to date, the aptly titled MMXII, to give the world a soundtrack for the Horsemen of the Apocalypse (or whatever is slouching towards Bethlehem) to ride in on.

Auxiliary sat down with Youth to discuss his past, present, and future with the band and his recent recognition as The Man with the Golden Ear at the SOUNDEDIT festival.

A lot of bands don’t have the longevity that Killing Joke has had, plus continually releasing new relevant material. What circumstances have allowed this to happen?
Youth : Well the fact that I have not stopped recording and producing for the last thirty years is clearly a factor. Also Jaz is very active in the classical world, composing, conducting, and he does a few collaborations/productions. Big Paul is very active in the ancient art restoration scene in NYC and Geordie always has strong opinions. All adds to a volatile Molotov cocktail of possibilities.

read the full interview in the December/January 2012/2013 Issue

photo : Chrix Lanier
interview : Jennifer Link

Jessica Jewell is a frequent contributor to Auxiliary Magazine whose writing and photography spans the editorial spectrum, from lifestyle and media to music and unique features. A multi-facteted journalist, Jessica’s past experience includes: photography, magazines, multimedia, newspapers, and online news outlets; paralleled with a professional career in marketing. When she’s not on the hunt for her next story, you can find Jessica Jewell on the road for her next adventure. She loves the desert, trail running, street photography, fresh produce, and general mayhem.

What do you do at Auxiliary Magazine?
My territory spans the editorial landscape. I write and take photos for everything from: music, lifestyle, fashion, media, and event pieces. My fortes are music and personality profiles if I had to choose, though.

How did you join the magazine?
I was referred to Auxiliary by Saryn Christina, a contributing photographer, who I had actually modeled for in the past on other outside projects after the word got out through a mutual friend and collaborator about my pursuit of my true passion: alternative media and journalism.

What skills and experience from your background do you use as a contributor for Auxiliary?
I hold a degree in Journalism and contributed to a couple other publications prior to joining the Auxiliary team. I always loved photography. I had covered events and had done a few photo essays prior to joining; despite my past as a model, my aesthetic is more photojournalistic, raw, gritty portraits and street photography are my favorite. I have a talent for meeting unique people and exploring unusual places. I approach stories in a documentarian-style. I try to come from the standpoint of letting people think out loud and sitting back for both the interviewee and reader to find the content to be candid and organic, whether the story is told by writing or photography.

What is it about writing that is most appealing to you? How did you get started?
Writing has been the only constant in my life. I can express myself vulnerably and be honest. When I get into my writers’ mindset, I’m the only person on the planet and lose myself in a nebulous, timeless space. It’s a comfort and an affliction I wouldn’t give up for anything. In terms of journalism, I love the opportunity to meet new people doing incredible things and share it with the world. I’m eclectic and so are my subjects. I’ve been scribbling since I can remember. It’s always been my go-to medium ever since I was a kid. I started out as a poet, frequenting open mics and actually used to be a songwriter for a friend’s metal band. My innate curiosity and knack for meeting people led me to journalism after sometime. I do still write my psychobabble when I get a chance.

Do you think that the written word is just as important as an image?
Hard to say, I think it’s really dependant on the subject. In terms of journalism, an image sometimes speaks on levels that transcend words. They also can leave interpretation up to the viewer. Conversely, words can illustrate whole worlds to readers and provide such intimate details.

What artists out there (dead or alive) inspire you the most and why?
Diane Arbus, Charles Bukowski, and Sonic Youth. Their work has been a huge inspiration to my craft. I love visceral work that evokes instinctual reactions. No smoke and mirrors,just in your face, stomach-churning reality. I identify deeply with Arbus. Like she was, I’m immensely fascinated with people living on the fringes of society. I admire peoples’ unique tenacity and will to survive. Also like Arbus, I feel awkward and displaced from the status quo. It’s always been difficult to find a group I resonate with, and have been a drifter all my life. She photographed the people who didn’t have a voice and didn’t try to attach herself to the images. She sought to capture peoples’ raw essence. The photography wasn’t about the process or even the aesthetic, but about giving a platform to people snubbed by society, the freaks. “I work from awkwardness. By that I mean I don’t like to arrange things. If I stand in front of something, instead of arranging it, I arrange myself.” - Diane Arbus. “Most people go through life dreading they’ll have a traumatic experience. Freaks were born with their trauma. They’ve already passed their test in life. They’re aristocrats.” – Diane Arbus.

Where do you roam and frequent in Los Angeles?
As a self-proclaimed foodie, you can find me at different restaurants looking for my latest fix. My most recent addiction has been trekking out 45 minutes to Rosemead to sink my teeth into the tender skin of some unsuspecting dim sum.

What piece is a fashion staple in your closet?
Definitely my prized boots. I have a shoe problem, more specifically a boot problem. My favorite pair is a dark grey, knee high pair of military-inspired heeled boots with two rows of vintage buttons up each side the front. It’s not uncommon to see me wearing a torn-up t-shirt. I like feeling comfortable and slightly rough around the edges. I also love jackets. Lots and lots of jackets.

Do you think the fashion drives the music or the music drives the fashion?
Easy. The music. Fashion and lifestyle hinge on influences like music. The mood and aesthetic is set by the sound. Fahsionistas better thank their lucky stars for music. What do they draw so much of their inspiration from? The music, of course.

You have the power of time travel, what one live performance past or future would you attend?
So hard to choose! How about a top five (in no particular order): The Velvet Underground, Spacemen 3, Bark Psychosis, Sonic Youth, Jimi Hendrix.

What celebrity, musician, or notable person that you have met were you most star struck by?
I don’t really get start struck, honestly. It was interesting meeting Michael Hussar, Billy Corgan, and Peter Murphy though.

With a couple of beers in hand and a casual conversation, Auxiliary’s Hangedman sat down with the nicest guys ever, that is, Toronto industrial/electronic heroes E~N and Arc of DYM. Excited about their second full album release, Technocratic Deception, due in December on Deathwatch Asia and in January on Vendetta Music, DYM shared their thoughts on their creative process, the scene, the state of industrial music, and how it all fits into their grand plan for total dance floor domination.

interview by : Hangedman
photographer : Adrian Onsen

AUXILIARY ONLINE CONTENT
[ additional images not seen in the December/January 2012/2013 Issue ]

view the full feature in the December/January 2012/2013 Issue

Rachel Maloney, AKA Tonikom is a New York City based solo musician specializing in very cool, very current, atmospheric electronic music. She borrows from many different electronic music palettes then reinvents it into her own unique sound, capturing the attention of many ears. Tonikom’s amazing talent can be heard in her discography of six albums. Her sixth and most recent release is Found and Lost from Hymen Records. Tonikom joined Auxiliary’s Hangedman via Skype to talk about her music, her new album, and everything Tonik!

interview by : Hangedman
photographer : Ron Douglas
fashion stylist : Gillian Leigh Bowling

Let’s talk about the new album; this album is appropriately named Found And Lost. This is an exciting album for everyone because it seems like a lifetime since the last, much acclaimed, 2009 The Sniper’s Veil. Can you tell us about the journey from Sniper to Found And Lost?
Tonikom : Sure, this album is very purposely titled, the reverse of what we’re normally used to hearing. I went from creating a lot of work, creating a lot of music, producing a tremendous amount, and then going to creating none at all. It was a really tough time for me. As much as I wanted to create music I just couldn’t. I came off of my 2009 tour; we did a little mini tour in Europe. We played all these shows, and it was a whirlwind tour and I got like three hours of sleep. It was really exciting and a lot of fun but I got home and I just kind of crashed.

Like creative block kind of thing?
T : Yeah! I just got into this kind of terrible gray nothingness that was in my brain whenever I tried to sit down and start to work in the studio or kind of play around on the laptop. It was just brutal. I just had the most difficult time with it and I started to realize that I really couldn’t force myself to do it. There was no real deadline I could enforce or try to sell myself, okay in three months I’m going to make one track, or I’m going to do a little bit of sound design and that’s it! None of that worked. I finally realized that I really just had to let go, and walk away and be okay with that, be okay with having total lack of control over whatever creative outlets I have in my life. I just had to be like, “okay, I can’t do anything right now, and I have to be okay with that, and if it comes back it comes back and whenever it does come back it’s just going to be due to circumstances beyond my control.”

And we’re all very happy it did come back!
T : As am I. I find music very cathartic and it’s a very therapeutic thing for me. It does not matter if I’m working on a really upbeat track or a really low-key track, sometimes it kind of lulls me into almost sleep, which is something I really don’t get a lot of. [laughs] So, anything that gets me into that really calm state is very satisfying.

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