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The sixth season of The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula just ended and once again Dracmorda and Swanthua Boulet have delivered a sickening season of horror, filth and glamor featuring some of the best drag monsters the world has to offer. This season, Black trans drag artist Asia Consent was crowned America’s Next Drag Super Monster after delivering look after disgusting look that combined the glamor of a pageant queen with the filthy sensibility of John Waters. Her dedication to that aesthetic won her the crown and it looks quite nice perched atop that bloody, monstrous head.
In honor of her recent win, we spoke with Asia Consent over Zoom about starting drag at 16, telling important stories through art, and poop. There’s a lot of talk about poop. Plus we dig in to two of her true loves: Art the Clown and video games.
Dread Central: So you were just telling me you were with your community last night in Portland seeing this win. What does this mean for you to be crowned America’s Next Drag Super Monster on The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula?
Asia Consent: Oh my goodness. Honestly, it just means that all of the years, all the hard work that I put in was exactly how it should have been. I’ve been trying to get on The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula for three seasons now, and the third time is a charm. And also, I want to say to anyone out there, just never give up on your dream. You have to make time for it, and if you want it bad enough, you can make it happen for yourself. So yeah, honestly, just never give up, put in the time, put in the hard work because it’ll be worth it.
DC: Well, you said in the episode that you started drag at 16, right?
AC: I did, yes, I did. So in Portland there’s an underage club. It’s called The Escape. It’s not there anymore, but at the time, that’s when I started going out in drag. Yeah, it was very interesting. I never thought I would’ve been able to do that with so many shows and everything being 21+. But I was very fortunate that Portland had a scene for that. And also, I went to college early. So I started going to college at 16 and I was a part of the Gay Straight Alliance that they had there. And we did quarterly drag shows. So I also got to do drag there. Yeah, it was just very special being a part of that in my own community.
DC: Wait, that’s amazing. Wait, thank you, Portland, for having those spaces.
AC: Yes, I know! Portland is sickening
DC: It’s so cool that you were able to be in that environment at such a young age and have that acceptance.
AC: Oh yes. And I started watching RuPaul’s Drag Race and everything when I was 12. So I’ve always been a mega drag fan. Then I immediately was like, “Oh, this is what I want to do.” I will say I was a very introverted, shy child, so I was like, “I don’t know how I’m going to get on stage, but I’m going to eventually make it happen for me.” Here I am all the years later and I still can’t imagine this is my job and this is my life. It’s still so surreal.
DC: It’s so cool. And you get to be a monster! Your looks are disgusting., and I mean that with so much love. Watching the finale looks, the filth one had me literally gagging because it was so gross, but so incredible. So I wanted to hear about crafting that look.
AC: Oh, yes, with the filth. Yeah, that one initially I was like, there’s so many routes you could go with filth. And I showed it throughout the season as, but I wanted to be slightly camp and just have it be very traditional filth, just have it be very literal. And of course, what’s more nasty than a piece of poop? Everyone hates poop. So I was like, “Lemme go ahead and do this.”
I used a lot of spray foam and paint and everything for that. My favorite was using real corn for it too. It was very, I know, gross. I’ll say it hasn’t held up well. It’s in my storage unit, with the bugs and the corn, but I’ll still wear it though.
DC: You still have it??
AC: I still have everything from the show! I want to cherish everything that I have from the show. So eventually we’ll see about downsizing, but right now I still have all of it. Even me being in the bottom, I still have that whole outfit, too.
DC: How could you get rid of all of these pieces of art??
AC: The thing is to all of our costumes and everything, we spend so much time working on all of them. When I make a costume, it’s my baby. I can’t get rid of that. I’ve even thought of doing commissions for other drag artists, but I’m like, “No, I can’t.” Once I make a costume, this is my baby. I can’t just get rid of it. I don’t care what the price is.
DC: You’re literally pouring blood, sweat, and tears into it. How could you get rid of it? It is like birth, especially that nasty Mommy Dearest look you had. I just watched that movie this year and getting to see that look, it is just gorgeous.
AC: Thank you. That one was really special to me too, because I love my mom, so this is the most demented tribute to my mom for sure. She’s my number one supporter. Even when I was 16, that’s when I started transitioning. I came out at 14, but I started taking hormones and changing my name and everything when I was 16. And that was when we were at the brokest part of our life. She was working three jobs, could barely afford to even hit rent, and she was still managed to be able to get me clothes for my transition and help me get hormones, changed my name and all that.
She’s the best mom I could have ever imagined for my life. She not only supported my transness, but also me being just a little weirdo. She’s always been my number one supporter. Love her.
DC: OK, so I work at Dread Central. Dread Central is owned by the people who initially put out Terrifier. So I have to ask you about Art The Clown, because of your first look. Why Art the Clown? What about him has been such an influence on you?
AC: It’s funny. I didn’t actually see the first Terrifier movie until the second one was already out. And my friend was like, “Girl, you have to see this, see this? This is everything.” So I started with the first one and I just was blown away by the performance that David Howard Thornton did. He’s just so phenomenal. Art the Clown is so nasty, but also so campy as well. And that’s what I really enjoyed about his character. He will rip you to shreds, throw poop on you, but then also will be giggling the whole time. I just loved how he’s so into it and just so silly still on top of it all. That’s what really attracted me to his character.
DC: Hell yeah. Have you seen the third one yet?
AC: I did. I really enjoyed the third one. It felt like the special effects they had on that one were truly the best out of the entire franchise for me. It was so good. It’s so gross. I went to the preview. I was watching it in my Art The Clown merch. So hopefully I’ll get called for a cameo for the fourth movie, but we’ll see.
DC: Oh my God. Please, let’s get Asia Consent in the next Terrifier movie please and thank you.
AC: Yes, Damien Leone, hit me up!
DC: Yes, please. We’re manifesting it. To go back to your finale looks, your horror look was incredible and so different in terms of what the other competitors created. You created such a cathartic story with your look. Did it feel cathartic for you in being able to create something like that and show it to the world on stage?
AC: When I made that, I was very nervous to perform that one because it’s such a meaningful thing to not only me, but also so many other people out there. I didn’t want it to be like I was mocking it or anything. This is something that I’ve truly experienced, and it can be really truly horrific. And I’ve had a history with self-harm myself, and also suicidal ideations, depression and everything with that.
So I really wanted to show, especially now where I’m at in my life, that I am truly happy with my life, and that you can come from the trenches and really rise above it all. You just have to find love in the people around you. You have to find love in yourself, and you just have to really just enjoy and be happy with what you’re doing in your life to be able to get past that point. So I’m glad that I was able to share that on the stage with not only the drag production, but also the entire world. It was a little nerve wracking going into it, but I’m glad that it was well received.
DC: Oh, I can imagine. I’ve dealt with similar things in my life, so when growing up, I didn’t get to see a lot of this stuff talked about. So being able to see that you taking that and putting it into art, it’s so special. Especially because I know a lot of younger people watch these shows, and it’s amazing to be able to use art to tell a story like that and maybe give words to people who might not know exactly how to share how they’re feeling. It’s just incredibly impactful.
AC: Oh, thank you. I know a lot of younger people watch The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula. That’s really why I wanted to showcase something like that was. When I was going through it, I was younger as well, and you think the whole world’s going to end. It may seem big in the moment, but it might be minuscule in the grand scheme of things. So if you are going through it right now or have been going through it, just know that it’s not the end of the world. Whatever you’re going through, you can push through it, and there are going to be better times that are going to come through your life. So just stay strong and really lean on your community for anything that you may need.
DC: Especially now we are in a time where community is more important than ever, so find that community and stick with them and protect them.
AC: Exactly! I was just saying, with all the political times and everything right now, I feel very privileged to be a part of The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula franchise because drag in general is already on the fringe of society, but then also alternative drag is the fringe of that. And what a better time to not only show that we’re not going anywhere no matter what’s going on with the political climate, but that also we’re not afraid to also have a Black trans artist fronting this as well. So I feel very fortunate and privileged to be in my position right now.
DC: And fuck yeah for The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula showing up for everyone. You won this season, NioHuru X, a Chinese trans artist won last season. It’s just amazing what The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula is doing to showcase all different kinds of alternative drag. It’s neat.
AC: Oh yeah. The entire winner circle, too, is so diverse. Even the first winner was Latin trans artist [Vander Von Odd]. We also have a drag king [Landon Cider] as a winner, and it’s phenomenal. I feel very fortunate be a part of not only the The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula franchise, but The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula winner circle. It feels so insane. This is so cool. Like where am I right now? [Laughs]
DC: I love your name, Asia Consent, which is obviously a play in words. But how did you land on that name? Was it your name from the beginning when you started drag, or has it shifted?
AC: Yeah, so actually I’ve had a couple drag names and they’ve all been a little controversial, I will say. But my first drag name was Aborsha Clinique. I really loved that name, but it was hard to get booked with that. So I was like, “OK, maybe I should change this. And then Hermaphro-dite [a play on Aphrodite] was another name that I had just because being a trans woman, I’ve been called hermaphrodite a lot. But I didn’t want to be disrespectful to anyone who was intersex that actually have had that word used to target them. So I didn’t feel like that was really the best for me.
Eventually Asia Consent, that was the third and last drag name for me. I was actually watching Drag Race season 10, I believe, and Asia O’Hara was on it. I was just watching the show with my friends and I was like, “Oh my God, Asia sounds like age of,” and then we just were spitballing a little bit. Then I finally landed on Asia Consent.
A lot of people feel like the name is controversial, and that’s a part of it. I want people to talk about it. But also I’ve had my struggles with being trans and dating. I’ve had instances where it’s like, “This maybe wasn’t the best situation.” That’s part of the reason why I wanted to stick with Asia Consent because I feel like it’s important to talk about how consent is sexy and consent is mandatory. I’m glad that my name does stand for something like that.
DC: I know it’s so new and it’s so exciting, but what does your future look like?
AC: Right now I’m doing a lot of, I would say, technically touring. I’ve been going everywhere across the United States. I’m super excited to meet all the fans. I’ve met so many incredible fans already, and I just can’t wait to meet even more. There’s so many little weirdos out there, and I can’t wait to hug ’em all and be nasty for all of them. I also really want to also stream playing video games as I talk about on the show. I love Dead by Daylight. That’s definitely one game I will be playing. But I also like other games like Fortnite and farming games and stuff. So I’ll definitely stream on my own channel.
DC: Are you a Stardew Valley person?
AC: Yes, I’ve played Stardew Valley. I love it, it’s so, so good. I have the mods and stuff. I’m a nerd with that.
DC: I don’t want to even share how many hours I’ve played of that game, but I just started a new one because of the holidays. It is everything to me.
AC: I know. I think honestly, in total, I think I might have 500 on it right now. [Laughs]
DC: Okay, cool. So we’re in a similar boat. I also love when horror people are like, “Yes, I love all of the scary stuff. And also I will play the Coziest cutest game of all time because I contain multitudes.”
AC: I feel like a lot of people think The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula and that we’re spooky and everything. But we’re still people at the end of the day. We’re like any other drag artist, we just have a little more nastiness to us.
The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula is streaming now on Shudder. Stay tuned for more information about their upcoming tour with Asia Consent!
Categorized:Interviews
