Dragula has produced some incredibly horrificly talented queens, each had various personalities that were so loud some were shrouded away. Now shining brightly after their brief stint on the show is Felony Dodger, although appearing in the very first episode and gone way too soon, this queen is armed with wise words as well as fantastic creative looks, so whats next for this queen?
DragAdventures: How did your drag career start and what made you choose the name ‘Felony Dodger’ and what led you to the path of portraying your drag character?Felony Dodger: The first time I did drag was at the Radical Faerie Sanctuary in the United States. The Radical Faeries and the Mattachine Society were one of the first (some argue the very first) gay activist group in the United States. Today they hold gatherings and events to celebrate pride, raise money for HIV and Aids, and spread awareness of gay politics.
They held a drag show on a camping trip that I attended. In the woods with a crappy blue tooth speaker and an outfit collected from other people’s old clothes, I did my first ever drag performance. After that, I did drag here and there for fun at parties.
At that point in my life I decided that I was partying too much I got 100% sober from any and all substances. No alcohol, no weed, and no drugs. That was almost three years ago.
When I got sober I took on sewing as a hobby. With an old sewing machine that someone gave me I spent time doing crafts in place of the time I spent partying. My love for sewing took over. I began adding flair to my clothes. I started buying clothes from the thrift store and reshaping them to fit me. I finally began sewing outfits from scratch. I loved it. I would wear my custom made outfits out in drag for fun. Sewing elevated my other hobby of “dress up” to a professional level. It was at this time that “Felony Dodger” came to life as a conceptualized and premeditated character.
That was about 2& 1/2 years ago now. I have done a lot in a very short amount of time. I have getting sober to thank for my drive and passion for drag.
DA: Your type of drag is based on horror, what made you venture into that aspect of drag and who inspires you to create such looks?
FD: The name “Felony Dodger” was gifted to me. My taste in music, movies, and culture are all heavily dated between the 1920’s and 1940’s. I like jazz, film noir, old Hollywood, gangsters, desaturated photography, sepia film grain, static radio, and speakeasy attitude.
A friend of mine suggested “Felony” as a name and it stuck. It was in tune with my aesthetic. It was a seductive roger-rabbit-type absurd criminal name and I loved it. The last name “Dodger” fit the snide gangster mentality and also served as a last name for the social media requirements. I tell people that punk rock and old Hollywood are the keywords to Felony’s style.
DA: Do you feel you were fully prepared for the experience?
FD: I thought I was fully prepared for the show. I was ready for everything. I believe my “newness” to drag was my limitation.
DA: Season two of Dragula had a very varied bunch of queens but also had a lot of very big personalities. Did you find it hard to not get involved in the drama that seemed to surface from the start?
FD: There were large personalities on the show. If I had another chance I would not hesitate to assert myself into the mix while remaining a fair component.
DA: What was the process for the show from auditioning, getting on the show, and after the airing on the show?
FD: I loved the concept of Dragula. To me, it is more fun than Drag Race. I applied for both shows in the same year because I wanted to bring my drag to a global scale by any means. The fact that Dragula called me back instead of Drag Race was a blessing. The Boulet Brother’s glorify faggotry and the show is bringing that attitude to a global scale. This is big for the gay community. I was lucky enough to be around and compete in the Dragula live shows in Los Angeles a few years ago before the idea became a TV show.
I find Drag Race to be a bit prude even though I admire it and passionately support it. Drag Race is a show that primarily features female impersonators. These girls are very talented.
I do not discredit them or that show, I just find myself to be something outside of female impersonation. When I put on drag I am creating a caricature. She is a cartoon, she is a villain, she is a monster, She is a singer, she is an actor, she is a woman, but least important is she a “female impersonator”. Dragula functions on the principals of Filth, Horror, and Glamour. I am proud to be all three. The “Drag” facet (to me) is merely an homage to the unapologetic visibility of our gay culture. An umbrella term used to categorize us as proud faggots.
DA: If you could go back would you do it all again and if so – what would you change/do differently this time around?
FD: I was the least experienced queen on the show. I had been doing drag the least amount of time out of all of the girls. I had the spirit of Dragula in my heart. I think the Boulet’s saw the spark in me and wanted to help me reach my potential. I also believe that my experience with drag was not enough for their expectations and I fell short in their eyes. I hold no resentments because the Boulet’s still support me, book me, encourage me, and compliment me and my craft.
They have brought me into their “house” and it has helped me to grow. I have more drive now than ever for my drag. Getting eliminated first came with a great feeling of rejection, but sometimes things don’t go our way and the greatest lesson we can learn is humility.DA: What would be the best advice to a queen who wants to venture further afield and apply for a show like Dragula?
FD: If you want to apply for Dragula remember to explain why you are Filth, Horror, and Glamour. These are the principals of Dragula. They are the most important. For my audition tape, I skinned an animal in drag, rode my bicycle in drag, and got fucked in the ass in drag while lip syncing. I embodied the principals of Dragula. Be literal and clear with the principals. In addition to this show your personality. Dragula is not the time to have reservations or hesitations.
DA: Was there a particular challenge you really wish you could have made it to? What kind of looks could we of seen?
FD: I was really excited about the Wedding Challenge. I was “gothic renaissance meets the exorcist” I eventually will put the look online for everyone to see. It was finished and I never had the chance to show it. It was essentially a vandalized cathedral window featuring mother Mary with large spiky titties and a big spiky dick.
DA: Dragula has become a huge hit in the UK, do you think fans are searching for out of the box drag and want to see various aspects of drag? Can the UK expect to see you in the near future?
FD: Dragula will be in the UK soon. I will not be there, but the more popular girls will be there. I hope to be there one day myself, but for today I am in Los Angeles trying to perfect my craft.
DA: Where can fans catch you next and what future projects can we see from Felony Dodger?
FD: I am currently making new looks and numbers in hopes to get my youtube channel more popular. I have a very small foot into the global news feed, hopefully, by making internet content I can keep my global audience and grow it into a popular youtube channel. I am currently playing Dungeons and Dragons with Disasterina and Biqtch Puddin’ every week on Twitch.tv for fun. We hope to keep an internet presence going.
To keep up to date with Felony Dodger you can find her on the following social media:
Youtube: Felony Dodger
Facebook: Felony Dodger
Instagram: @felonydodger
