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Real Name: BLACK
Stage Name: Lobster Boy/Black Scorpion "The Worst Magician
in the World!"
 SSW:
I'd like to begin the interview by having you give us a
little background about yourself?
LB:
Born in Texas. Live in Austin. I am a director at a
local news station.
I like the ladies; I have a wiener dog named Delaney
Valentine and a cat named O.G.B. or Mister Adventures if
you're nasty.
SSW:
Is
that all you have to share?
LB:
Ummm, let's see I like
getting tattoo's, would like to not be poor and in debt,
I write lyrics and play the keys for my band Built By Snow
www.builtbysnow.com
or www.myspace.com/builtbysnow
SSW:
What was it the got you interested in the Sideshow?
LB: I met
Joe Hermannaka
the Amazing Mr. Lifto here in Austin after my best friends
wedding. He works at an awesome bar down here on 6th called
Casino El Camino and he was the
1st person who'd ever made me feel good about my hands and
feet. My interests in his world led me to the ?Freak Show?.
Him and fate.
SSW:
He was
the 1st person who'd ever made me feel good about my hands
and feet, what was your perspective before you me Joe?
LB:
I really didn't think of them as a gift
more as that little something that keeps me from living a
normal happy life like on the "Cosby Show". Now from touring
I've found that, especially magicians, think that they are
awesome.
Lifto was just the 1st person of many who pointed out how lucky I
am.
SSW: I know that in this politically correct world the title
of Freak causes a lot of people problems, Your shows mission
statement is changing the world one Freak at a time. How do
you relate to the title and what was your life like before
you entered show business?
LB: Well at 1st I thought this was all going to be some joke
I could write a novel around, but then when I met these
people I learned that they/we literally are changing the
world one freak at a time each time we are together, weather
it be on stage or off, if you get us all together at once
people will definitely turn their heads to look. I mean I can
not even tell my friends about things we do cause it always
sounds like the beginning of a joke,
"So the half girl, our dwarf and I, Lobster Boy, walk into a
bar," but there is no punch line we really did just go into
a bar, got drinks and played pool.
SSW:
I learned that they/we
literally are changing the world, how are you changing the
world?
LB:
By letting people know
that the "freaks" are not any different from "you" the
audience. It amazes me that people still do not realize
this, but together we can change people perceptions on a lot
of issues. I mean look at kids in high schools today,
killing each other over what, because someone is overweight
and so let's make fun of them and torture them for it...jebus,
have we not learned anything, it's all sad and if we can
show that having bumpy skin or no legs and even weird
lobster like hands still have value and can live happily
with who they are than maybe some kid won't kill himself for
being on the heavy side.
SSW:
You get us all
together at once people will definitely turn their heads to
look, how do you feel about all of the attention? Has it
been positive?
LB:
Well any publicity is good publicity.
Attention is attention, good and bad. I like the attention
when I'm up on stage, afterwards if I don't want it I can
put my hands in my pockets and hideout in a corner, but
that's just me, freakshow or not.
SSW: Was your life difficult before you entered show
business?
LB: Whose isn't and it has become more difficult since. The
only different is now I have more options for my future?
hopefully.
SSW:
Whose isn't and it has become more
difficult since. How has it become more difficult?
LB:
Because going on tour will make you
crazy and this was my 1st one ever and on top of that with
real life Freaks! But in the end I've learned I am by far
and away the Freakiest Freak of them all, cause my mind goes
to some weird places...I have awarded myself a PhD in
Freakology, because what college offers that course, so I
have the power to do that myself...you can't be taught that,
you gotta learn it!
SSW:
Freakology? You can't be taught that, you gotta learn it!
Would you explain what you mean by that?
LB:
I'm just joking around, it's like Hunter S. Thompson
purchasing a doctorate in Divinity by mail order and
referring to himself as a Doctor of Journalism. I mean what
institution could argue with the credits and curriculum in
which I earned my title?
SSW: How has your perspective changed since you've been in
the s how?
LB: It's been turned upside down. I feel like Alice after
going through the rabbit hole.
SSW:
Alice after going
through the rabbit hole, could you give use a little insight
in to what you mean?
LB:
Well before this adventure I was apart of
the "normal" world, numbed out on anti-depressants making it
though the days and weeks. Now I'm slowly breaking down
walls I've built around myself and learning
what essentially makes me happy...Performing, writing, my
dog, and hot showers. Oh yeah and nekkid women.
SSW:
How has it changed your life?
LB: It's completely changed my life and I'm not even sure in
how many ways just yet.
SSW:
I'm not sure in how many
ways yet, has it affected your day job, friends, and family?
LB:
The 1s t
few weeks back I was pretty much insane from all the
attention...attention on my hands which for the most part
were never really an issue I brought up, then I couldn't
stop talking about it all and seemed a bit obsessed. Now I'm
getting back to balancing everything out in my mind. If you
want to read up on some of what I was going through at the
time my MySpace Page shows just how wacky I felt.
www.myspace.com/tasmin2
SSW:
The show community is a closed group for the most part; they
take care of their own. Historically when folks were out on
the road the Town's were outsiders to the show folks. They
had a lot of mistrust about show people, what has your
experience been in your travels and do you think they are
different than what others have experienced?
LB:
Wow that's an eyeful. Ummm, I think our country is suffering
a lot right now and most communities have seemed to welcome
us and our message. I mistrust general anyone until I get to
know them one-on-one so I do not want to let my two day
experience in a town reflect upon a whole community. And I
can't speak for other's experience on the road, but as
Tenacious D sings, "The Road is a B-I-itch my friend"
SSW: What does your family think of you working in the
sideshow?
LB: My mother loves it and believes, as I do, that this show
in some small way may help someone else. 
SSW:
I've felt like an outsider most of my life, I like things
outside of the norms, that's one of the reasons I enjoy the
shock and amazement of the sideshow, would you give us some
idea of how you fill you fit into the world and how has the
effected where you are now in your life?
LB:
Hmm, I don't believe in the "norm". I mean I do not believe
anyone is normal because most people get what they think is
the "norm" from some TV show produced in a town where cops
kill people, people kill cops and people kill people, and no
one seems to care. Since hopping in and out of this tour
I've seen a lot of different folks and none of them were
normal. In fact I'd go on record as saying we ?The Freaks?
were not the strangest folks at our shows. The audiences
were great though, but there were some crazies out there as
well!
SSW:
What would you tell someone interested in running away and
joining the sideshow?
LB:
I would respond with, "What are ya' some kind of Freak?"
But in all seriously, people should foll ow
their hopes and dreams, as well as remaining responsible to
those who care about them and always stay true to who you
are. And then I'd call them a "raging lunatic"
and ask them to leave me be, rabid vultures!
SSW:
Where do you think the show will go in the future?
LB:
I don't know as a show, I guess as long as people what to
see it? As a family we will always be connected somehow. I'd
really like to see about a "reality show", I've worked in TV
for a while and know that with these people/freaks that we
have what seems like a perfect vehicle for our sideshow and
message and could sell to the general public. We've got the
perfect key for the audience to relate to in me, I mean I
put my hands in my pockets and look like I could be "your"
son, take my hands out and now I have a pass into the "Freak
World" and the audience would hopefully feel comfortable
watching me learn the business and this weird world. I could
see on A&E after "Inked" and "Mind Freak",
we'd be the "Freak House" and they could brand it as
"A&E's Freak Night."
SSW:
Would you like to be apart of it?
LB:
There's no question I'll somehow be connected with the show,
because they're family to me now. But then again who knows
if they'd even want me back...I mean, I am quite the "Diva"
and have grand illusions of being the man who might
revolutionize the world of magic when I can't even spell it.
So yeah if they can handle me being, in my own mind, the
"Ultimate Freak" and we could make some money to keep going
and pay some bills, than yes I wouldn't do it!
Did I get you?
I love the written word, to bad I'm like the lyric from
"Smells like Teen Spirit", "I'm worst at what I do best".
But yes I might do more shows. I'm also interested in
venturing out to other shows to learn from other folks about
this all. So call me folks if you want to fly the one and
only tattooed, magician lobster bro to your venue, even
freaks gotta eat.
SSW:
Is there anyone you would like to thank?
LB:
My Momma, Ed, my bad-ass brother Drew, my brother JP and his
wife Momma Voss, Natalie, Andy, Robert, my band mates in "Built
By Snow" Rad Winterbottom, Brandon Stein!, Matt "Mad
Dog" Murray and Ben "the Bomb" Bauer.
As well as Lifto, TJ Walker, Dusty Granberry, my Dad,
Reverend Doctor Stephen Strange, David Grohl, My All-Round
Advisor Kyle Tullos, as well as his wife Ashley,
LowRent, Sam X., HEA, Jackie, Ken, Richard B., JoBi, Shiri,
Dylan, Deidre, Elizabeth
http://www.phreeque.com/
, Toad Packer, JoJo Khrist
and of course the 999 Eyes ov Endless Dreams and That
Damned Band.
And if you'd like to see more of some stuff I've done with
my pals than check out my pal Harrison's Page for some
funny videos at
http://www.awshaddup.com/
Werd
out and hope to see you soon, look out for me on the road
because I'm learning magic and have some kick ass tricks
down like the self tying shoelaces, the humming card
and more freak stories!
I would like
to thank Black for taking the time to do this interview with
Sideshow World.
John Robinson
Sideshow World
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