Wretchedly Wonderful: One-On-One with The Boulet Brothers

Hello, uglies!

Fresh from the deepest depths of Hell, the Boulet Brothers are the drag mothers the world needs to see more of. Known individually as Dracmorda and Swanthula, they have changed the landscape of queer entertainment for more than 15 years by simply giving a platform to weirdos, misfits, and outcasts. Along with serving charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent, they are giving us drag, filth, horror, and glamour. 

The powerhouse duo is known for creating legendary nightlife events and have always been celebrated for their inclusive nature, but they rose to great prominence in 2016 after opening the doors for drag monsters across the country to showcase their looks and talents in a competition series called The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula. Consistently leveling up in production and entertainment value, the show not only proves that drag is everywhere, but that it exists in various shapes.

Dracmorda and Swanthula caught up with OFM to talk more about Dragula, which recently wrapped up its fourth season, as well as having visibility on the show, why LGBTQ people resonates with the horror genre, and kicking off the official Season Four tour with their twisted troupe of supermonsters

I would like to begin by asking, what are you looking forward to the most about the upcoming Season Four tour of The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula?

Drac: While we love and enjoy tormenting contestants and audiences on television, there simply is no substitute for the real thing! Drag is most certainly best experienced live.

SWAN: The Season Four tour is an experience unto itself, and we love sharing the energy, gore, and glory with a live audience. Additionally, we get such a thrill to watch our monsters on stage entertaining the crowds and receiving the love they deserve.

Season Four concluded in December, and it was quite a wild ride. Is there a moment that stood out to you the most?

DRAC: It really was a wild ride.

SWAN:  I think that the decision to put forward a final four instead of a top three was certainly a standout moment on Season Four. The entire cast was so stellar this season, it was impossible to narrow it down to just three monsters. Everyone was performing at such a high level and came from such a distinct perspective as a queer artist. We felt each of them had earned a spot in the grand finale episode. 

You even had to intervene with the workroom drama. Were you surprised by how vicious it was getting?

DRAC: We’ve seen our share of greenroom drama and cat fights, but the drama this season was literally bubbling out of the cauldron. It was a little surprising to see the temperature rise so high, but ultimately, I think it reflected the intensity of the competition. 

Dahli won the competition, and Saint was one of the runners-up. Both competed on previous seasons, as well as The Brothers’ Boulet Dragula: Resurrection. Do you think they had more of an advantage over the other contestants?

SWAN: I don’t think so. Experience on the show may have given them a sense of knowing what filming might feel like, but every cast and season of the show is extremely different. Nothing can prepare you for the personalities you will be pitted against or the challenges you might face on any given season.

DRAC: Also, if you can’t perform and perform consistently, you will go home. Season Four was a great example of that. Some contestants would win one week and be up for extermination or elimination the very next week. You either have your skills sharpened or you don’t, and no amount of filming previously can replace that.

In your eyes, what specifically made Dahli a winner?

DRAC: I want to start by saying all four of our finalists could have won and held the title of Dragula. They were all that good.

SWAN: Dahli won this season because they outperformed the rest.  Dahli is a natural stage performer with magnetism and strength. It didn’t matter if they were portraying a campy Nosferatu creep at the beach, a bridge troll, or a rock ‘n’ roll god; the spirit of a performer shined through all of them. It’s that spirit that earned them the win.

Can we expect another season of Resurrection or another version of All Stars in the future?

SWAN: We have such sights to show you! There are talks about another Resurrection special, but it may not be what audiences are expecting. 

DRAC: We also plan to find new and exciting ways to feature the artists that audiences know and love from previous seasons. As you get to know us more, you will learn to expect the unexpected.

I was very excited to hear that Dragula was renewed for a fifth season. Can you tell us anything about it yet?

SWAN: That is in its complete infancy stages, but we will approach it with the same excitement and intensity we’ve approached the previous seasons. We want to keep things pushing forward on all fronts. More drag, more drama, more fear, and more death.

Dragula has  been inclusive since the beginning and has celebrated ‘AFAB’ queens, drag kings, nonbinary performers, and trans performers.’ How important is that visibility to you?

SWAN: That visibility is extremely important because it is real. Women have been doing drag forever. Trans performers have been a part of the drag community forever. Drag kings have been around forever. The queer community is diverse, vibrant, and amazing, so naturally, we would have our cast reflect that.

Why do you think queer people resonates with the horror genre so much?

DRAC: Queer people resonate with the horror genre so much for many reasons. There is actually a very rich history of queerness and horror on the silver screen, and queer coding has been a part of Hollywood history for almost a century. For decades, “cross-dressers,” trans people, homosexuals, and basically anyone who wasn’t straight and cis were portrayed in films as mentally ill, murdering psychopaths.

Being vilified is something many queer people have always been able to relate to, and here we have the film world literally conflating queerness with the monsters in horror movies. Examples would include Silence of the Lambs, Dressed to Kill, Texas Chainsaw, Massacre, Psycho, Sleepaway Camp, Fright Night, Interview with the Vampire, The Bride of Frankenstein, Dracula’s Daughter, and the list goes on. 

SWAN: There is also an element of being able to relate to the monsters because like the monsters in horror, queer people are often misfits and outcasts. Take Frankenstein’s monster, for example. He is an abomination that has no place in society. In fact, he is so misunderstood that a mad mob hunts him down to be destroyed. It is sad, but these are relatable narratives to a lot of queer people.

Are you two still hosting the Creatures of the Night podcast? If so, how is that going, and what can we expect on future episodes?

SWAN: Yes we are! We adore Creatures of the Night, and we were excited to be able to include a segment on the finale episode of The Boulet Brothers Dragula. As far as the future, you can expect more hauntings of history, more interviews from the horror world, and more blood spilled about all our upcoming projects.

Are there any horror movies coming out this year you are most excited about?

DRAC: We are both extremely excited about the upcoming Halloween Kills!

Stay up-to-date and connect with Dracmorda and Swanthula by following them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @BouletBrothers, or visit their official website, bouletbrothersdragula.com. 

Photos courtesy of Scott Kirby