Full unzipped interview

October 13, 2009 · By sebastien

Update: check out our original news article announcing the Unzipped vampire issue, and some outtakes.

The questions and my unedited answers from the interview fro Unzipped magazine, summer 2009.

Which freaks your friends and family out more: the gay thing or the vampire thing?

I say now, neither. Spencer and I are certainly not Don Henrie, or other goth style vampire fans. I know our parents were more surprised both their sons were gay, and we really don’t talk vampires with them. From time to time, I’ll wear my fangs, usually for a bit of role playing with my boyfriend, but aside from halloween, I don’t normally leave house with fangs or wearing all black or a cape. Spencer and I have our vampire friends, most we’ve met over the internet, and we each have our other friends who have their own fetishes.

When were you first bit by the vampire bug?

When I was about 15 I watched Lost Boys and totally loved it. I remember reading all the books I could get on the subject, and at some point because we shared everything, Spencer got into it too.

Did you ever want to be a vampire when you were growing up?

Sure. I still want to be a vampire now. The thought of being strong and powerful, immortal and young forever, and a great seducer, is very exciting to me. And there’s just something sexy about having fangs; vampires are seen as sophisticated but there’s the slight predatory threat about the fangs.

Ever dress up as one for Halloween or teen parties?

In junior year of high school, Spencer and I went to the halloween dance as twin vampires. We updated the costumes for a house party the following year, and as we both had boyfriends at the time, we took them as our slaves who slowly became vampires through the night. I’ve asked old high school friends, and I’ve yet to find a photo of us from either party; I’m sure one will pop up at a reunion.

Have you ever had a sexual dream that involved a vampire?

Dreams, a few. Fantasies, many more. Vampires are my ultimate sexual fantasy. I see it as just another fetish. Some guys are into leather or superheroes; I’m into vampires.

What is the hottest gay male vampire move?

I can think of only one truly gay vampire movie, Scab, and I’m not about to say it was the hottest by default. I will admit the filmmaker did an amazing job; there are so many terrible mainstream vampire films made, with especially bad dialogue or plots, but Scab was well written, acted and shot.

On the adult film side, I don’t have one favorite film, though I’d say The Thirst, Laid by a Vampire and Vampiros are my top three.

And who is the hottest gay male vampire?

The same character in the Lair, Jonathan who was played by two different actors, first Jesse Cutlip then Ethan Reynolds. Both were hot, but Ethan was definitely the hottest. There are a lot of actors who’ve played the male vampire very close to being gay in fairly homoerotic films (such as Interview with the Vampire), but for an out gay vampire, I pick Ethan’s Jonathan.

Who is a really hot guy in the adult film world that would make a great vampire?

Well this will say more about my personal tastes, but I’d like to see Brent Corrigan or Turk as a vampire. There’s a few Randy Blue actors who’d make great vampires. Randy Blue put out a short video over a year ago with Chris Rockway as the vampire, but either co-star Blake Riley or Cody Fallon would have looked hotter. But to be honest, I don’t normally go for one particular model. I’d be happy with any new adult film with vampires who are young and hot, and maybe a story line that doesn’t kill off all the vampires.

Do you truly believe this is a dry time for gay male vampires? Do you think True Blood, Vampire Diaries will encourage the gay male vampire genre?

Personally I think the genre becomes popular every few years and there are small bursts of publications. There were four anthologies between 2003 and 2005, along with at least seven novels during the same time, after there had been a burst in the mid-to-late-90s. The Lair series started on HereTv about the time the number of books tapered off.

I would definitely say we are in a drought for gay vampires in gay-popular culture at the moment. There’s the odd token gay vampire in mainstream popular culture–True Blood has been offering those tidbits–but nothing more than one product at a time.

Vampires are hugely popular at the moment thanks to the Twilight series. LJ Smith’s four-book series the Vampire Diaries has been republished and is now being made into a tv series. True Blood is into its’ second season. But these three examples are very mainstream with little or no gay vampires. To date there has only been one gay vampire film, Scab and one tv series, The Lair. I certainly hope the resurgence of vampires in the mainstream leads gay writers and filmmakers to produce new works. And as we’re seeing with Twinklight, there is always the chance for gay vampire adult films playing on the titles of these blockbusters.

Why do you think gay guys are so attracted to the vampire genre?

Vampires offer a freedom from the norms of society. Gays have always been interested in vampires and I often wonder if the increasing number of books, films and tv shows are not about the increasing acceptance towards gays but a way for us to still feel like rebels in society. Possibly it’s that gay men can relate to being marginalized and persecuted. We too are outsiders unwilling or unable to fit into society.

Vampires are also quite sexy. There’s an element of submitting yourself to the vampire, becoming the submissive bottom, and giving control not just over the sex but over that which gives us life, our blood by allowing the vampire to penetrate us with his fangs. Sexually vampires are like one-night stands combined with chance encounters. They are dangerous, yet we portray vampires as extremely sexy and sexual beings.

Another metaphor used often is the parallel between the coffin and closet. A vampire hides his true nature as a closely guarded secret, as gay men have done and still sometimes need to do in society.

Regardless of the current dry spell, if you count all the books and online literature, along with the adult films and other visual work, there has been a lot created about the gay vampire. And if gay men are buying, then the genre must be liked. But as I’ve had trouble answering questions about the hottest vampire or the best vampire, I think the idea of the vampire is more powerful because none of the examples are as yet quite perfect. None of the actors who’ve played Dracula could be called sexy. Over time vampires in film have gone from being portrayed monsters to sensual beings, but few films have tackled this for gay men. The deluge has come in the written word, allowing gay’s to imagine this perfect man who is nearly always exceptionally good-looking, dangerous and predatory yet sensual. Gay men want to submit to the vampire because he is stronger and more powerful then us, and we want to be vampires for those same feelings of strength and control over whoever we choose as our prey.