But you can’t rip off someone else’s personality. And I don’t want kids to go out there and ruin their lives because they think it’s cool – it’s got to be in you. You’ve got to know what you want. I sacrificed my whole future for this. There are a lot of people I meet who just don’t understand, but there really is nothing to understand. I’m realistic, sane and intelligent.
Rick Genest
Tux: So Rico, what inspired you to get your body tattooed this way?
Rico: Long story short, when I was a kid, I had a brain tumour. I was kind of depressed, and I was really into punk-rock, so my friends nicknamed me “Zombie”. As I got older, I realized I didn’t want to work 9 to 5 everyday. You know, I didn’t want to have that boring, repetitive lifestyle like everyone else. Those people are the real zombies. I mean, if your ambition is to become manager of Starbucks go for it, but that’s not me. My tattoos symbolize life through death, or death through life. They’re an ode to society and the zombies that comprise it.
Tux: When did you get your first tattoo?
Rico: I got my first one at 16, it’s a skull on my left shoulder. Then when I would get money I would invest in my body and get some more. It’s very expensive.
Tux: How much do you think you’ve spent on tattoos up to now?
Rico: Easily around $16,000
Tux: Oh my god. So is that what you’re going to do with the money from today’s shoot, get more tattoos?
Rico: No, I actually have other plans for the moment. The money will pay for my bus to leave Montreal, I’m part of this freak show out of town. I’m actually leaving this afternoon, I’ve got my bag here with me.
Tux: Really? What exactly is this freak show?
Rico: It’s like a play. There’s a circus, and we’re the freaks. The story is about the seven deadly sins. Each person is a sin, I’m sloth. Basically I play the part of a dead corpse, so I’m lying on a bed of 500 big rusted nails in a coffin and then they add a second piece made of nails on top of me to create an iron maiden, you know the torture device. Then someone from the audience gets to stand on top of the iron maiden and when they get off, I get up and show the nail marks on my chest and back. After that, I get back in the coffin and get carried off stage.
Tux: Wow, that sounds very painful. Suddenly being manager at Starbucks doesn’t sound so bad.
Rico: (laughs) Yeah, it’s a lot of pain. But it’s also a lot of fun.
Tux: So what do you do besides freak shows?
Rico: Oh I do pretty much anything that gets me money. I’m a bum. I do freak shows, I eat bugs, but most of the time I’m a squeegee. I used to have a job a couple of years ago but that didn’t work out so now this is what I do.
Tux: Do you have somewhere to live?
Rico: I live in the streets. In the winter I rent an apartment but it’s very hard for me to keep an apartment because landlords don’t like me you know? I’m a bum, and usually they’re not the straightest people either.
Tux: Have you ever thought of travelling and see what you could be doing in other countries?
Rico: I really want to travel, but unfortunately I can’t get a passport yet. I have to complete 350 hours of community service first, which is equivalent to about $10,000 worth of fines. That’s what I’ll be doing when I come back to Montreal.
Tux: Did you grow up in Montreal?
Rico: Yeah, I did. Then I went to school in Chateauguay and my parents kicked me out, so I moved back to the city. It’s a great place for me, there are a lot of tourists and the people are pretty cool.
Tux: How do people usually react when they see you?
Rico: Do you mean the bus drivers who won’t let me into the bus, or the cops who want to arrest me?
Tux: Oh wow. Why do the cops want to arrest you?
Rico: The cops don’t like me. They see me sitting around and being a bum and stuff and I get into trouble. They don’t like punks. Aside from them, usually people will just come up to me, they think my ink is cool. Montreal is a very accepting city.
Tux: I notice you have a big scar on your forearm. How did you get that?
Rico: Okay, so a few months ago someone pissed me off, so I stole some candy from the convenience store. The guy didn’t want to press charges but the cops wanted me arrested. They broke my arm instead, to satisfy themselves I guess.
Tux: Oh my god. Did you think of pressing charges?
Rico: Do you really think anyone would believe a punk tattooed as a zombie over a police officer?
Tux: Wow, that’s pretty brutal.
Rico: Yeah, but at least the doctors were nice, they tried not to mess up my tatts too much. Look, it’s not exactly as perfect as it used to be, but it turned out pretty good.
Tux: So is your whole body actually tattooed?
Rico: Not yet. I still need to get my knees, my legs, my feet and my butt done. I got my tongue slit a couple of weeks ago and I’m thinking of getting the white part of my eyes tainted black, yellow or red to look like a reptile. I believe that humans descend from reptiles. It’s called Sitchin’s theory.
Tux: Where do you get all these ideas?
Rico: Everything comes from my head. I’m very creative, but I’m inspired by others like the Lizardman and Lucky Diamond Rich. I’ve actually heard that I was considered to have one of the top 10 tattoos in the world, and I’m also featured in Ripley’s Believe It or Not.
Tux: Wow that’s awesome! Congratulations. What would you say if someone else was inspired by you and wanted to do the same kind of thing? Would you be offended?
Rico: Not at all, I’d think its great. The world could use a lot more freaks.
Tux: Well Rico, thank you so much for talking to me. It’s been a pleasure.
Rico: Sure, thank you. Come see my show!
Interview by Melanie Ioanna
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