Robert S. Rhine Founder/Publishewr/Editor-In-Chief for "Girls and Corpses Magazine" and writer for "Satan's 3-Ring Circus of Hell" from Asylum Press
interviewed by Richard Vasseur/Jazma VP www.jazmaonline.com
RV: Why did you decide to start "Girls and Corpses Magazine"?
R.S. Rhine: Good question. I keep asking myself why my garage and car trunk are stuffed with corpses. Sometimes in life something chooses you rather than visa versa. And that's true with Girls and Corpses. I've always had a rather dark sensibility and a crooked way of thinking (not criminal but not in the same way others may think). This may have something to do with a massive head injury and skull fracture I suffered as a child. I literally died at ten and was brought back to life. So, I have an interesting relationship with death. Death actually comforts me. My first book was called "My Brain Escapes Me" and on the cover there was an X-Ray of my skull when I kicked the bucket. I named the book that title because my brains popped out of my skull. You can see the X-Ray here: https://www.robertrhine.com/id_mybrain.html
What I liked about the X-ray is that it is both a scary image and also there is an implied smile in the skull -- and this continues in my writing. I see humor and horror as bedfellows. So, Girls and Corpses Magazine blends comedy and horror into a truly original publication. But I really think the magazine concept festered to a boil at Comic-Con, in 2002, when I first started exhibiting my comic books (which were published by my pal Frank Forte at Asylum Press): "Selected Readings From Satan's Powder Room," "Satan's Gone Wild," "Chicken Soup For Satan" and ultimately my 280 page color graphic novel "Satan's 3-Ring Circus of Hell." https://www.robertrhine.com/id_circus.html Each year at Comic-con cute girls would approach and ask to have their photos taken with the cadavers I would bring to San Diego to adorn my booth (plastinized by our grave-digger Kevin Klemm). I couldn't' believe how many hot babes wanted to get their pictures taken with the corpses and I thought, "What's up with girls and corpses?" I paused, and thought to myself... 'no... don't do it.' But I did... and Girls and Corpses is now a full print magazine distributed on newsstands in the U.S. and Canada by both Ingram and Diamond and even translated into German in a co-publishing deal with Virus Magazine. It's a dream... er... nightmare come true.
RV: What exactly is the magazine about?
R.S. Rhine: Well... girls... and... corpses. I mean, we actually shoot hot girls for each issue with cold rotting corpses. The magazine is about the extremes of life and death. It's also a comedy magazine, one of the last left, in the absence of my childhood favorites; National Lampoon and the heyday of MAD and Cracked (for which I was a contributing writer in the 80's). We also interview celebrities in the horror biz, such as: Rob Zombie, Sig Haig, Mick Garris, Debbi Rochon, Foey Ackerman, Zacherley The Ghoul, Sheri Moon Zombie, Scout-Taylor Compton ("Halloween"), Danielle Harris and others. We cover the music scene and the world of death such as autopsies, embalming, cremation, etc. We are also very art heavy and feature some of the best comic book artists around, such as: Jim Smith (Co-Creator of Ren & Stimpy), Tim Vigil, Frank Forte, Jeff Gaither, D.W. Frydendall, Mike Sosnowski, Robert Muleady, Eric Pigors, Brian Orwolski, Dick Starr, Mark Covell, Lyndal Ferguson, John Howard, David Hartman, MItch O'Connell, Steven Vincent, Kit Lively, Butch Von Dreaux, Doug Mac, Big Tasty, Anthony Ruggario, Nenad Gucunja, Enrique Robledo and many others -- also fine art painters such as Suzzac Blac, Laurie Lipton, Ted Van Heiland, Karl Persson, Kris Kulski and many others. You can sample our sizzling SUMMER issue here: https://girlsandcorpses.com/
RV: Who is "Girls and Corpses Magazine" aimed at?
R.S. Rhine: Anyone who will someday be dead. That means YOU... and your neighbor... and everyone you have ever spoken to and haven't. Death is the one subject that everyone should be interested in -- but oddly enough I am the only magazine dead-cated to death. We have fans and readers of all ages: from cops to inmates, goths to rockers, schoolgirls to bondage queens, school teachers to sideshow freaks a little of everything inbetween. Our website gets two million visitors a month, so someone is reading it: https://girlsandcorpses.com/
RV: Why were you looking forward to holding a finished copy of "Satan's 3-Ring Circus of Hell"?
R.S. Rhine: Because the bloody thing took four years to compile! There were 42 artists in one graphic novel. I had to tell the artists that the deadline was three months earlier than I needed and I still barely got it together for print. Also, it's hard to explain that feeling when you finally hold your own published book in your hand. I remember I was waiting for the book to arrive at Comic-Con and on the first day, Wednesday preview night they still hadn't arrived. So, I was greatly relieved when I can back to my hotel and saw the boxes waiting. And we sold out all our copies at the show. It was a huge hit.
RV: Do you like how your stories turned out after being illustrated?
R.S. Rhine: I was extremely pleased. I like to collaborate, so I first went over the stories in great detail with the artists and then sent sketches and made changes before anything was inked. But these artists are top notch and they would always surprise me with their creative juices. I think the artwork in the books kicks azz.
RV:How did you come up with the title to this comic?
R.S. Rhine: Well, there was the Satan series I had done for three comic books, so I knew that it would be the same characters of Satan and his Sexy devil girl henchling. I have always thought the circus is a strange place and combines elements or humor, and fear (clowns scare everyone) and if the trapese artist cracks open his head in center ring, you've got horror. So, "Satan's Three Ring Circus of Hell" lodged into my brain.
RV: How do you become inspired to write?
R.S. Rhine: Death. It's the best motivator. When you realize that you have a finite number of days and that you don't even know if your expiration date is in two days of forty years, you need to stay focused. I don't write as much as I'd like to. Life is one big distraction and I always have a hundred things going on. I used to write first thing in the morning, but more recently, like at this moment, I write after midnight because it is so quiet. I usually work until 3 or 4 a.m and wake up around 11:00.
RV: What is the best way to improve your writing skills?
R.S. Rhine: Smoke pot. I smoked a ton of pot in my early years from 15-27. I actually think it opened my mind up. The problem is the shit's addictive and don't let anyone tell you it's not. I don't regret smoking pot but it took me years to stop smoking -- because it's hard to get motived to quit when pot dulls your motivation. But I actually think the best way to improve your writing is to not edit yourself -- just vomit it out before you brain catches up and tells you, it's a bad idea, or no one will like it. Who cares if anyone else likes it -- you're going to be dead someday anyhow. NONE of this shit matters!
RV: What do you have planned for the future careerwise?
R.S. Rhine: I used to try to plan out my goals, etc. In other words, I spent a lot of years trying to row the boat in the direction I thought I should go. But real freedom is dropping the oars and letting the river take you where you never thought you would go. So, I have no idea where I'm headed... but I'll know when I get there.
RV: How would you describe your personality?
R.S. Rhine: I enjoy life. I have a lot of great friends and I like to laugh. True, I may have a preoccupation with death but that only makes me appreciate life more. I travel the world, hike every week in the mountains of Southern California and I am a gourmet chef and gourmand, traveling to over 100 Michelin star restaurants. I hike so I can eat more.
RV: Do you believe in the supernatural?
R.S. Rhine: I have seen both a UFO and a ghost so I would say yes. Okay... the UFO I saw when I was high (although two cops saw it too, who I flagged down to look in the sky). As for the ghost, there is a photo of a real apparition in our first issue of Girls and Corpses Magazine. No bull. I needed a shot with flowers with Sheri Moon Zombie in the cemetery so I, er, borrowed some. Big mistake. I replaced them on the grave after the shot but when we saw the pictures there was one with a skull shaped orb rising out of the bucket of flowers. It's in issue #1 of G&C which you can order at our Corpsemart here: https://www.girlsandcorpsesstore.com/
RV: Are you a fan of horror movies?
R.S. Rhine: I should say yes, but not too many really catch my fancy these days. Most of the hundreds of DVD's I am sent every month are gore fests with little story. They are poorly made and boring which is amazing considering all the flesh and blood flying everywhere, But I'm also pretty hard to scare. Once you've been to real autopsies everything else is tame by comparison. I do like movies with great story and character and there aren't too many of those around. Jaws was a fantastic horror movie as was Spielberg's Poltergeist, The Birds, Psycho, Alien and The Excorcist are also favorites. I also like Silence of The Lambs, The Ring, Seven, Return Of the Living Dead, The Thing, The Devil's Rejects, Hostel and the premise of the SAW movies. But I love when comedy is blended with horror such as the brilliant "Shawn of The Dead" directed by Edgar Wright. Now THAT is movie making!
RV: How can someone contact you?
R.S. Rhine: Info@girlsandcorpses.com
RV: Any last words of wisdom?
R.S. Rhine: If you don't wake up tomorrow how will you know?