Article by NAMTAR. Translated from Italian by FORLORN SOUL

The day 19/04/1993 a guy named Mike Diana who worked as a school porter had to show up at the court of justice being charged of having published and printed obscene material. But what did poor Mike print of such extreme level to lead to his arrest? Mike Diana was one of the many American (and non-American) guys who printed on his own a comic-based fanzine called Boiled Angel where blasphemous collages, drawings and interviews appeared, loaded with a rare and provocative violence; everything was however seasoned with a strong irony.
The best part of it was composed exactly by Diana’s comics that he used to create and draw using a childish style, and that in a few sketches told stories of abused children, rape, tortures and sex with animals.
At present time Mike has moved to New York where he is married with a strip-teaser and where he keeps on drawing and proposing his material to various magazines. In fact the trial caused much rumour and many people started to have interest in him making him in a little star. Many indipendent comic-designers around America showed their support to Mike also paying for him a lawyer for the trial.
The sentence of the Florida court not only has given Mike the prohibition to go on with his fanzine, but also imposed him to undergo a psychiatric examination, pay a 3000 US $ bill, attend a course of journalistic ethics and the prohibition to associate with minors.
Nowadays the major part of Mike’s productions is printed and distributed by Mike Hunt Publication, at the address of which you can also order some old reprints.
Very interesting is the collection of the best Boiled Angel issues where you can find some of the best Mike’s comics and the interviews to Ottis Toole, the cannibal serial-killer friend of Henry Lee Lucas and to G.J. Schaefer, the killer writed who was arrested for having killed two children. It is also very funny to read the most famous Christmas songs rewritten in Mike’s satanic vision where the “Jingle Bells” chorus has become : “Jingle Bells! Go to Hell! Fuck Christ Christmas Day!, O what fun it is to ride his little ass this way! Hey!”.
The latest news we got about him is that you can find on the Internet a videoclip where Mike jerks off on a bible screaming various blasphemies. If someone finds it, please tell us.

Here’s a short and incomplete list of MIke Diana productions :

Angel Fuck: his first ‘zine. It released 3 issues.
Boiled Angel: 8 issues printed. It was the follow-up of Angel Fuck.
Sourball Prodigy: twin-zine of Boiled Angel. 2 issues.
The worst of Boiled Angel: collection of the “best” of the ‘zine.
The Cherry Bomb Revolution: coloured comic with autograph and printed in limited edition.
Superfly: another ‘zine. Only one issue printed.

There are also many comics and drawings that Mike published on other fanzines such as Malefact, Thank God it’s ugly, Exit and more.

Contacts:
MIKE HUNT COMIX P.O.BOX 226 Bensenville, IL 60106

----------------------------INTERVIEW BY FORLORN SOUL----------------------------

Hi Mike ! Let’s start right from the beginning. When and how did you begin to draw, and which were the first subjects you immortalized on paper ?
Well I was born in Geneva, NY & liked to draw as long as can remember in kindergarten & even before that. I would try to draw my dreams & nitemares. I liked horror films on tv so I drew lots of monsters & my parents enroled me in after school art classes.

You released many fanzines during the years, Boiled Angel of which has been your most famous, why did you decide to create a fanzine back then ? Let’s go through your drawer’s career summing up your main works and publications...
The family moved to Largo, FL in 1979 when I was 9. In High School I drew gross & funny comics to pass around the class.I was a fan of underground comics by that time. After I graduated in 1987 my pal Robert Rootes had a job at a print shop so we printed our own comic book there after hours. It was called HVUYIM the title has no meaning-just a make believe word. We put out ads in Fangoria mag. Only sold about 50 of the 1,000 print run at that time. Then I did Angelfuck #1-#3 on copy machines. Then someone told me about factshht Five contact mag & I sent in for review & got much responce. I then started the Boiled Angel series that lasted 8 issues.

A technical question : to draw, what equipment and what support do you make use of ?
I draw with dip pens, technacal pens & brushes using black india ink. Mostly use bristol paper. Now I do color paintings as well with acrylic paints.

Your experience of the trial and the probation must have been a quite disturbing one. What have you learnt from this experience? Have you persisted on your activities and beliefs after this mess, heedless of all? Do you still run the risk of being in trouble with justice at the present time ?
It was horrible being prosicuted with no rights. I & my Dad, Brother were given only one week to leave our house & then the city bull-dozed it level just to get us out of town. I was harrased by police each week. I learned what I expected was true, that is that , FL is a police state & they cheat & lie & do whatever it takes to convict you if you dare plea NOT guilty. Its all to make money. I still owe $2,000 in fines so if I go to FL I will be arrested. Someday I will pay fines & hopefully they will finally let me free. According to FL law my art has been illegal since 1990. I still draw today.

Art is often said to be the mirror of its creator, thus in order to understand it in its entirety it is always necessary to explore the artist’s mind too. What can you tell us about your character and personality? Your drawing are always extremely sickk and pervert, so should we be pushed to think you are pervert and sick as well ? :-)
When I started my zines many folks that got it thought I was a crazy nutcase, in 1990 the FL cops said I was a suspect in 5 student murders due to my cover of Boiled Angel #6. I had to give a blood sample for DNA testing to clear my name. When I went on tv talk shows the host said they didnt expect such an innocent looking person. I’m nice, not a person that would kill babies. Makes me think what would be like if I had a mean looking deformed face, would people stone me? After people meet me they see I’m kinda normal. I feel I have a sick sence of humor.

Sexual intercourses and male genitals are an omnipresent subject of your drawings, it seems like sex is your utter ossession... What is your relation with sexuality, and what is the relation society has with it, in your opinion ? The most “normal” people still consider taboo some aspects of it such as necrophilia, homosexuality, masturbation etc.,what do you think?
Seems people are obsessed about sex. It is every place in ads, tv shows, romance novels. I’ve always been sickened by rape, how often it happens & wonder if it’s due to an unhealthy amount of sex ads & shows. Many men think they are 'normal' if they rape or daterape. I draw big dicks and destuctive things & in most of my comics the rapist gets killed or dick sliced off!! I feel I can draw penis since I have one. I don't draw the female sex organs as much. In court there was a special witness that got paid $5,000. to testify against me saying that my art will make people rape & kill. He also testified at Ted Bundys trial & other serial killers.

What is morality for you? Do you agree with me when I say that we live in fucking ‘politically correct’ times mostly because the average people are afraid to see some things, and for this reason they try to conceal and keep them away from their lives, as well as shuting up the ‘unwanted elements’ who could upset and trouble their pseudo-certainties? Why would censorship exist otherwise ?
I think that is true. Most folks want to think those bad things do not happen. The tv news & fiction shows blend together for them so it's one big, fun show. In court I told them I wanted to open people’s eyes to the world around them, wake them up. I found out that they do not want to wake up!!

Do you want to spread a particular message through your drawings or are they made in this way exclusively for provocation against the right-thinking ? Do you believe the authorities and people have well understood your message?
I’m not sure what my message is. It’s hard to look at art even its own creator & say or know exactly what it means. I draw to be funny, shocking & reasons I don't know. In court I had to testify why I drew each page so it was the first time I asked myself why & what the art means. I came up with what we figured the jury would want to hear. Some day perhaps I will know why I draw the things I do. The authorities don’t understand, they just think I’m acting up & trying to start problems or that I’m going to rape & kill someday.

In some of your drawings I can perceive a strong criticism and blame on the fucking Church and religious people : what are the elements of them that make you sick most ?
I was baptized as baby Roman Catholic & forced to go to church each sunday then to sunday bible class until I was 15 & told father I was not going anymore. I feel the church wants to shove it down your throut meanwhile the Priests are fucking Alter boys & making lots money tax free with the collection plate. I dont like how they say God makes everything happen for a reason.

What is your conception of “normality” ? Besides the fact that normality and abnormality are two terms forged by humans and thus signifying nothing, why is in your opinion normality accepted and regarded as a good quality whereas non-conformity is outcast and condemned ? Why the ability to think with one’s own mind is censured in favour of a mass sheep-mentality?
It seems to be how it is in school where they teach not to be different. People buy the name brands cigs or clothes to fit in. If you don't fit in you go to jail or are an outcast. The Governments need all people same to work, pay the taxes. It's just the way it has always been. Join the armed service & you can act like everyone else. Alot of people are not normal, they kill & rape their own children but they act like
normal so will fit in .So it is normal.

Have you ever felt the need to drastically change your style of drawing to explore new themes and fields ?
I have changed it before. Part of my probation was not to draw & cops could search my home without search-warrent surprise to look for "obscene" art. I did a painting of fluffy, happy bunny to tell them that’s what I draw now. Even then the pigs made it out to be bad saying that I did it to try & lure children so I could molest them!!

Ok Mike ! Thanxxx a lot for the interview !!! Last space is yours for any final comments and considerations...
Thanx for the interview!! Artists need to draw what they want & not worry about others. Fuck normal. Check out www.testicle.com

CLICK HERE FOR A COMPLETE MIKE DIANA COMIC !!!