I was born on June 12th, 1972 making me 25 years old currently. My parents lived in Kentucky on the Fort Campbell army base at the time of my birth but soon relocated to northern New York along the Canadian border. Both of my parents currently work as school teachers and have since I was very young, my father also continues to work for the military as an instructor in the Mountain Warfare School. I have one sibling, my younger sister Erin, who was born three years after myself. I completed a high school with a New York State regents diploma and was a National Merit Scholar Finalist. This allowed me the luxury of choosing between many colleges and universities with a full academic scholarship. I ultimately chose Hartwick College in Oneonta, NY and received a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy with departmental distinction in 1990. Currently I am engaged in graduate work in the philosophy department of the University at Albany and pursuing a Ph.D. Why does such an intelligent and well educated person want to transform himself into a lizardman? The general idea of the transformation originated as a performance art concept, to do a piece where the idea was to use body modification processes to gradual become something slightly other than human in some regards. Of course, I doubt I could manage something along the lines of being considered biologically other than human but I think given a social conception of humanity this can be achieved. The actual form and process for the lizard theme gradually evolved as I came to consider my desires in the form of tattoos, piercings, and other mods. Often the particular transformation idea was not consciously present but it recurs quite often and I now consider it a definite part/impetus to my overall goals concerning my art, my body modification, and myself as a whole. I should probably say that I first and foremost want to do this because I simply feel it is a good and healthy expression of who and what I am. The design work, the social implications, etc. all of these things reflect or express my ideas or views in some way. I can quite easily see why someone would not want to become a lizardman per se but I find it harder to see why someone would not the fullest possible expression of themselves. I think that my transformation viewed in this light may be much easier to understand.

What differentiates animal and man? Do we all fit in the same place on that chart? This is rather interesting, since I am currently doing some work in medieval philosophy concerning the structure and form of dividing into classes and genus/species. It has long been my belief that man is an animal. To fit it to the above categories, man is a species of the genus animal. This is such to me that unless you are asking whether or not man is an animal as opposed to being vegetable, mineral, his own genus, etc. that I feel the question you are likely pointing to is 'What differentiates man from the other species of the genus animal?' This no longer questions whether man is an animal but rather what makes him different from say dogs, rabbits, water buffaloes, etc. This is an interesting and important question to ask but I feel that it carries more import only after recognizing man as a species of animal and further acting in a manner which accords with that division. The latter is something that I think few people tend to do in their daily lives, otherwise much of our behavior wouldn't seem so obscure to us. In term of the differentia between the species of man and the other species of animal I think that the majority is simple biology - number of legs, musculature, eye placement, genes, etc. I really don't think we identify other people by their cognitive abilities, we look across the street and see a mostly hairless biped with various features and figure out that we think we see a person. As to cognitive abilities, which is usually touted as man being the only rational animal, my view does not yet have alot of defined rigor, but it has gotten me this far and works well for me in practical concerns much more so than many more subtle and elaborate schemes. I deal with man as different from other animals in respect the level of ability I belief can expect from them in certain sorts of tasks (like doing math, problem solving, etc) where one gets a sort of base level of expected ability on species which is then modified by experience with individuals. Thus, initially I take it that I will only go to a man for mathematical problems or discourse but on the other hand experience has shown me that I have met dogs more capable of performing reasonably complicated tasks than many men. What sort of life do you foresee as a self-made freak? I think I would generally use the term self-made freak mainly in PR setting. I am not doing this to get a job as a freak, rather I am looking to get a job as a freak since it is likely the best way to capitalize on something I would do anyway. It is like my artwork, I will create it regardless of it having a market, but if people start buying I am not going to get a job selling cars when I can much more easily sell drawings. I think that although I missed the "Golden Age of the Sideshow" I still live in a time when there is a market for someone who has undertaken a project like my own in public display. I am a circus/carnival sideshow junkie. There is of course a great distinction between the circus and the carnival traditionally but I love them both and I don't think the distinction needs to be laid out here. I have learned, mostly through experimentation and luck, a number of acts and I am working on more. The best case scenario would be for me to be able to get a job with one of the few outfits still doing sideshows. I'm not too worried though, even if this were to fail I have enough credentials and people who know me well enough to look past my modification to see someone who can do the job. Of course, I think my retail sales career will be effectively over, but I don't care much for direct service industry work anyway.

What is it that draws you to this? Well, beyond it just being a natural extension of myself it figures nicely into my two main interests: bodyart and sideshows. Also, I have known myself to do things simply for experience and further to make things more difficult or just prove a point. This may incorporate both. I love 'going through the looking glass' such as it is and I feel most comfortable on the other side, this will almost certainly have that affect. It will without a doubt make certain things more challenging due to general social reactions. I have welcomed, if not sought out, such challenges. I admit to losing a few more than I have won, but I wouldn't change or capitulate on any of the experiences. In my opinion, it is the person who did not take me aboard for something inane like my dress or modifications that lost out on a dedicated, competent, and loyal possible employee. Overall, you seem far more well-adjusted than most. Nonetheless are you ever worried that you might be crazy? First, I think a lot of how well-adjusted I may or may not be is due to my family and friends who have always been supportive and reasonable in dealing with things they often just didn't understand. As for being crazy, well I have thought that I might be crazy but it was never in a worried sense. In one sense, crazy to me means to be incapable of dealing with the world at large for any number of reasons such as obsessive compulsions, inability to structure sense data in meaningful ways, etc. I have never had or worried about having this sort of difficulty. In another sense I can see crazy as being to far removed in one's own structuring of the world from that of others as to be able to meaningfully interact with them. This is the sort of craziness that I sometimes suspect I may be headed for but that I also often long for and try to achieve at least temporarily. I am very sympathetic towards views of quantum psychology like those expressed by Robert Anton Wilson and the sort of controlled multiple personality idea from some schools of ritualistic magick where the reality we view and react is one which is a model built on certain principles. By maintaining as many models as possible (each personality, being, whatever having its own model) you have different views available to you in assessing a situation and apply the one most desirable. This is very oversimplified but I think the general theme is apparent. By "going crazy" => abandoning a model and making a new one so different that it is not immediately translatable and then coming back to the others you allow yourself greater flexibility. You have a background in martial arts weaponry - Can you tell me a bit about this, and how it fits into your life plan and philosophy? I think I was originally drawn to the martial arts by seeing examples of amazing physical and mental/spiritual feats. Martial arts training is incredibly beneficial to almost any other endeavor. I might sound like a cheesy TV ad but the fact for me is that it's true. Improved health, balance and coordination, bio-feedback (listening to your body), mental awareness, focus, and more are an integral part of progressing in one's understanding of the art but if you look you can apply these concepts to the rest of the world with great efficiency. I guess the usual example is businessmen studying the Book of Five Rings - however what most don't realize is that you actually have to train to realize the full benefits. It isn't a set of principles you read and just apply, they are reinforced, refined, and developed through the physical training. To perhaps be a bit more 'eastern' about it, the division is an artificial, there is not a mental/spiritual teaching and a physical one, there is just the whole and to deny either is to be incomplete. Until I began formally training in the martial arts (shito-ryu and then shotokan-ryu karate) I had been physically active but not with a true mental component. I had studied and developed many ideas and views but they weren't fully realized until I combined the physical and the mental. Beyond this, I have a special place in my heart, for lack of a better place, for two maxims/proverbs/sayings. The first is traditional "If you fail, fail magnificently" the second is a kind of abbreviation of the attitude one must take given here in one of my sensei's favorite and most often used expressions "Complete the task!". (alternately phrased in some connotations as "Bury it to the elbow") One last thing about the martial arts, as I progressed further and into the higher ranks it was my training and experience in the dojo that helped to begin to understand the idea of finding one's place in the tradition and the responsibility that comes along with being a part of something in any meaningful way.

Living in what appears to be a very normal peer group and city, how do you find people react to you, both socially and on the street? I think that the social reactions are the most favorable or at least open- minded. When I am meeting people in a social setting they may not like what I have done or even want to understand it but they are still sociable. I think that talking to someone immediately breaks through the initial barrier (whether one is modified or not) you have established a communicative connection and taken away at least some of the dangerous unknown. When people just walk by on the street or see me as a person who has come in to speak to them on some topic they tend to react more viscerally. I know of at least one person who I saw react very negatively to the pieces I was wearing in my stretched lobes (she was unaware I could hear her speaking and see her making a face) who when later introduced to me directly was quite pleasant and spoke to me at some length about the process. Perhaps she was just maintaining what she thought was the necessary polite standards when talking to me but she seemed to come around towards the end. I get strong reactions, but as with almost anyone it's harder to be shocked or put off if you talk to them. Have you "practiced" being a freak via mock-ups and painting? Very much so and in various ways. I have done limited experiments with doing myself up in the manner in which I will appear after all the permanent mods have been made and with much less refinement than I hope the tattoos will afford me. Mostly my experiments has been with odd forms of dress, hair and beard styles, and of course body painting. Most of these have been on general whim or part of a performance piece. I have also performed some of the sideshow acts I have learned at parties and the occasional bar. I find it amusing that generally it is not the physical changes, odd make-up, and such which ultimately gets people to thinking I am a bit odd but more often it is my ideas and beliefs. Which perhaps is the way it should be after all.

The following are excerpts from Erik's tongue splitting experience diary: July 20, 1997 I have long been fascinated by the forked tongues of snakes and some other reptiles. I have dreamed, wished for, and otherwise contemplated what it might be like to have such a tongue myself. Unfortunately, it seemed like an impossible task. Then I happened upon BME wherein I found a reference to tongue splitting in the BME Extreme FAQ. I decided right then I was going to get my forked tongue. The first thing I did was to begin to look for an oral surgeon who might help me. I was looking to lengthen my tongue as well so I consulted the local directory and figured that after explaining my desire for lengthening I would break into the subject of splitting my tongue. I got incredibly lucky with my first call. The price for the lengthening was reasonable and when I broached the subject of splitting my tongue the doctor was actually somewhat enthusiastic with the prospects. I made an appointment over the phone for a preliminary exam and consultation. It was during the time that the photos and experience of the gentleman from Italy with the forked tongue were added to BME Extreme. I was more encouraged by these than ever before. The results seen in the photo were almost exactly what I was envisioning. When I went in for the appointment I was first asked to fill out the standard history forms etc. and was then shortly after taken into an examination room. The doctor came in and was very congenial and interested in my reasons for wanting the procedure. He mentioned that speech would likely be affected and wanted to make sure I was aware of all the possible problems this may cause. Then, he gave me a quick lesson on the structure of the tongue and how this would actually be quite simple to do with the standard laser he uses for lengthening and other procedures. He also mentioned to my surprise that there were two ways we could do it and that both would almost certainly be reversible. The first method would be to simply cut a slit with the laser which would have results similar to those in the photos from BME (I brought along a printout to show him). The second method would begin the same way but then he could draw the tissue from the top and bottom of the tongue together on the interior of the slit to form two more rounded or finger-like forks. The procedure was scheduled for a week later and would only take about a half hour using the laser and a local anesthetic (Novocain). The doctor was quite interested in my act and my other modifications. He took pictures of my inner lip and tongue tattoos as well as my other tattoos and stretched earlobes. He is not only an oral surgeon but also does cosmetic surgery (mainly facial work) and has no problem with unusual requests, in fact he welcomes them. However, he does require you sit down with him for a consultation session to confirm your desire and make sure you realize all the potential risks (a good policy in my opinion). The doctor's name is Lawrence J. Busino -- he is part of the Albany Oral-Maxilofacial group at 23 Hackett Boulevard (professional building) in Albany, NY. The telephone number is (518) 462-5586. On the morning of July 18th, 1997 I went in for the operation. After a brief wait the doctor arrived and asked if I was ready to begin. I told him I was ready and actually excited to finally be getting my new tongue. The doctor marked my tongue and confirmed that the mark was where I wanted the slit and to the depth I requested (bilateral and about an inch deep). I confirmed his marks and was then given two shots of Novocain, one at each side of the back of my jaw. The doctor waited for the Novocain to take affect and then gave me an additional shot in the tongue itself. His assistant then gave me protective glasses to wear and we began. The laser was quiet but the suction machine for the fumes was rather noisy. There was no discomfort, only the occasional tugging by the doctor to hold the tongue as he worked. The fumes and taste in my mouth were unpleasant but not overly so. I was informed that cherry coke would help get rid of the taste it if bothered me after the procedure. After completing the split with the laser, the doctor put some sutures in to help prevent it from healing back together and to round the interior of the split. I was given a copy of their standard laser surgery aftercare instructions and the assistant went over them with me as well as the additional instructions from the doctor. I was also given a prescription for antibiotics and pain-killers should I feel the need. It has now been about 12 hours since the procedure. The swelling has been bearable and the pain is not bad at all. I would say that compared to my tongue piercing a couple years ago that the sensations afterward are similar but more intense (5x). I will write more as it heals. September 25, 1997 It has now been approximately a two months since I had my tongue split. Since the initial experience was written only 12 hours after the procedure I have decided to write a second piece describing the healing process and some of my experiences with my new tongue. For the first couple days after the procedure the tongue was very swollen. As this had been anticipated I fasted and refrained from trying to speak for the first few days. Though I did this intentionally, the degree of swelling and pain involved moving and placing pressure on the tongue makes me think this may not have been a wholly optional way of treating my new tongue. The first couple days were marked by regularly taking the prescribed antibiotics and sucking on ice cubes. On the third day I began hourly salt water rinses. These rinses helped a great deal and actually felt very good. I also completely stopped using the prescribed painkillers, which till then I had been using to help me get to sleep. The discomfort was not that great, but was enough to make comfortably dozing off a chore at times. The fourth day was when I began to notice a real reduction in the swelling. This would continue through to the seventh day by which time the swelling was almost no longer noticeable. I began eating at this time, beyond the liquids I had been consuming. I stayed mostly with ice cream and similar consistencies but also began carefully chewing small bits of bread, avoiding using my tongue. After a week had passed I was able to eat again normally and my speech began to return to normal. At first, I did have a lisp and some trouble speaking. This lasted a few days but now people who have known me for years say that they cannot detect a difference. The reactions I have received basically run the entire spectrum. I have had people enthusiastically ask me about the procedure and I have people become suddenly nauseous and rapidly turn away. The majority of people I have shown it to are curious to know what it is that has happened. Although, they also mostly seem somewhat repulsed or at least attracted to the idea, they are very good about open-mindedly talking about it. October 20, 1997 I had anticipated that it would be very likely that I would end up having my tongue split cut again after the initial procedure. On October 3, 1997 I had underwent that second cutting. I was having all four of my wisdom teeth removed by the same oral-surgeon who works on my tongue and figured this would be a good time to hit the tongue again as well. Since having the first cut I had decided I wanted to go a bit deeper and now had an idea of how far back up towards the tip I could expect it to heal. After removing the teeth (which incidentally I kept and am having carved and fashioned into a ring) the doctor once again used an argon laser to extend the split back as far as the base of my tongue on its underside - theoretically the practical limit. Effectively this means that the length of my tongue which I am able to extend outside my mouth is split. The healing and care has been basically the same as I have described with the first cut with only one noticeable difference : time. This time my tongue has healed much faster. I was speaking intelligibly the day after and eating fairly well on the second day after the procedure. My swollen gums from the wisdom teeth were more of a bother than my tongue. The inner surface of the split is already beginning to granulate like the rest of the tongue surface. I am using a toothpick to carefully pull apart the bits of tissue which try to grow across the split and thus heal up towards the tips. This seems to be working well as the surfaces are healing but there has not yet been any loss of depth to the split from healing. Assuming this remains the case I think that this will be last cut necessary to achieve my goals concerning the splitting of my tongue. Once I feel that it is adequately healed I am planning to have both forks pierced and possibly resume my attempts at tongue tattooing on the forks.

Erik may be contacted via email at
[email protected]
or via his web page (documenting his art) at
members.aol.com/spidergod5/index.html

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