WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A MONSTER

Story / LEXXE

Photos / Courtesy of The Boulet Brothers

What do drag, horror, filth, and glamour have to do with a ten-year-old ballerina who desperately wishes to be seen? One who loves both the White Swan and the Black Swan, the pirate, the Disney villain, the fabulous femme fatale. The girl bullied for wearing an eye patch, the one labeled “the kid with seizures,” who finds comfort in monsters who never asked to be different. Fast-forward through 26 years of Catholic guilt and a closet so dark she almost never found the way out—this girl, now grown, finally comes out to her family. Her chosen family recommends a new show, The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula, and she discovers she isn’t alone. The horror-loving nerd in her thrills at the spectacle; Dracmorda and Swanthula become her fairy goth-mothers, and she finds a sense of belonging.

In the quiet of the pandemic, she writes her first EP, Meet Me In The Shadows, which somehow finds its way to Evah Destruction, her favorite Drag Monster. Evah starts using the titular track in her live performances, and that once-little girl feels something transformative. She begins to feel like her younger self—the one who cried for Frankenstein’s misunderstood fate—is finally stepping into the light. Fast forward with my inner child in tow during the interview, I’m just about to share my empathy for Frankenstein when the two horror hosts mention it first. “Oh, LEXXE, that’s kind of spooky synchronicity,” Swan muses. In that moment, I realize that The Boulet Brothers embody pure, unfiltered community magic!

Meeting The Boulet Brothers during their busiest season is surreal—they greet me with a warmth that’s grounding, considering their schedules rival the devil’s own. The day before, the episode they wrote for Wonder Woman in the DC Comics’ universe was revealed, with plenty of milestones to come—all while producing, directing, editing, and delivering Emmy-nominated makeup looks for The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula, their genre-bending horror-drag competition. I start with their origin story, wondering how producing and performing in the L.A. scene shaped the world they’re building now.

After a thoughtful pause, Swan answers, “I think, in a nutshell, we started out producing. We’ve been producers pretty much our whole lives, starting with nightlife. From weekly and monthly events to massive Halloween and New Year’s balls, we realized our aesthetic had a fanbase coast-to-coast—entire covens waiting for this. We put everything into the first season, and it’s brought us here.” When we discuss taking big risks, Swan nods knowingly. “It takes bravery. Believing in something is the first step, but the second—taking the leap—that’s scarier. You jump off the cliff and commit.”

But the journey wasn’t without resistance. As Drac recalls, the queer community initially met their dark, subversive brand of drag with skepticism. “We were challenging the norm with a different rule set, and people weren’t sure. It threatened the status quo,” Drac says. “But we kept asking, ‘Doesn’t this actually resonate with you?’” Dragula now draws everyone from queer rebels to straight horror fans, unified in their love for the unusual. Drac shares how even straight men approach them at meet-and-greets, confessing their weekly devotion to the show. This blend of acceptance is rare in drag, especially in today’s polarized climate, and I’m struck by how these glam monsters are upending expectations about drag’s reach.

Their latest accolade—becoming the first horror hosts immortalized in the Dead by Daylight franchise—was a milestone. “There were some big moments this year,” they say. “Being Emmy-nominated was amazing, but having our likeness in Dead by Daylight? That’s our Emmy.” They share an exclusive peek: “It’s our classic look, big nails, claws up. It’ll be part of the gameplay,” Drac teases. Swan reflects on the connection between horror and the queer experience, describing growing up queer in small-town America as “a horror movie until you escape.”

Drac adds, “We’ve always been drawn to celebrating what society typically shuns. So many people come into the scene with insecurities, and we help them see their differences as strengths.” Horror, Swan explains, is a space where marginalized people can see themselves in the misunderstood villains. For both, this affinity started early. Queer-coded villains in films like Psycho and Silence of the Lambs resonated with Swan, while Drac found strength in villains who embodied the queer experience in its most raw form. “It’s why the ‘normal’ people feared them,” Drac says with a grin, “and why they became villains in the first place.”

Their care for Dragula’s contestants is palpable. “We care about the competitors,” Drac admits. “Reality TV can destroy you. You’re suddenly in front of millions, celebrated, but also vulnerable to criticism. We often stop the cameras to keep contestants from making choices that could haunt them later.” Swan notes that their background in art instills this compassion, comparing it to an art critique meant to elevate, not diminish.

The Boulets’ roots in comics and cartoons shaped their aesthetic. Drac, who once interned at Harris Comics, home to Vampirella, sees their recent opportunity to write for Wonder Woman as a full-circle moment. Both idolized villains like Maleficent and Dracula’s Daughter, taking inspiration from their elaborate looks and fierce personas.

I ask about their Halloween record, The Boulet Brothers Halloween House Party, and how they landed on this retro-inspired sound. “Drac led the way,” Swan explains, “and it felt like our voices finally matched our aesthetic.” The album’s vintage Halloween charm taps into their love for nostalgic decor and even helped Swan overcome her “imposter syndrome” around singing, a journey she describes as transformative.

Their creative lives seem endless—Emmy-nominated makeup, horror episodes, a music album, all while barely sleeping. When I ask about the insane schedules, they pause. “Hearing the list out loud makes me realize it’s a lot,” Swan says. Drac tells me about an episode where they filmed shark diving in Hawaii, immediately flying back to start the next day on set, entirely sleepless. Their commitment is unrelenting, and I can see the pride they have in each other’s dedication.

As we wrap, I ask what it means to be a monster. Drac answers, “It’s reclaiming what people torment you for. Your ‘flaws’ are your greatest strengths. Being a monster on The Boulet Brothers Dragula is saying, ‘I’m different, and I own it.’” Just before I close my laptop, they excitedly share that they’ll perform their song “All Hallows Eve” on The Kelly Clarkson Show this Halloween. The thrill in their voices tells me this is only the beginning. The Boulet Brothers’ allure is unshakable, and their community magic? Absolutely enchanting.

As I type the final line, I think to myself, I’m a monster too, and I fucking love it!

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