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Arty Fishal
Queen of Kings
Arty Fishal exploded on the San Francisco drag king scene in 1997 and
now considers himself a “drag king mommy” to the community. Currently
kicking back and letting the freshly-stubble-faced baby kings take the
stages, Arty is “a retired pro who only comes out with gentle coaxing
and some pay.” But even in his comfortable “dotage,” Arty helps
performers of all genders get in touch with their inner stud during his
fabulous “Inner Man” drag king workshops. Mr. Fishal took a few minutes
out of his semi-retirement to chat with ErosZine about drag personas,
Maury Povich, and fetishizing tomboys.
ErosZine: How did the Arty Fishal character come about?
Arty Fishal: Though my presentation is decidedly girly, I have always
been a bit suspicious of gender. From as far back as I remember I have
played with gender, performing everything on the spectrum from Dolly
Parton to Hulk Hogan. I love artificiality. When I moved to San
Francisco, the Disneyland of gender, the character starting taking
shape. I took any opportunity to dress in drag- parties, Halloween, a
trip to a strip club… I started with more of a hot rocker dude, kinda
Axl Rose-ish, but he was too good looking and earnest. I wanted to be
ridiculous and fully artificial. Arty surfaced in 1997. He’s a Jewish
swinger in a gold lame suit with a star of David necklace to match his
gold tooth.
EZ: What other kinds of performing do you do?
AF: I was a theater major at Sarah Lawrence College, birthplace of all
self-respecting drag kings. I dabble. I teach acting to kids and
produce huge super-queer children’s musical theater chock full of drag.
EZ: You’ve appeared on a few TV shows. What was that like?
AF: Both Maury Povich and Danny Bonaduce seemed curiously interested in
drag kings, a bit titillated. Maury Povich was a fairly yucky
experience. Talk about artificiality… I couldn’t have a genuine
conversation with anyone involved. It was my first experience with
television. I was naïve enough to believe that I’d be treated
well, and asked interesting questions. Instead I was paraded through
the audience while they yelled at me. It was very Shakespearean. I
thought they were going to start throwing tomatoes at me. I strutted
around as Arty while they screamed “It’s a girl! It’s a guy!” They
weren’t really sure what I was, but I was definitely an IT to them. A
thing. And the pay was shitty.
My favorite television experience was on a daytime talk-show on NBC
called The Other Half. It was like The View, but with all male hosts
including Dick Clark, Mario Lopez and Danny Bonaduce. I was interviewed
as myself, then I got to dress a cute, tiny blonde girl up in drag, and
then I was brought out as Arty. I loved it. Danny and Mario interviewed
me. I had fun fucking with them. I actually felt like I could really be
me. Well… kind of me… like a straight sanitized version of me who just
thinks it’s fun and kooky to dress like a guy. I actually had to sign a
contract forbidding me from saying certain words. Included on the list
was anything GAY! It was hilarious.
EZ: Did you feel they took you seriously at all, or was it something middle America just doesn’t “get”?
AF: I talked a lot about what women can learn from men—you know, how to
take up more space and infuse our every thought with entitlement. Even
Midwestern gals like that.
EZ: What are your “Inner Man” workshops like? And what sort of people take them?
AF: The workshop focuses on creating a male persona from the inside
out. We deconstruct what it means to be male and learn how to put those
actions and feelings into our own bodies and minds. We do some voice
exercises and work on how to walk like a man. Then I teach the basics
on the external stuff. Students learn the best way to bind their
breasts and pack their skivvies. We go over facial hair and important
costuming tips. The class ends with students performing short manly
scenes. All kinds of people take my workshops: curious housewives,
straight actresses, trannies who want tips on passing, baby dykes who
want to be on stage. I’d love to teach the class on a corporate level
to business executives.
EZ: So do you consider yourself a classically trained actor?
AF: I’m no thespian. I don’t over enunciate my words or quote Edward
Albee. But I did go to a performing arts high school and then Sarah
Lawrence College. I had a great theater education.
EZ: What were you like growing up? (
KAF: I really fetishized tomboys. I still do. I wanted to be one but I
was too busy trying to feather my hair and find the perfect Bonne Belle
lip gloss. I grew up in Indiana in the 70s. We spent afternoons and all
summer long playing outside unsupervised. It was great. I tried to keep
up with my older brother and his pack of friends. I pushed myself to be
tough and fearless but it didn’t come naturally. There was a really
tough tomboy in the neighborhood named Jill. She could pee standing up.
I was nothing like her though I desperately wanted to be.
EZ: San Francisco has a huge drag/queer/alt community. Where do you see yourself in that community?
AF:A little documentary film was just made about a young local drag
king named Jay Walker. They interviewed me and Leigh Crowe (formerly
Elvis Herselvis). They presented us as the grand daddies of drag, which
is pretty funny cause I’m only 34, and many kings have preceded me. But
the community is so young. Really, you have to be pretty young to want
to strap your tits down, cover your face with hair, perform on a stage
the size of a loaf of bread and not get paid. Younger kings see Arty as
a retired pro who only comes out with gentle coaxing and some pay.
I fancy myself the drag king mommy of the community. Many younger kings
have taken my classes. The fact that I’m femme and teach the art of
facial hair like a 50’s housewife making pie makes me non-threatening
to the little butchies. There’s nothing I love more than giving a
sweet-faced baby butch her first sideburns. I love popping the drag
king cherry.
EZ: Yummy! So how long have you lived in San Francisco?
AF: I moved here in ’93.
EZ: And do you think living there influenced your drag persona?
AF: Yes. Absolutely. There are drag queens at the Laundromat here. Girls with goatees sell you coffee. It’s fabulous.
EZ: What’s the history of your crossdressing/drag king experience?
AF: I was living in New York one summer long ago. I was freshly out of
the closet. I went to a new club called Club Casanova that was hosted
by an amazing drag king named Mo B. Dick. I was completely mesmerized
by him. I couldn’t tell if I wanted to fuck him or be him. So I did
both. I made my poor tired friends wait with me till the club closed so
I could get my hands on Mo. We made out on the street corner and her
soul patch came off in my mouth. She wrote her number on a postcard
picked up off the street advertising an escort service. It was hot. Mo
B. Dick was a big inspiration. Years later we ended up on the Maury
Povich show together.
EZ: Wow! I know Mo! And I’ve been to Club Casanova! That’s a pretty hot
story! So, did fucking with your gender identification lead to being a
drag king/performer?
AF: I’ve always fucked with gender. As a kid I’d teeter around in my
mom’s heels one day, and pretend to shave with my dad’s shaving cream
the next. Gender and all its trappings have always fascinated me.
EZ: Do you have any tales of “passing” that are particularly interesting, entertaining or enlightening?
AF: The first time I went out in drag I was such a little chicken in
the scene. I went to a dyke club with a date. She was caught with a
fake I.D. and had to go home. I stayed there alone and had a great
time. I loved not carrying a purse. I loved not worrying about being
pretty or sexy. So many girls hit on me in drag, high femmes that I
never would date as myself. I’d compliment them on their boots and
they’d give me their number. I had much more luck cruising in drag than
as a girl. That night I took a cab home and got in a long political
conversation with the driver. When we got to my apartment he said “Good
night, sir…” I was thrilled.
EZ: Not bad for a first timer! Cool! Well thank you!
[Written Feb. 2006]
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