Meet Nova Necrophiliac

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Nova Necrophiliac. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Nova, so good to have you with us today. We’ve got so much planned, so let’s jump right into it. We live in such a diverse world, and in many ways the world is getting better and more understanding but it’s far from perfect. There are so many times where folks find themselves in rooms or situations where they are the only ones that look like them – that might mean being the only woman of color in the room or the only person who grew up in a certain environment etc. Can you talk to us about how you’ve managed to thrive even in situations where you were the only one in the room?
A friend of mine once referred to me as “the most popular outcast” and it has resonated with me ever since. A lot of the principles I stand for today have often been looked upon with distaste, and I’m here to prove that idea completely wrong.

I used to be afraid of a lot of the things that resonate with me today. Starting drag was a huge plunge into darkness, and it took me awhile before I really got my footing in the community. From the very beginning, my style stuck out like a sore thumb. I was often asked to change certain things about my style in order to book more shows. (spoiler alert, I never did.) I’ve seen fellow performers rise in popularity at an exponential rate, win more competitions, and have more opportunities presented to them than I purely because they “look the part”. Even when it seems like the odds are stacked against me, I noticed I have something they’ll never have. I have Belief.

Drag is about expressionism. Even though my style is extremely niche and the story doesn’t connect with the audience, they still believe it. Sure, belief isn’t tangible, or immediate, and it definitely doesn’t help pay my rent. However, it keeps me going. I know, based on the support I’ve received, that my drag comes from a place of understanding. I’m not here to be a pretty girl, or dance to a fun Ariana song to live out my little gay fantasy. My drag name is Nova Necrophiliac. Not a lot of people can even put that name down on a sheet of paper because of the connotation. I’m here to be wild, be a monster, inspire others to have fun against all odds, and be a little good while doing a lot of bad!! It’s a long journey to realize just how alone you are in this universe, but that haunting fact keeps me going. I’m one in 8 billion people on this planet. My success doesn’t come from how many wigs I own or how good I look on a runway. My success is more meaningful to me. I want to spark that feeling of excitement and adrenaline that you feel when you’re about to do something you’ve waited months for. I’m here to showcase the things most people are afraid to be proud of. Life is too short to worry about what others think of your taste. There’s a very paraphrased John Waters quote I live by, “One has to have good taste to understand bad taste, and there is a difference between good bad taste and bad bad taste.” I perform to be proud of my bad taste, whereas most people hide from it. That is my idea of success and my success is unique.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
By day I’m Zach, by night I’m Nova. A drag creature that has an unhealthy obsession with anime, video games, and horror movies. Currently, I’m working as a freelance creature designer and makeup-artist for film, events, and pretty much anything I can get my eager hands on. I work very closely with a lot of people in the horror community at conventions, and am working towards having my name be recommended to more people so the work becomes more consistent. I also enjoy performing as a creature actor.

As a drag performer, it’s both daunting and rewarding showcasing literally every aspect of my work at a gig. Since I design, do makeup, and perform; it’s nice having the drag community to showcase every aspect of my hard work at a performance. Even though most of the performances are held in bars or clubs; I still seize the opportunity to be as professional and daring as possible. I’m always willing to push boundaries to revive creativity in a world that I believe always needs more. With that being said, my work is not always accepted and cherished by everyone. I’ve faced adversity in a multitude of ways, but it doesn’t hinder me as an artist. I see my art a lot like a Godzilla movie: monstrous, destructive, and wildly powerful in all the best ways.

My art is never meant to tear down anyone or anything involved. I often describe myself as “aggressively enthusiastic” when tackling my next big project. Growing up as a queer person, I’ve suffered from self-harm and outrageous amount of untreated anxiety due to the fact that the community around me talked in hushed tones behind everyone’s back about being treated for mental conditions and sexuality. I had a lot of friends growing up, but rarely did I ever feel like I could express myself to the fullest. I often felt like I was the only one taking myself seriously. I didn’t have any queer community to be proud of. I was always forced into an idea of what people saw in me, but never who I actually was. I was encouraged to think outside of the box, but always found myself ushered back inside. I thought and acted differently than almost everyone around me. I felt like a monster myself. Therefore, the monsters in movies became my idols. Most actors/performers have academy-nominated A-Listers as their inspirations; mine just happen to be xenomorphs and kaiju.

As far as my style goes, I draw inspiration from a more recent discovery. My favorite show, and what inspires most of my makeup, is Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure (and if you don’t know what that is I highly recommend looking it up!) My childhood has great influences in my work as well. I’m still very youthful and draw a lot of my humor from cartoons I watched as a kid, such as: Chowder, Courage the Cowardly Dog, and The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack to name a few. My influences don’t stop there. Some of my favorite movies scratch my creative itch ranging from terrifying films such as The Thing, IT Chapter One, and Alien to high camp horror comedies like Gremlins, Killer Klowns From Outer Space, and Critters. The world inside my brain is very lively and vibrant, but can be a little dark. I’m happy to take anyone on a personal tour of my twisted mind to share the true beauty, eccentricity, and excitement of my art.

Lately, you can find me performing at the Offbeat Bar in Highland Park for Exposure Drag, Brat at Revolver in West Hollywood, or at any upcoming conventions (Monsterpalooza, Spooky Swap Meet, Midsummer Scream, etc.) Don’t be a stranger and keep posted on all my upcoming events on my Instagram page: @novanecrophiliac & @zachallsbrook

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
An artist I looked up to told me recently, “if 99% of people are happy with you; you’re doing your job wrong.” Living with mental conditions and high anxiety has often built up a wall of perfectionism with me. I used to have this idea that I needed everyone to think highly of me. When, in reality, you’re going to have people that don’t like you. Don’t take it personally. Think of it as liking different flavors of ice cream. You have people that love chocolate, and people that don’t. I’ve learned to embrace this fact.

I have also learned, in an age of instant fame and viral trends, time is key. I cannot stress the importance of taking your time as an artist in a face-paced world. Being on your toes and taking time to work are two entirely different things. In a fast-paced kitchen scenario, just because the orders need to come out as soon as possible does not mean you cook something less! I’m a very impatient person, so learning to take my time has probably been the most difficult, but rewarding challenge for me.

My last piece of advice, and I cannot stress this enough, is… HAVE. FUN.
It’s very self-explanatory. People take things way too seriously, and you will be more memorable if you seize the moment to realize that you are alive, breathing, and living out your own very unique timeline. I’m someone that dressed up as monsters, flops around on stage, and has so much fun doing it. If seeing me have a blast making a fool of myself doesn’t bring you at least a little joy: I suggest a self-evaluation. Crash! Burn! And have fun doing it!

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
Being a freelance drag and makeup artist, performer, and designer, I am always looking for people to collaborate with!!

Living in Los Angeles is very expensive and some projects don’t happen unless you have proper funding. I’ve been working extremely hard for the past two years trying to keep my passion alive. I often find myself connecting with people who just have creativity flowing through their veins. I’m only 23, and there are already so many ideas bouncing around in my head. I can’t wait to share them with the world! My goal is to be as open and honest about my craft as possible. When my projects are presented, I want to make sure they have my personal touch of raw artistic enthusiasm. If you love B-Rated horror, kaiju movies, video games, and anime; I think you’ve stumbled upon the right creature!!

You can contact me via social media or email!
[email protected]
Or on Instagram: @novanecrophiliac @zachallsbrook

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Ghoul Daddies, Abraham Ramos, DOGMA Cape Fear, M.U.D. Burbank, Evan Ewing, Jay Dallen, Mike Skanes

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