Marlo Marquise (Apr 15)

KB: What’s one thing about you that nobody would guess?




MM: I'd have to say I've lived a colorful life thus far, so I could write a book on things about me nobody would guess. I'll give you something small though - I'm terrified of the dentist. I inflict pain on myself for a living, but I cry the minute I walk into the dentist office. My boyfriend has to be in the procedure room with me every time through the whole process. Weird right? It's a pretty embarrassing scene.

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KB: What were you like as a kid?



MM: I was painfully shy as a kid. I was extremely creative, always drawing, painting, crafting, reading. I was also very serious. I used to boss my older sisters around and tell them when they were doing something wrong. Always very opinionated! Always up for an adventure!

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KB: Tell me about your first suspension?




MM: I was going through a lot in my personal life, so I decided to go on tour to keep my mind off things. What I was going through was so powerful that not even work could distract me from the trauma I was experiencing. I was booked for a show in Dallas, TX in June 2012. I decided that no therapist, no family, no friend could help me through what I was dealing with at the time. I needed something life altering. I then decided to get in touch with Allen Falkner. I discussed what was happening to Allen, and without question he said yes to suspending me for my first time as an act of meditation and therapy. To this day, it was the best and most important day of my life. It was very private with only Allen, Courtney his girlfriend, a photographer and myself in Allen’s home. What happened to me that day is almost indescribable. When I went up I was only up for a few minutes before I passed out. All the stress, trauma, and pain seemed to rush at me all at once and I remember holding Allen’s hands, looking him in the eyes and saying “I’m going to pass out now” and he said “It’s okay I have you”. That moment seemed to release something in me. 




After I woke up, I went back up and hung for at least an hour. It felt like all the hurt went away and everything that was truly important came into focus. That day will stay with me forever. I fell in love with suspension the first time.

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KB: How did you come up with the concept for the machetes?



MM: The ladder of machetes was inspired by a very old act in the circus sideshow. I was originally taught machetes by one of the original female members of GWAR. It's a very common modern act in sideshow, but I noticed that everyone does it the same, and everyone's ladder is very bulky and "safe" looking. I also noticed that performers either had a ladder or a bed of machetes.

One day, I came across a photo from the early 1900's of a woman in the circus climbing a very thin metal ladder of swords. It immediately inspired me to build a prop that combined the ladder and bed, but also was built as thin as the original vintage prop I saw, because it looked WAY more dangerous. I brought my idea to my insanely genius prop maker StarkNaked Industries, and my current prop, which now brings me all over the world was the end result.

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KB: What other additions to the show are you working on?




MM: I'm always working on something. The two main skills I've been working on are single tail whip tricks and traditional knife throwing. Both take so much learning, and more practice than anything I've ever tried to learn. They have a ways to go before I put them on stage. I've also been sword swallowing training off and on for four years now, but I'm way too inconsistent to put that on stage anytime soon.

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KB: What is the best reaction you’ve had from fans (or first-timers)? Worst reaction?




MM: The best reaction I've had from people who follow my work, is always when women meet me and tell me I inspire them to be themselves, and be a strong, driven woman. My favorite reaction of all time, is a first timer who has never seen anything like what I do, is totally terrified of it, but after the show they walk away thinking differently. They change their mind and think what I did was beautiful or entertaining. Of course I've had many bad reactions. I think negativity towards something different or counter culture is the nature of the beast. It comes natural to people who don't understand something, or are intimidated by another persons confidence.

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KB: Does your family say anything about the more provocative photos (bondage, nudes, etc.)?




MM: My family had a really big issue with it in the beginning, and now they know not to google me haha I've always been really creative and the black sheep of my family, so nothing has come as a surprise to them.

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KB: What do you see yourself doing in 20 years?




MM: I don't live that far in the future. I think about today, this week, the next few months, and goals I have set. I live the way I do because you never know whats going to happen tomorrow. Worrying about the future is completely pointless and puts unnecessary pressure on your focus. At the very least, I hope I'm still doing what I do and happy doing it.

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KB: How would you describe your onstage persona? Does it reflect the real you?




MM: It absolutely does. When I first started performing I kept my real first name, because I still wanted to be me on stage. My "persona" on stage is just a magnified version of my personality off stage.

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KB: What other efforts do you have coming in the future? Any goals you want to share?


MM: I'd like to do more performance festivals, and most of all I'd like to perform in a handful of countries that I haven't yet. I tour the US all the time and have performed in the UK, but I would really love to perform elsewhere. I've had many offers but nothing solid yet.

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KB: If you could change anything in the world, what would it be?




MM: The price of airfare? haha I only try to change whats around me. Thats all you can do.

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KB: You travel quite a bit, do you have any routines that make it easier to be on the road?




MM: I think anyone who travels often has their own ways of packing, essentials, etc. I always make sure I take food with me because of my food allergies. Especially traveling abroad, You never know what’s going to be available. I always have my kindle charged, my blanket with me, and all my vitamins and supplements so I don't get sick. I'm a bit of an old lady like that.




KB: How hard is it being away from the dogs?



MM: Nola and Lestat! It's SO hard! When you are a couple who is not interested in having children, your animals are your kids. We miss them so much while we're gone.

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KB: How did you learn to breathe fire?




MM: I've had two fire mentors during the course of my career. My first mentor taught me basic fire eating skills, and then Todd Robbins from Coney Island taught me how to breathe fire. Both are wonderful teachers and I owe a lot of my career to them.

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KB: You decided to split your tongue, was a hard/ scary decision? How do you like having it?



MM: As I mentioned, I'm terrified of the dentist, so anything to do with my mouth and pain was scary for me! I had been wanting to do it for years but never had the nerve. So I decided to set a date I couldn't back out of. It's now my favorite heavier body modification.

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KB: Describe the sensation of the different piercings you do on stage.



MM: To be honest, when I'm performing I'm too busy having fun and watching the audience to even feel the pain from my skewers. All I feel is a tiny prick, some pressure, and then a pop through my skin. Adrenaline does some magical things!

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KB: You seem to model quite a bit, what do you like about the different shoots?



MM: I've been modeling for 7-8 years. Modeling actually came before performing. I really love meeting new people and sharing a creative experience with them. To me creating photos is just another way of making art. I've gained so many friends through the years from modeling.


KB: Some of the photos are fetish photography. Are there shoots that are more/ less fun? If you’ve turned down a crazy request, what was it?



MM: I've been doing fetish work since the first day I started modeling. My first photo shoot was with one of the main photographers for DDI. It's definitely one of my favorite genres. Most of the work I turn down is too explicit for this interview haha

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KB: Recently, you just got a massive backpiece. It looks amazing to me, are you happy with it? 



MM: Thank you! I love it. I feel like it always should have been there now that I have it. My back was done by the incredibly talented Peter Madsen in Copenhagen from Meatshop Tattoo. He is one of the masters in dot work, and I am honored to have his art on my body. The very first time I learned about tattoo work was in high school when I was about 15. In one of my art classes, college students came to teach us a unit on the origins of tattoo art and a lot of it was dot work and maori art. So I guess that inspired me to dig a little deeper and discover sacred geometry. I wanted my back to look feminine,and have different versions of the flower of life.




I gave my artist a lot of creative freedom. It was a collaborative process of him designing, me tweaking it, and us just mapping it out together. We originally had no idea when I would be healed enough to tattoo on my suspension scars, and Peter didn't exactly want his work destroyed. He suggested I display my scars in the tattoo, and wear them proudly. In the end, we made my scars part of the design and I couldn't be happier. With my hooks in, it's like a small art installation complete!

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KB: What would you want the world to know about the body mod community?




MM: Out of any community I've ever experienced, its one of the most welcoming and supportive communities you will come across. It's full of talented, intelligent and warm hearted people. It's a community that gives a home to people who always felt different.

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KB: What do you do to chill out?




MM: Depends on what I'm trying to relax from. If you mean when I'm home and off the road, you wouldn't believe how boring I am haha Netflix, cooking dinner, and cuddling with the dogs. In a nutshell.

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KB: Can you please translate your dots!?!? You do a nice job hiding the right hand in your pix. I’m guessing “Gangster” from what I could see. 




MM: The funny thing is I got braille pattern on my knuckles thinking nobody would ask me about them like they would actual words. I was completely wrong and now it's the number one thing people ask about! Yes, it does say Gangster. I have my reasons haha half of it is an inside joke with myself and the other reasons have a deeper meaning.




KB: Are there any other mods that you want to talk about? Any regrets? 




MM: I consider all forms of body art a modification. I've had countless piercings over the years, scaring, tattoos, etc. I do have 4 subdermal implants in my wrists, which I might add to eventually. They are subtle. I have no regrets about anything I've ever done with my body.




KB: What do you think about some of the more extreme body modifications people get?




MM: More power to them. I think people should look however they feel most beautiful. If that means you feel beautiful with tattoos and piercings, great! If that means plastic surgery or a sex change, thats great too! Be what you want to be and look how you want to look and who cares about anyone who doesn't like it.

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