The Goon, the Boom ... and the delectable Roxi D'Lite!

Roxi

The beautiful Roxi D'Lite has been justly praised here and elsewhere for her consummate skills as a burlesque artist. Now the Windsor/Detroit goddess has been immortalized as a fictional femme fatale in the pages of "The Goon," a popular comic book series by the talented Eric Powell. We've been told that Roxi served as the tempting template for "a drinking, smoking stripper hellbent on swindling a Depression-era Dust Bowl community out of its last penny." Will she succeed? Will The Goon be able to resist her "smoking" sensuality and derail her nefarious plans? Will YOU show up on November 9 when the ravishing Roxi drops by to sign copies at Rogues Gallery Comics in Windsor? Or would you rather wait till November 12 when our sweet Salome performs at Boom Boom Burlesque? Take the bridge or take the tunnel - but take yourself there! More: facebook/roxidlite.fanpage

BUT before you do any of those things, read this interview we recently enjoyed with the D'Liteful one.

One of the most talented performers of classical burlesque (yes, that would be you) is now enjoying the spotlight in a highly acclaimed comic book. How and when did Roxi meet The Goon? And were you a fan of the character even before this happy event?
Eric Powell first contacted me a few years back on as part of his research for an earlier issue of The Goon. I had never heard of The Goon or Eric Powell so my first thought before seeing his work was that he was some amateur living in his parent’s basement drawing funny pictures of naked ladies but I couldn’t have been more wrong. I asked around and everybody’s was like, ”What!? The Eric Powell?” I learned he is a multiple award-winning artist and a titan in the comic industry, but even without knowing that his work speaks for itself. It was an honor being contacted by him and he has become one of my favorite artists. We hit it off and he invited me to perform at The Goon’s 10-year anniversary party in Nashville and we’ve been friends ever since. I was ecstatic when he asked me if I would like to be a character in his book. I still don't believe it!

The Goon has a rather eclectic cast of characters - everything from vampires to a Skunk Ape. You're being "drawn" as a villainous character. Think you can hold your own in this alternate universe?
Eclectic characters are my cup of tea. The weirder the better I always say! Being a part of Detroit’s Theatre Bizarre has introduced me to a number of real-life eclectic characters and they have become family. There are even a number of similarities between The Goon universe and Theatre Bizarre. I hope to one day introduce Eric Powell to Theatre Bizarre’s creator John Dunivant, I know they would hit it off. Together they could create what I think would be the greatest graphic novel ever, but that's just something I like to dream about.
 
Did you have to pose for Eric Powell or was he able to bring you to life without sittings?
Eric and I have hung out a few times so he was familiar with my personality and mannerisms. There are also many of my photos online that he could reference. Eric asked me to take a number of headshots from multiple angles displaying various emotions such as shock, anger, etc. He really wanted a different facial expression in every frame to help develop the character. Eric is not only a great artist but a very talented writer as well. One of the great things about this issue is the story. Even if you have never read The Goon you can pick of this issue and get to know all of the characters.
 
We've been told that you've always had a keen interest in popular culture. May we presume that this interest embraces more than comics and graphic novels?
I follow popular culture but my interests lie in the lesser-known circles. For instance, I don’t care much for pop music. I prefer to listen to electronic music, jazz, trip-hop, a little bit of rock and even some rockabilly for good measure. I was drawn to burlesque because it was somewhat of an underground art form and it still is to some extent. There are elements of burlesque that have found its way into pop culture such as fashion but the nitty gritty of burlesque is still foreign to many people. I love being able to share what I do with people not familiar with my work.

How on earth did you even find time for this? Your schedule is one of the busiest we've ever come across!
Becoming a comic book villain is definitely something you make time for! I like to keep busy and I keep my hands in many pots. I am also a photographer and I specialize in glamour and pin-up photography. I transform everyday women and housewives into a pin up for a day and make them feel special and hopefully they leave the photo shoot feeling a little more sexy and confident. I also take all of my own photos. I tried my hand at acting for the first time and I just finished shooting my first feature film. It’s called The Burlesque Assassins and it’s set to be released in January. What can I say? A showgirl’s worst enemy is an empty calendar.

Your appearance in The Goon also coincides with an eagerly anticipated event called Boom Boom Burlesque on November 12. Please tell us more about this.
Boom Boom Burlesque is a full-on burlesque show that I am producing. It’s also the official release party for The Goon so I have invited some of the Theatre Bizarre crew to come and participate. I will be performing alongside some of the best in burlesque including Trixie Little and the Evil Hate Monkey. They are an award-winning acrobatic burlesque super-duo from New York City and not to be missed as well as Mysterion the Mindreader, a top mentalist who is our host for the evening. The show fittingly takes place at the Boom Boom Room in Windsor and begins at 8 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online at www.wantickets.com/roxi

This may be a non sequitur, but if you could share a stage with any burlesque artist of the past, who would that person be?
I have been fortunate to meet many of the burlesque legends at the Burlesque Hall of Fame in Las Vegas. I have even performed with a few of them. They are great women and true trailblazers. My favorite burlesque legend is Big Fannie Annie from Las Vegas. She is a larger than life showgirl who weighed more than 600lbs at the height of her career. She was a burlesque comedian and is also one of the funniest women I have ever met. She started in carnivals as a child and then eventually ran her own carnival. I would love to perform with her because she's a great friend and I would be laughing the whole time. I call her my burlesque mama and we have video chats at least once a week.