Cemetery Pulp Brings Valloween to Life
Content warning: The article contains images of taxidermy animals and a performer performing professional self-mutilation acts.
With its unique play on Valentine’s Day, Cemetery Pulp, “the only hybrid oddity and comic shop in Las Vegas, putting the cult back in culture,” just hosted its Valloween Night Market. This event brought shock, sideshows, and art into one place for those willing to see the weirdness and freakiness that Cemetery Pulp and their friends exhibit.
“Hex your ex, support the dogs, have some eats, watch some sideshow, make out in a hearse! The Valloween Night Market returns!… See you soon at the tomb!” – Cemetery Pulp event post.
Located at 3950 E. Sunset Road in Suite 160, Cemetery Pulp hosted Valloween on February 10. They showcased many local artists living by providing space in front of their store for them to sell their goods. A mixture of art, food, and the community gathered in front of the store.
The Host of the Event – Cemetery Pulp
Taking place inside the store as well, Cemetery Pulp offers all that’s nerdy and weird in one shop with merchandise from local artists, as well as events and raffles.
When one enters the store, the lively atmosphere draws them in. The taxidermy animals in various poses and outfits easily capture one’s attention. Music ranging from Nirvana, Queens of the Stone Age, and Soundgarden playing in the background only added to the energy.
There was not an idle moment during the event. From the moment customers walk into the store, their expressions of wonder constantly change. As people look around and kids gape their mouths, unsure of where to start, excited energy permeates the venue.
With no vacant or empty spots in the store, Cemetery Pulp offers more than just taxidermy and animals in jars. They also sell comics and graphic novels, skulls and bones, furniture, old photos and art, plushies, purses, backpacks, various figurines, coffee, and locally made items such as patches and art prints.
In addition, Cemetery Pulp is also a music venue that lets locals play from time to time. The store also offers classes ranging from specimen preservation, beetle pinning, and owl butterfly pinning to taxidermy classes, bone cleaning, and making your own dome art piece with a variety of materials to make a scene inside of a cloche, to name a few. See when the next class or music show is scheduled on Cemetery Pulp’s event page.
Valloween Vendors
Outside, artists vended and talked with people about their items. Much of the art ranged from jewelry, custom-made sachets, and candles to jars of skeleton heads, paintings, and handmade sculptures.
One such novelty vender included Atomic Anatomy a stand selling items with 100% genuine human bone.
“All the bones I use are retirement teaching aides,” said April Dykes the Human Bone Brtist. So, instead of colleges getting rid of old displays, they get sold and bought. And I buy them and make them into jewelry and other items.”
Dykes is also a fifth-generation circus performer and professional body piercer.
In addition, Middle Finger Foods food truck set up in front to take hungry customer’s orders.
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Sin City Sideshow Performer Auzzy Blood
Auzzy Blood, well-known as “The Sideshow Freak from Sin City,” performed for customers inside Cemetery Pulp during the Valloween event.
From doing push-ups while swallowing a sword to lodging nails into his skull and pulling out a metal grinder to sharpen them while still in his nose, Auzzy provided the audience with no shortage of shock and awe.
Remember, kids, don’t try any of this at home! Auzzy is a professional sideshow performer with three Guinness World Records under his name.
For many years, Auzzy has partnered with Cemetery Pulp owners Aaron and Chris for past shows, continuing their longstanding friendship.
“We used to do an event called the Dark Arts Market. So when they went into the idea of wanting to get the shop together, they brought me onboard as just a performer so they can obviously have some entertainment throughout the store,” Auzzy Blood said. “The store is beautiful and entertaining as it is. But when you can get someone to engage with people and break them out of their comfort zone. That’s what I do. It just helps. It helps the flow of the store and energy in here, and [we] have a lot more fun throughout the day.”
Becoming a Sideshow Performer
Leaving his day job as a phlebotomist in 2017 to pursue performing full-time, Auzzy Blood has worked as a professional sideshow performer for seven years now. He’s been sword-swallowing for eight years after taking up the practice in January 2016.
When asked about the career change, he said that he never expected his life to turn into this. That all changed while learning about human anatomy in school.
“I basically asked myself, ‘Do I want to work for a doctor for the rest of my life or have an adventure?’ ‘Cause I saw how the medical industry was, and once you’re in it, you’re kind of locked [in],” Auzzy explained. “So I started teaching myself stunts because I wanted to have an adventure with my life and not feel stuck. The medical knowledge really came in handy, and that’s probably how I was able to teach myself sword swallowing within 10 months.”
In addition to working as a sideshow performer, Auzzy Blood also offers commissions for art and metalwork. He says he wants to continue to perform and hopefully break more records as he continues his sideshow performances.
#GetinMotion with Cemetery Pulp
Cemetery Pulp is a store that ignites an unexpected reaction in people, especially upon seeing dead taxidermy animals.
In an intriguing contrast, this makes the store come to life through people’s reactions to the openness and experience of it all.
If you love the weird and wild, follow Cemetery Pulp’s Instagram and Facebook and check out their website to buy things or see their future events.
Cemetery Pulp has 14 events scheduled in March, so there is lots of opportunity to #GetinMotion!
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