Encyclopedia Gothica (11 page)

FRANKENSTEIN
Novel by Mary
SHELLEY
, fully titled
Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus
, published in 1818. A classic of Gothic literature of great influence on horror and science fiction writing that has been re-interpreted for film, TV, comics, games, cereal . . . well, just about everything in popular culture. More even than the 1931 Universal Pictures classic film adaptation, the 1935 sequel
The Bride of Frankenstein
is responsible for the greatest impact on modern day Gothdom: star Elsa Lanchester’s iconic black hair, streaked white and standing on its end, an amazing
HALLOWEEN
costume.

FRASER, ELIZABETH
Enigmatic Scottish singer (b. August 29, 1963), voice of
COCTEAU TWINS
and, alongside
SIOUXSIE SIOUX
and
LISA GERRARD
, one of the most treasured songstresses in all of Gothdom. “Discovered” by guitarist
ROBIN GUTHRIE
dancing in a club at the age of seventeen, she never considered herself a singer, but her unique, otherworldly style — vocalizing emotions without using identifiable language — and soprano skills have made her one of the most influential voices in alternative music in general. Her haunting cover of Tim Buckley’s “Song to the Siren” as part of
4AD
supergroup This Mortal Coil set the bar for ethereal emoting to die for. Since the split of the Cocteaus in 1997, her musical contributions have been selective (to put it mildly) but there’s that heart-stopping performance on Massive Attack’s ballad “Teardrop,” which, if it were the only thing she’d ever done, would still earn her icon status. A solo album is long rumoured/overdue; one track, the carnivalesque trip-hop number “Moses,” appeared in 2009.

FREAK
A not very nice word for someone who looks different from you, or has physical defects. Probably why people yell it out of passing cars at Goths. But we’re not insulted. We are freaks. So there.

FRENCH QUARTER
That beautiful, historic part of New Orleans that Goths everywhere dream about visiting, to drink
ABSINTHE
and chartreuse on Bourbon Street, score a tarot reading, wander in one’s finery into a seedy alley in search of “real”
VAMPIRES
or voodoo gris but probably ending up at the Voodoo Museum . . . all of this stoked by reading
ANNE RICE
and
POPPY Z. BRITE
, who both injected about a million
GOTH POINTS
into what was already a mecca.

FUCK THE MAINSTREAM
Online retailer run by the folks behind
Vampirefreaks.com
, specializing in clothing and accessories for teenagers — as if the name wasn’t a hint. In 2006, released a four-disc box set compilation of Goth/
INDUSTRIAL
bands.

FUNERAL
Gothic and
DEATH ROCK
DJ parties for all ages held in and around Los Angeles from 2002 to 2008, produced by Veronika Sorrow. A sanctuary for the
BABYBAT
s who were encouraged to “dress to depress,” especially on Goth Prom Night.

FUTUREPOP
Another term for
EBM
music, coined by Ronan Harris of
VNV NATION
to describe his band’s more updated (read: trancey) form of ’80s
SYNTHPOP
and applied to the newer bands.

GAF
See:
Goth as Fuck

GAIMAN, NEIL
British author (b. November 10, 1960) working in fantasy, horror, fairytales and science fiction. Best known as creator of the long-running, award-winning comic series
THE SANDMAN
(1989–1996) featuring a brooding King of Dreams and his sister,
DEATH
. His novels include
American Gods
and the young adult story
Coraline
. His short story “Snow, Glass, Apples” re-imagined “Snow White” as a
VAMPIRE
tale from the point of view of the wicked witch. Both a father figure and dream date to bookish Goths everywhere, although recently married to
AMANDA PALMER
.

GALÁS, DIAMANDA
American singer, pianist and performance artist (b. August 29, 1955) working in improv, jazz, blues, rock and more. The personification of a primal scream wrapped in dominatrix attire, known for using her multi-octave voice to demonic effect. Her debut album,
The Litanies of Satan
(1982), was based on the poem by
CHARLES BAUDELAIRE
and introduced her by way of shrieking, shocking experiments in vocals and electronics.
Plague Mass
(1991), a requiem for those dying of AIDS recorded live in a NYC cathedral, was a blasphemous, chilling call to activism. Most of her music scares the shit out of most people. She has provided more palatable yet still intense vocals for Francis Ford Coppola’s film
DRACULA
(1992) and a reading of “The Black Cat” to
Closed on Account of Rabies
, the
EDGAR ALLAN POE
tribute CD (1997). Influenced legions of witchy vocalists but she remains inimitable, extraordinary.

GARGOYLE
In architecture, a stone waterspout in the shape of a grotesque creature or chimera, often found atop such churches as Paris’s Notre Dame Cathedral. In Goth abodes, a most popular garden accessory. Knowing that a purely decorative gargoyle is actually called a grotesque is worth considerable
GOTH POINTS
; however, using a plastic grotesque obtained from a dollar store at
HALLOWEEN
year-round is minus five Goth Points.

GASMASKS
See:
Masks

GAUNTLETS
A type of glove, produced in a variety of styles but most commonly covering the forearm in imitation of
MEDIEVAL
armour or fencing gloves. Quite versatile really: fingerless armbands made from fabrics such as lace,
VELVET
or
PVC
as worn by teen
MALL GOTHS
may be referred to as gauntlets, as are studded or spiked wrist or leather armbands favoured by metal types. Also a popular
STEAMPUNK
accessory, commonly made of leather affixed with brass or other repurposed metal tchotchke.

GAWTH
Alternate spelling of Goth, used snarkily in online whining about non-Goths or
MALL GOTHS
who think they are
GOTHER THAN THOU
.

GENITORTURERS
American
INDUSTRIAL
shock rock band and performance troupe founded in Florida in 1991 and led by medical fetishist singer Gen. Rose to some infamy amongst the underground in the mid 1990s alongside
MARILYN MANSON
and Jim Rose Circus Sideshow and best remembered for their S/M theme live performances. Song “Lecher Bitch” included in videogame
VAMPIRE: THE MASQUERADE
— Bloodlines
(2004).

GERMANY
It all started with the Visigoths and the
OSTROGOTH
, those rampaging tribes from East Germany who sacked Rome in the fourth century. Then, after a long break, came Weimar cabaret and expressionist silent films of the 1920s. Actually, those things probably have nothing to do with the modern Goth’s fascination with Germany, and vice versa, but for some reason, the country has always been a hotspot for the scene. Not only does it host the world’s largest Goth festival —
WAVE-GOTIK-TREFFEN
— but clubs and clothing shops and magazines and new bands abound.

GERRARD, LISA
Australian singer (b. April 12, 1961) famous as the female voice of the group
DEAD CAN DANCE
. Her mournful contralto vocals draw from diverse musical traditions and express a mystical quality; she often sounds as though channelling spirits in several languages, including new ones she invents herself. Since the break-up of her band, she has released several solo records, including
The Mirror Pool
(1995). She is an accomplished Chinese dulcimer player and has worked on many film scores, including
Gladiator
, for which she won a Golden Globe Award. In concert, often appears dressed in a long white gown and barely speaks to the audience. Gothdom’s most angelic diva.

GHASTLY MAGAZINE
Music and culture magazine published by Nosferatu Productions out of L.A. in the early 1990s. Editors’ nasty feud with Sean Brennan and his band
LONDON AFTER MIDNIGHT
not exactly the height of journalism.

GIGER, H.R.
Swiss visual artist (b. February 5, 1940). Best known as creator of the titular creature for
Alien
(1979), which was based on a painting from his collection
Necronomicon
(1977) and his subsequent original designs. His dark fantasy paintings and sculpture display a perverse preoccupation with penetration of a biomechanical kind. Possibly the first
CYBERGOTH
.

GLOOM COOKIE
See:
Doom Cookie

GLOOMIE
A sad or mopey teenager, not quite Goth. Not widely used.

GLOOM, RUBY
Fictional
PERKY GOTH
girl, star of the animated kids TV show of the same name about “the bright side of the dark side,” broadcast on Canada’s YTV from 2006 to 2008. Originally created as an
EMILY THE STRANGE
–type brand to sell stationary and backpacks, Ruby is the “happiest girl in the world” who is surrounded by gloomy pals like Skull Boy, her cat Doom Kitty and three ravens named Edgar, Allan and
POE
. A sure sign that Goth has become an archtype in mainstream culture.

GOFF
Mispronunciation of Goth used deliberately as a joke to demonstrate one’s self-deprecating wit, particularly in the U.K.

GOGGLES
CYBERGOTH
s love these things. What most people see as practical, protective eyewear used for swimming or welding, they see as the perfect accessory to be worn not on the eyes but on the forehead, usually over some neon hair
FALLS
. You probably can’t see out of them anyhow, what with the biohazard symbol or spikes covering the lenses. One of the most striking pieces of hardware to be seen on the scene, they come in every colour and fit every size.
STEAMPUNKS
love them too, although they tend to make their own out of brass and leather, aviator-style.

GOREY, EDWARD
American writer and illustrator (1925–2000). Oh, how do we love thee? For thy
Gashlycrumb Tinies
(1963), your tale of children meeting strange deaths, one for each letter of the alphabet (“A is for Amy who fell down the stairs / B is for Basil, assaulted by bears”). For thy set design for the Broadway production of
DRACULA
(1977). For anagram pseudonyms such as Ogdred Weary. For thy devilish
VICTORIAN
English sensibilities, and all the cats and
BAT
s and
PARASOL
s in your illustrations. For thy pop-up books. For paving the way for
TIM BURTON
. For showing the world that a sick sense of humour can be poetic and nonsense can be art. For having your ashes scattered in the sea, to be with us, always.

GOTH
See: This Book

GOTHABILLY
1. Style of punk rock music combining horror movie imagery and rockabilly as practiced by bands such as
THE CRAMPS
, Tiger Army and Nekromantix, also referred to as
PSYCHOBILLY
. Originated in the late 1970s in
ENGLAND
, peaking in North America in the mid 1990s and still going strong in Europe. Music is generally fast-paced, raw and may feature an upright bass rather than an electric bass; lyrical themes involve monsters, damsels in distress and assorted dead things. 2. The accompanying fashion style: slick black pompadours and
CREEPER
shoes for men, vintage 1950s style dresses and pin-up girl hairdos for the ladies.
TATTOOS
, skulls and tattoos of skulls for all.

GOTH AS FUCK
Extremely, exquisitely, most definitely Goth. Commonly referring to a person but sometimes a place or thing. Equivalent of “Queer as Fuck.” Origin unknown but usage widespread since around the turn of the century, when it became a popular slogan for T-shirts and buttons. Generally complimentary, a sign of admiration and respect, although it may be used negatively to describe someone believed to be stuck-up or otherwise a bit too Goth for their own good. Abbreviated in writing to GAF.
Compare:
Gother Than Thou

GOTH AUCTIONS
Online auction site catering specifically to the Goth community. You won’t ever mistake it for
EBAY
: it’s designed in black and purple and the “about us” is a detailed list of their servers and network protocols, with photos!

GOTH BIBLE
,
THE
Book on Goth culture, written by
NANCY KILPATRICK
and published by St. Martin’s Press in 2004. One of the only sociological studies of the Goth scene to actually come from the inside, drawing on extensive first-person interviews with actual Goths.

GOTH CARD
Imaginary membership card that friends will threaten to revoke for embarrassingly non-Goth behaviour (e.g., possession of a Nickelback CD).

GOTH-CURIOUS
A non-Goth person, usually a teenager but not always, with an interest in becoming Goth. The Goth-Curious are generally encouraged to make contact with Goths either in person or online, to ask questions and find ways to express themselves. Not to be confused with a non-Goth person who lurks in Goth bars looking to pick up or the old lady on the bus who asks you why you wear all black.

GOTHDOM
The state of being Goth, encompassing all of what is good and evil about the culture.

GOTH DRESS CODE
Informal code of dress implemented at certain Goth nightclubs or events in order to restrict entry to perceived true denizens of the night. Most common rule would be “all black clothing,” although more likely a list of unacceptable items (e.g., no white T-shirts or sneakers) imposed arbitrarily by the door staff as opposed to a strict definition of appropriate Goth attire. While it seems hypocritical and silly for those who fight not to be judged on their appearance to exclude others based solely on their appearance, such policies do ensure guys in
EYELINER
and girls in
LATEX
bras are safe from drunk jocks out to gawk at the
FREAK
s and pick up “kinky
VAMPIRE
chicks.” This is a good thing.

GOTHER THAN THOU
1. A put-down referring to a self-righteous Goth who considers him/herself superior to others by way of greater time spent in the scene, knowledge of music or commitment to Gothly appearance. Equivalent of “holier than thou.” 2. Card game parody developed by Savant Garde Entertainment in 2000 in which the normally imaginary
GOTH POINTS
actually are counted.

GOTH GRANT
American federal grant awarded to a youth outreach organization in Blue Springs, Missouri, in 2002 to study Goth culture in order to “combat” its ill effects in the wake of the
COLUMBINE
massacre. The $273,000 was provided to help identify “Goth culture leaders” that were “preying” on kids allegedly involved in “self-mutilation and animal sacrifices.” As taxpayer watchdog groups were quick to point out, there were no such kids in this area and most of the money was spent on administration and shopping at
HOT TOPIC
. The community had little interest in attending Goths-are-people-too seminars; funding cancelled in 2004.

GOTHIC
1. A 1986 biographical film about
LORD BYRON
, staring Gabriel Byrne and directed by Ken Russell, recounting the story of Byron and the
Shelleys
’ infamous weekend at Villa Diodati in Switzerland, which resulted in the writing of Mary Shelley’s
FRANKENSTEIN
. Russell’s gorgeously lurid, enthrallingly hallucinogenic portrayal of the events may be far from historically accurate but it took the breath away of the
ROMANTIGOTH
s and remains essential viewing. 2. The easiest way to describe something Goth, for example, everything in this book. 3. A great number of things from fonts to moths that have nothing to do with Gothdom. Please see your copy of the
Oxford English Dictionary
for details.