Hello, uglies.
It was announced on Monday that LA nightlife icons The Boulet Brothers are bringing their gory counterpart to "RuPaul's Drag Race" back for its third season of the witch. "Dragula: The Search for the World's Next Drag Supermonster" returns to airwaves courtesy of OutTV this August. This breaks the year and a half long dry spell which began in January 2018 with the Season Two finale.
"Dragula" prides itself on the three tenets of the style: filth, horror, and glamour. This show is not for the faint of heart. Forget lip syncing for your life. Extermination challenges in past seasons included being buried alive, mud wrestling, and even piercings in a makeshift studio. Those who don't hold up are exterminated in glorious over-the-top kill scenes that would make any horror fan smirk with sick glee.
The guest judges have been a highlight of the show as well. Previous guests include Clive Barker (Hellraiser), Darren Stein (Jawbreaker), Alaska Thunderfvck ("RuPaul's Drag Race") and Biblegirl (dragqueenmerch.com). Whatever horror and drag icons grace the main stage this season, we can rest assured that the third time will indeed be the charm for the creation of Dracmorda and Swanthula Boulet.
Rumors have been floating around for months about a potential cast for this latest installment. Foremost among the alleged cast is Landon Cider, one of the most recognizable and creative drag kings in the LA scene and in the world. If this rumor is true, and Cider is in the competition, it would be the first time that a drag king has entered a televised drag competition show. Given RuPaul's comments in a 2018 interview with The Guardian, in which he argued that drag is less dangerous and effective when it's not a man dressing as a woman, The Boulet Brothers could be poised to carry the torch for a more inclusive future for drag.
Drag, in itself, is counterculture. It is a blatant "fuck you" to gender norms, heteronormativity, and tradition. By going even further, by going outside of the norms of drag - which is a phrase that sounds really funny to say or to write - The Boulet Brothers could position themselves ahead of the curve that RuPaul has set for the last decade with Drag Race.
For those looking to catch up on the previous two seasons, YouTube is the place to go. Check out Hey Qween for Season One and OutTV for Season Two. Amazon Prime subscribers can enjoy both seasons with their membership, with Season One being remastered with extensive new footage not included in the original release.
Who will scratch, claw, slice, and dice their way to the Dragula crown this year? Which monster will join Vander von Odd and Biqtch Puddin atop the pantheon of punk drag? By the time Halloween rolls around, we will have that answer.