Massive ruby red spikes protruded from the shoulders of a black fur coat. Red blood dripped from jagged fangs and twisted black horns curled over a deer skull headpiece.

“I didn’t want to be Santa,” said Fish the Clown, a local artist and performer who uses he/they pronouns. 

They were dressed as Krampus, the half-goat, half-demon monster that, in central European folklore, punishes misbehaving children during Christmas.

Sitting on their red throne at Dreadful Things tattoo and curiosity shop, Fish recently gave El Pasoans a chance to get a creepy alternative to a photo with Santa with the self-proclaimed “drag clown.” 

Fish said that while most people have heard of drag queens – usually men who dress and act like women for entertainment – there aren’t any limits to who or what a drag performer can be. Some are women who dress and apply makeup to chisel their jawlines to look masculine, also known as drag kings. Others, like drag monsters, dress as something that may not even be human.

“Drag clowns, drag monsters, that’s what suits me,” Fish said. “People definitely get confused. They ask me if I wear a dress and a wig and I’m like, ‘Yeah maybe a wig, but you just have to see it.’”

Drag clowns combine the exaggerated forms of gender expression from drag with the multicultural art of clowning to create elaborate costumes and performances that can be as thought provoking as they are dazzling.

“I try to be somewhat fashion forward. So it doesn’t look like you’re a Ringling Brothers Circus clown. It’s more avant-garde,” Fish said.

The colorful El Paso artist was recently commissioned by the Natalie Seroussi Gallery in Paris to create a new one-of-a-kind outfit to display at the Dragclown Affair exhibition from March 21 to July 31. The exhibition will bring together 13 drag clowns from all over the world to display their wearable creations while exploring the cultures and identities behind their costumes.

Though Fish is still in the planning phases of making the outfit, they hope to create something that will embody their Mexican and Native American roots, drawing inspiration from the clowns they saw as a child that moved them to dawn the white face paint in the first place. This includes performers who make a living entertaining drivers throughout the streets of Juárez and the Pueblo clowns of Santo Domingo, New Mexico, also known as sacred clowns, who serve as jesters or tricksters in some traditional Native American religions. 

Though El Paso Matters met the person behind the makeup, Fish said they prefer to keep their identity a secret.

“I noticed some people don’t know my real name or my age, and I kind of like the mystery,” Fish said.

Still, getting to know Fish may be the best way to get to know the artist.

“Fish is definitely me. I know some similar drag artists like to keep that separate like, ‘This is my persona and this is me.’ But I feel like a lot of me bleeds into Fish so it’s more like an extension of myself,” Fish said.

Fish is a member of the Tigua Tribe, which they noted does not have clowns. They identify as two spirit, an umbrella term used by some Native American people to describe those who are not traditionally masculine or feminine and can be seen as a third gender by some. Fish said donning the makeup and extravagant attire have allowed them to express that part of their identity.

“I see Fish as this genderless being because I am not limited to any boundary. So that means looking more feminine in one way or more masculine in another whether it’s with clothing or makeup,” Fish said.

Since then, Fish has made dozens of unique and sometimes wacky clown costumes, ranging from a kooky cupid to a giant exotic corpse flower known for having the scent of rotting flesh.

For many, Fish has become a staple of El Paso’s subcultures inspiring people to embrace their inner cartoon character and be themselves.

“I don’t know of anyone else out there that does something like he does and goes the extra mile. That’s what makes him so unique” said artist Francella Baca, owner of Dreadful Things tattoo and curiosity shop.

Over the years, Fish has performed and hosted events in the LGBTQIA+ and alternative nightlife scenes and local art markets. They have judged costume competitions and read at Drag Queen Story Hour events, bringing their art and creative expertise to people of all ages.

In June, one of Fish’s costumes was displayed in the El Paso History Museum’s Pride Month exhibit, “Drag In Focus: A Close-Up Of El Paso’s Drag Scene.” The exhibit celebrated El Paso’s contemporary drag scene and highlighted local performers.

“Fish allows others to realize their own artistic potential and solidifies that they can showcase their artistry unapologetically to a greater audience,” El Paso History Museum Curator Michael Reyes said. “Their impact within the wider community shows that artistry and self-expression is valid for everyone, regardless of sex, color, creed, sexual orientation, etc.”

The origins of Fish

Fish recalled what it was like when their family would cross over to the United States from Mexico, sitting in hours long lines, watching street performers juggle and perform tricks.

As they got older, their family visited other tribes for their festivals and watched the Pueblo clowns painted head to toe in black and white stripes, helping dancers and teasing people as they left their pueblo.

“I didn’t know that I wanted to do that and I didn’t know that it would lead to all this, but I just remember feeling like it resonated with me a lot seeing that,” Fish said.

The artist’s fascination with clowns stayed with them well into adulthood, often imagining and drawing what it would look like if they were a clown. Then in 2015, a friend who performed drag asked Fish if they would be willing to take part in a performance.

When told they could dress however they wanted for the performance, Fish simply asked, “Can it go as a clown?”

“When it came to drag, I never saw myself being like a human being. I wanted to do something crazy or something loud. I think that’s why I chose the clown or maybe the clown chose me,” Fishsaid.

Fish said their costumes are influenced by the world around them and sometimes inspired by things that may seem mundane.

“The littlest things will inspire me, like Coke bottles. One day I saw a Coke bottle and I was like ‘I want to do a whole costume based on this,”  Fish said. “I was able to take that little idea and make it into something grand.”

With every idea comes the challenge of turning it into a wearable outfit that can withstand performances. Fish said they learned many of their techniques from other artists who create costumes of their favorite fictional characters, also known as cosplayers. Putting on the makeup can take hours. Fish often has to scour for strange items like a giant frog that has been painted pink and turned into a hat.

Still, Fish said all the effort and hard work is worth it to be able to encourage others to embrace themselves, love others and support the arts.

“Even if no one paid attention to me I would do it,” Fish said. “I love the art, the craft, the joy I get from making art is so worth it.”