Salvation Magazine Issue 1 - Magazine - Page 22
Tristan Risk
Tristan Risk, the star of Amazon Hot
Box, lover of snakes and New Zealand
shepherdess gets down on the couch
and opens up to Salvation...
What was the first thing you
wanted to be when you grew
up?
The 昀椀rst thing I can recall wanting to
be as a child was a marine biologist. I
admired the people who took care of the
orcas at the Vancouver Aquarium, and
I was a big fan of Eugenie Clarke, who
made me fascinated with sharks. This is
way before we know what we know now
about the impact of captivity on whales,
but as a child, I thought that being the
one to care for them everyday in the
aquarium, and study them in the Salish
Sea, was just the COOLEST job on the
planet.
I think I’d have some value in a team
setting, but I might struggle solo.
What were you like at
school?
I got picked on fairly consistently. I
liked reading, independent study. I was
an art kid, and must have had weird
kid vibes to every bully that wanted to
pick on the quiet one. I enjoyed learning, but was abysmal in math and PE.
I was happy to graduate and get out of
school, and out into the world.
Do you believe in an afterlife?
Not in the sense of heaven or reincarnation. More that we are electricity
energy, and we cease to produce those
things, that energy gets redistributed in
the atmosphere. We are all just electri昀椀ed meat and bones, bumbling around
this planet.
Are you a ‘curl up in comfort’
or a ‘go out and raise hell’
kind of person?
Curl up in comfort. I cocoon like a
caterpillar. I feel like those rechargeable
batteries that never *quite* get fully
charged.
Do you have a favourite
Photograph: Tom Gould
Do you have a pet you could
tell us about, or a childhood
pet /animal related memory?
I am currently the proud mama of a
Wiltshire lamb. His mom had triplets,
and he was the odd man out. He came
to me at two days old, and we’ve been
What would you say are your
politics or values?
I’m left-leaning. I think with the wealth
in the world, it’s stupid that people are
starving. That we aren’t trying to govern
more sustainably is distressing. I think
we would bene昀椀t from change fundamentally as a species. Less organised
faith-based corporations, and more
emphasis on mental health for people. I
believe that everyone being taken care
of in our society is not only possible, but
essential. Idealistic? Maybe.
UP CLOSE & PERSONAL
around each other every day, except
for a recent trip I took. I’m smitten
with him. He is just getting to the
stroppy teenage phase, so he is being
a hormonal adolecent ram-to-be at
the moment. My snakes and monitor
lizard of TCS Reptiles still reside in
Canada. Being that Aotearoa doesn’t
allow those types of reptiles, my slither babies live with members of the
Caravan Of Curiosities snake handling
branch. I know they are well cared for,
in my absence.
Have you ever lost an item
you’d still love to get back,
and what/why?
Oh, do I ever! I had this gorgeous
waspy-waisted corset in a dark blue
stolen from me, backstage when I was
stripping at the now-defunct Pink Flamingo (aka The Dirty Bird) in Surrey. I
mourn its loss, but it was over ten years
ago. I’m still not over it.
How would you fare in a zombie apocalypse / world order
collapse type scenario?
I think I’d be able to hold my own. My
aim with my archery is pretty good,
and I’m getting better at growing food.
20/Salvation
item of clothing / designer /
brand?
Gaultier, Westwood, Lace Embrace, and
Misty Greer. All delectable designs.
If you could own any painting / sculpture / piece of art
what would be and why?
Anything? There is a troll sculpture,
under a bridge in Seattle. I’ve always
been rather fond of it, but I’d not want
to own it privately. I like that it’s there,
and very much public art. If I could
adopt it, like you adopt a street, I’d like
that. An original Brian Froud faery
painting would be neat to see every
day, though.
If you could meet anyone
living, dead, or fictional who
would it be and why?
Jim Henson. We both enjoy being part
of something with lots of crazy artists,
and we both have grand visions it’s some
times hard for others to see right o昀昀 of
the bat.
If you could snog anyone living, dead or fictional, who
would it be and why?
Jareth from the film Labyrinth. 10/10
would smash fictional Goblin King
dick.
Do you have any irrational
phobias?
Monkeys, but to be fair it started when
my folks lived in Thailand, and the
monkeys were used to humans, and
pretty aggressive. So it’s not totally
irrational.
What one place should we
visit before we die?
Toad Hall, in Motueka. A former
church, it now sells fresh fruit and veggies, but has a cafe, does coffees, and
has some of the best ice cream in New
Zealand.
What book should we read?
The Master and Margarita. A Russian
novel from back in the day which is
weird as you can get with a chainsaw-toting cat, the devil, and a Witch
in love.
What track/band should we
listen to?
I’ve been grooving to an older Fake
Shark track called ‘Superstitious
Thing’. It slaps pretty well.
What activity/hobby should
we get into?
Planting garden for food. Food is going
up in price and growing your own is
satisfying and useful.
Fave film ever, also fave horror film ever?
My favourite 昀椀lm of all time is Labyrinth, and my favourite horror 昀椀lm in
Jaws. All these years later, and it STILL
keeps people out of the water.
What socially frowned upon /
risque activity do you actually recommend we try at least
once? Something we’d love
but you probably wouldn’t
mention to your mother...
Eating cannabis food. In moderation, and
responsibly. But to try it at least once.
Can you tell us something
about yourself we are unlikely to already know?
I plan on building a mews in order to
eventually beclan, but I want to direct a
few more 昀椀lms I’ve written, get my pilots license, and become an experienced
Falconer.
