Shane Bugbee is a name that resonates with raw, uncompromising energy. A figure who has consistently and relentlessly challenged the boundaries of art and expressionism. From the early years of Michel Hunt Publishing company working with the infamous zine “Answer Me!” to his provocative visual work, Bugbee has always operated on the fringes of society and explored the darker currents of the human experience. His art, often reminiscent of the macabre and transgressive, offers an uncomfortable but completely necessary glimpse into the unfiltered edges of existence.
During the 1990’s, Bugbee was a lightning rod, a stark counterpoint to the hum-drum, sanitized mainstream. Dissecting social taboos with brutal honesty and mirroring the confrontational spirit that has fueled so much within the art movement that is black metal.
Even now, Shane continues to pursue his artistic vision, constantly evolving and refining his work. His current body of work delves further into the symbolism and archetypes that have fascinated the curious through history, revealing a deeper understanding of the hidden forces that shape our reality. In this interview, Shane Bugbee reveals himself not as a mere observer of the ‘path less traveled,’ but as a deliberate architect of his own, often solitary, journey.
First of all Shane, I want to say a huge thanks for taking the time to answer these. I’ve wanted to really pick your brains for years now, so I’m super excited to get the chance. You’ve worked on so many different projects across so many fields. Through the years, I’ve seen you described as a filmmaker, designer, artist, promoter, author, publisher. Let’s start at base camp here: Who is Shane Bugbee? How do you see your place in this world? And how has it evolved over time?
My place in the world… At my age I can look back and see that I’m very much an outcast, an outlaw, an outsider… not sure any of those things offer a place in the world. I feel very nomadic as far as cultures go. I’ve never cared to fit in but I’ve always wanted to be understood. I’m not. My place today seems to be one where parasites attach themselves to me because I have an energy unlike anyone they’ve met.
I’m a snowflake… an iron snowflake.
I think my place in the world will be sorted out after my death, most poor artists are not understood or even recognized in their lifetime.
Looking back, were there any specific trends, events or personal experiences that you feel played a significant role in shaping your interest in the art world, counter-culture, and the extreme?
Influence is ever evolving… right now, today… I’m influenced by a kpop-ish band called XG. I think it is because they are a human sculpture, ever evolving… and if you look closely they have satanic imagery and seem to understand what it is. That’s fun.
Some of my first influences were Frank Zappa and Chicago radio DJ Steve Dahl… oh, and Elvis too.
Experiences that have shaped me would obviously include my childhood, working class family, poor folks desperately trying to get in on the American “dream” and never quite making it, not that they could have… the dream was always a scam… I think I noticed that early on, that their hard work and attention to the rules got them know where, and nothing but pain… that would be the biggest influence in my stubborn stance against following rules or believing in a fair playing field.
The nature of your work and determination to complete your work often pushes boundaries. Some of the pushback and resistance has been well documented; however, you’ve always fought your case. Are there any examples of this resistance from mainstream society, authorities, or even within the counter-culture scene itself that have driven you further and fueled that fire? Did you ever feel like you had to make difficult choices or sacrifices to stay true to your beliefs and values?
Difficult choices and sacrifices are the name of the game if you want to have a life of adventure, fun and accomplishment. A life that blazes trails and is recognised as a part of a history… not that you can become a part of history by plan, that shit is luck at best, but the struggle is to let life pull you along the path you were meant to be on, not accept the path of least resistance or the path chosen for you… how many were born into a family of lawyers to become a lawyer and die wishing they had tried to be a professional ice skater? I was born of plumber stock and resisted that to do what I wanted, what I was truly interested in… not a plan to be, but to be and then prepare to become.
And even if most of what you harvest falls below your expectations and you consider it a failure, it’s by your terms, and the effort should create a sense of pride, once you pick yourself up… the real goal is to always pick yourself up from the many falls you will have to endure in life.
The biggest decision has always been to be me, knowing it’s a lonely road… I’ve had to leave behind all that I’ve loved more than once… and that’s not easy because I absolutely need love. Sex I can get simply because of who I am… but love, I need love, a lot of love… that might be the largest drive for any artist is the need for true love and lots of it.
I’d like to go back 30 years and speak about Expo Of The Extreme. Not just music, but a full package of artists, performers, speakers, film, performances. What was the initial inspiration behind creating this weekend festival? What kind of experience were you hoping to create for attendees? Looking back, how do you feel about the impact the festival had on the alternative and extreme music scene in Chicago and beyond?
The inspiration was to one up a mentor of mine, the original promoter of the milwaukee metal fest, Jack Koshick… he really pissed off a lot of bands I booked for his fest, so I parted ways because I knew I could do it better… I introduced the vending aspect to the milwaukee metal fest as well as the first lollapalooza, maybe it was the second lollapalooza, ahahaha… but the vending was an idea I had, to make it more inclusive for the entire culture, not just the music, but the zines and other artists who make up a scene… the experience I was hoping to create was one we collectively had never had and only imagined through the art we consumed… I wanted to bring the devil’s chord to life, the evil I was told existed in rock and roll or comics or books that were burned… I wanted to see it breathe, to walk, to rise and set fires…. I think the expo and a lot of my work did just that. I have mixed emotions… I feel it was of extreme value and influence, and that is a really cool feeling for a young man of plumber stock, who was pretty much invisible to all around him and certainly to the world… but my ideas being culture vultured, and made profitable through events like RIOT FEST, makes me feel as if I was stolen from. Giving credit where credit is due is important if you have the slightest bit of integrity… Obviously, most don’t.
On the music side of things, that lineup was quite amazing: Rozz Williams (ex-Christian Death), Trouble, Dark Funeral, Mortiis, The Murder Junkies, Fang, EYEHATEGOD, and loads more. How did you put together such a varied mix of artists, and what did you see as the common thread connecting them?
I was underground and wanted to make it like an underground family reunion. The common thread would have been counter-culture and underground art.
I was known for a few things at the time, my zine naked aggression, publishing radical comics and working for the milwaukee metal fest, so I had enough connections to reach out to the artists, I had to work with underground artists because signed artists had contracts with booking agents and they wouldn’t work with us… but that was fine, so few of their acts I wanted to work with… and remember, just because those bands are of legend today, they were just another underground band back in the day.
Dark Funeral’s appearance at the Expo was reportedly their first in America. Can you talk about the process of bringing them over and what it was like to introduce this type of act to an American audience for the first time? America had extreme music before ‘97, but the introduction of a Scandinavian black metal band seems like a turning point in the subculture. If my research is correct (I was only 10 when you were going through this and not totally clued up on what was going on around the world, still a couple of years away from my introduction to more extreme metal), Dark Funeral continued on from Expo and toured the States with Ancient and Bal Sagoth. Was there anything about the music scene in America at the time that you felt needed the change that a black metal tour could provide?
It was the first time Black Metal played in the USA. Venom had played, but they were never considered black metal, Enslaved is given credit for this here and there, but they weren’t black metal either, they were viking metal… It was purposeful on my part to bring real Satanic art to america, Black Metal was still underground but there was no denying it’s power, those artists made a point to go all out, burning churches and killing one another not only gets attention in the scene, but you really do have to take it seriously… or else! I never thought anything needed to change. In the metal scene you were either real or a poser and as Paul Baloff would yell – death to all posers! So yeah, posers must die was what we wanted… funny, I still hate the poser. Now we have a better term for the poser, it’s the culture vulture… and they should die, not the person, but the personality.
Do you think there’s been a watering down of extreme art in the past 30 years? Is it harder to shock now, has everything been done? Or is everyone just desensitized to it? Are there any other artists, across any medium, that you think are still pushing the limits?
Art is alive and grows and breathes… is black metal extreme now? no. Is trap music extreme, yes. King Von is extreme. I do think you have a point, but trying to make something extreme became the problem, the idea of extreme art can’t be planned… the creation of art impulsively is true and that truth can sometimes strike a chord, perhaps it’s always the devil’s chord, and the public reacts to that impulsive art and then deems it extreme… much like the title “artist” you really can’t call yourself that, you must live the artist life and when the public notices you or your art and states that you’re an artist, poof, you’ve now become an artist… and how lame, a job title… a way to fit those in a box who don’t want to be put in a box… just because the consumer of art is in a box, the artist must also be put in box by the consumer in that is in a box. I hate being called extreme and I hate being called an artist… but it’s better than being called a lame or a plumber.
The list of individuals you’ve worked with over the years is pretty incredible. From artists to musicians, actors, serial killers, the six degrees of separation must be a fun exploration with you. Over the years, you’ve had an interesting relationship with the LaVey family. Can you tell us about that? How did that come about? What was working with Stanton like? From what I’ve read and seen about him, I can imagine he was quite a driven, strong-minded person, I think is the polite way to put it. And more recently, you’ve worked with Karla LaVey too, am I right?
Hey, don’t forget porn-stars!!! Hahaha I have in fact worked with more of the LaVey family than anyone. But let’s face it, without having worked with Dr.LaVey and having him grant me the authority to speak for his religion, none of it would matter. It all came about through my revitalization & publishing of the book “Might is Right” with Anton’s forward… At that point I’ve made history yet again, Satanic history. Stanton was complex and typical, he was loving, and a great hater… he had a rare energy… he was always intense… yes, driven and strong minded to say the least. I got to know him and he was definitely misunderstood. He survived a lot and had the scars to prove it… I really enjoyed the last few months of our relationship… he had started to chill and focus… and we began to focus… had he stayed alive, had we completed our plans, there would have been ground breaking change throughout the counterculture. And yes, Karla is fun to play with!
You’re very vocal about your own Satanism; the number of books, podcasts, and events supporting the ideologies is quite staggering. Obviously, there’s a strong connection there, but is LaVeyan Satanism something you advocate fully? Or is it a thread to your own ideology of Satanism?
Oh, I absolutely advocate what Anton created fully, but I also support the Black Panthers, the American Indian Movement, the Yippies, the Weather Underground and most of the counterculture that came before me. I was given the authority to speak on Satanism and the Satanic Bible from its creator. While there may be a few interpretations of Satanism, they all branch off of Dr.LaVey’s work, the Satanic Bible, and there is only one Satanic Bible. So, my interpretation is mine and it is of authority. Satanism to me is an action and that action isn’t talking about Satanism, it’s living a Satanic life.
There’s a definite rise in the understanding of these religions and ideologies that push the limit of majoritarian understanding. There seems to be a drive and a hunger to explore spirituality and magic again. People don’t like being lied to and are searching for a greater understanding of themselves and their place in the universe. Is this something you’ve seen from your position? Do you think this is a new age of understanding?
I like where you’re going with that. I think the age of understanding comes along every era and is usually linked to influences from the eras prior… influence never dies and is always forgotten… What seemed new to my generation came from ideas the elders found a new.
Most counterculture is spoken from mouth to ear… it’s a history that is hated by those in power, and those who work for those in power to prop up a culture that’s time has come to an end.
The counterculture destroys the predominant culture. Much like Satanism, one thing we know is that Satanism, and the counterculture, erode constructs… or should. A solid sign an idea isn’t counterculture is if it helps to uplift the culture.
Today, a great sign an idea isn’t counterculture would be if an idea is commercial or has a large appeal to normies. That’s not to say the idea isn’t counterculture, but an interpretation of a counterculture idea doesn’t make it counterculture.
When the culture vulture takes black metal and sells burgers with the imagery, it doesn’t make the ideas behind black metal any less dangerous to society, no matter how hard they try to clown on it… its influence is alive, and breathing and birthing counterculture baby ideas , some babies will be stronger than others, and some just won’t get it…
let them sell their burgers and act a clown… the next era might just look back and return to burning churches or maybe even start to burn black metal hamburger stands.
Almost a flip side of that: There’s always been the subject of secret societies being involved in governments and big business – Masons or Oddfellows, for example (other secret societies are available) – but do you see a rise in the more ritualistic side of this through American politics now? There’s no denying some of the major players and their ties to certain groups, but down to the words being used by these individuals or even the locations and times of the public appearances, it feels a lot more pointed or deliberate. Are we seeing some of these theoretical rituals being tried out on the world stage?
Who knows but those who are in on the secret? No one.
What we do know is rituals work two ways and can be directed right back at those you suspect are using ritual to sway things against your ideals.
I’d say, focus on the rituals you can achieve and don’t take your eyes off the prize… presently the one thing I see happening is the ability to create confusion or a lack of focus on what is needed or wanted, and more of a focus on what they are doing and what they need or want.
The more your opposition’s names roll off your lips the further they get with their rituals… it’s not “look what so-and-so is doing!” it’s “look at what I’m doing, NOW!”
Never one to sit still, what does the future hold for you? Are there any projects you’re working on that you can talk about? Anything you’re particularly excited to see come to life?
Well, I’d love to talk about all of them! But won’t and can’t.
The Witches Sabbath – Walpurgis #4 is happening in ElPaso, Tx this April 30th and May 1st and I’m totally stoked and focused on that. The plan is to spend a few weeks in ElPaso making art with the locals.
I’m working on a few books, but I’m sick of talking about my past with books, I want to talk about the future and what I feel… I’m really never sure what’s next. Been working at making something in L.A. but with A.I. and the fires… the L.A. thing seems like a stretch.
And lastly, I ask everyone: What books, movies, musicians, artists do you think deserve more attention? What are we missing out on?
This is NEVER an easy question. My mind goes all over the place.
Music… I LOVE all Chicago trap music, King Von, Lil Durk – great story tellers. Love all the OTF compilations Lil Durk puts out. The trap scene reminds me a lot of the early Black Metal scene.
Film.. I’ve just seen a film called PERFECT DAYS and thought it was great. Also loved a series called the Godfather of Brooklyn.
Books, Just finished Armada’s Book of Beelzebub and am re-reading Jodorowsky’s The Panic Fables… and I just started reading Palo Alto: A history of California, Capitalism and the world!
Artists… I work with this person and at this point consider them a protege, so I’m biased, but I think Claudia Berdella is a very smart newcomer to the world of the intellectual.
Artists… I dig the girl group XG I think because it is the highest art being used to sculpt with humans as the clay and they have overt Satanic imagery throughout their newer work and I’ve even seen them wearing the leviathan cross. Pagan Ritual is solid Black Metal and “We Weren’t Invited” as all around solid, great live performance and music.
Artists… Nik Gernert is my favorite artist for the last few years… he’s very prolific. If you find his IG, know there are a few more projects he has that branch off of his illustration work, he makes toys and has a magazine too.
I (we) cannot thank Shane enough for this. Shane is someone I’ve known and followed for many years now and it was a real privilege to get to ask him some of the questions that only he could answer. With half the knowledge and experience of Shane’s life, most people would be overwhelmed and burnt out. I don’t think he will ever stop and in a selfish sort of way, I hope he never does. Even now, Shane consistently pushes against the grain, refusing to compromise his vision. His insights into Satanism, counter-culture, and the nature of artistic expression here reveals a deep understanding of the forces that shape our world, both visible and the unseen. He reminds us that true art, true expression, is born from a place of authenticity, a willingness to challenge the status quo, and a relentless pursuit of personal truth, even when that path leads to isolation. Bugbee’s legacy is not simply a collection of works, but a testament to the power of individual will, a reminder that the most profound impact often comes from those who dare to walk their own path, regardless of the consequences.
Find Shane and much of his recent work at:
For a more personal touch,
www.instagram.com/michael_hunt_publishing
And of course, Witches Sabbath 4 at:
Mithraic Magazine 
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