I've been following The Salem Satan for a few years, and just absolutely love him! Soooo stoked to interview him! Have you seen him in a meme somewhere? I bet you have!
Q: Tell the readers who you are and what you're all about.
A: My name is Dan. Basically what I'm about is trying to show everybody they matter regardless of what they believe or how they live. (Except for those who SA. They suck). I believe fully in the First Amendment. I may not agree with what someone says or what they believe, but I believe in their right to express it.
Q: How did you come up with the concept of The Salem Satan?
A: In 2010 I started to go to Salem on Halloween. This was something I always avoided due to crowds. When I went, I fell in love. The one drawback were the preachers yelling at people. I went back in 2011 and saw that one of them was yelling at a girl who looked to be about 8yo in an Elsa costume. He was telling her that she was going to Hell because she was celebrating Halloween. I took that year to figure out how to fight back without physical altercation. I searched for a creepy mask, found some robes I liked from Spirit Halloween and made up the sign. The look has changed over time as far as robes and signs, but the message and premise has always been the same.
Q: Have you gotten any flack for it?
A: Of course. You can't cosplay one of the most polarizing characters in the bible without it. LOL After 10 years, I recently got my first death threat. I wear it like a badge of honor. I've had a few people make comments to me while in Salem, but it's mostly online.
Q: Did you expect your alter ego to become the subject of memes and otherwise become internet semi-famous?
A: I had no idea that I would go viral especially with 3 different pics. This all started as a one time goof. I wanted to make my point and then move on to a different costume. The second year i did this, I was trying to think of a costume, but was having trouble. I remembered how much people loved the Satan costume so I brought it back out. 2015 is when I started to see a larger online presence. 2017 I went viral for the first time, 2019 was the second time, and then last year was the third. Over the years I enjoyed finding myself in other countries websites and magazine. My minor claim to fame is Tosh.0 shared the photo on his social media.
Q: What's your favorite scary movie?
A: My favorite scary movie? That's a tough one because there's a few. The Exorcist (stands the test of time), The Devil's Candy, Hell House LLC trilogy, V/H/S the original trilogy, The first Saw, Martyrs (the french version), pretty much anything that mixes psychological horror and gore. I hate movies that are gory just for the sake of it.
Q: What's your weirdest experience that happened while in character?
A: The weirdest experience I would say is when I did 2 separate local Comic Cons. I met Sid Haig and Kane Hodder (among others). When I asked them to sign my photo op with them as The Salem Satan, they looked at me weird, hesitated, and then signed. These are 2 guys known for their horror resume and they were weirded out. Funny story with Kane. When he questioned me, I showed him a picture on my phone. His response was "Whoa! Sheila (his assistant) look at this guy. This is creepy." " I turned to the crowd behind me and yelled "I just creeped out Jason Vorhees!
Q: What kind of music do you listen to?
A: I mostly listen to Metal, Rock, and Alternative
Q: If you were a salad, what kind of dressing would it have?
A: Blue Cheese. Not everybody enjoys it, but the ones who do love it.
Q: What do you want to tell anyone who reads this?
A: Follow your dreams, you can reach your goals, I'm living proof. Beefac...... wait.... Seriously a variation of that. Follow your heart and do good. It doesn't matter if you're atheist, Christian, Muslim, etc. Just be good to each other for the time that you have here. We don't know whats out there when we die and if there is a judgment period, then let them judge.
Q:If someone wants a hug, what parts of town do you frequent?
A: I used to walk around Essex St. The crowds have been getting too big and crowded to that so now I stay in one spot across from Orlock's Nightmare Museum and by the preachers when they come out.