The Hearse & The Showghoul: An Interview with Bunnicula Blanc
Join me as I get to know burlesque glamour ghoul Bunnicula Blanc and her gorgeous vintage hearse.
Please tell me a bit about yourself and what led you to become a burlesque “showghoul” in Alaska.
Well, I’m a burlesque dancer, hearse enthusiast and crazy orchid lady currently living in Anchorage, Alaska. I was born in Hilo, Hawaii and basically, we moved here so my young parents had family support when I was little, and they thought it would be a great place to raise a family. Alaska is like a huge island, too. I spent most of my youth going to and from Alaska and Hawaii to visit or have extended stays with family. I’ve never lived in the contiguous United States for a long period of time but have traveled quite extensively.
From the time I could walk my mom had me enrolled in ballet classes and she had dreams of me training to be a professional when I got older, like she was dedicated to before eventually abandoning it and pursuing her career in microbiology. I still have her pink satin pointe slippers and ballet records. Her medical books, Anne Rice and Poppy Z. Brite vampire novel collection, too.
I remember her taking me to audition for a sugar plum fairy role in the Nutcracker ballet and it was magical. Anything was possible. I would then add on jazz and modern dance classes, tumbling, as well as was a drill team All-Star as I grew. I was just a kid, innocently having fun and learning to move my body with no judgement or preconceived notions. No competition. My bodily awareness and musicality grew with me – as well as competitiveness and soon, judgement by adults and peers regarding my figure.
A pinnacle moment for me was when I developed extremely early and was body shamed in public by an absolutely psycho dance mom (who was clearly not committed to sparkle motion) at a drill team basketball half-time show in a large arena. Red, white and blue Pom-Poms and more than 1,000 sports ball fans in their seats, to the cringey and still traumatizing tune of “Achy Breaky Heart”. I stood out as a voluptuous teen in the formation, and my peers still looked like children. The backless sequined leotards with a little peplum didn’t offer any options for undergarments or support at that time, and this dance mom made sure I was made more than aware! I was completely traumatized by her words and felt I didn’t deserve the costume, heartbroken by this interaction and stepped away from dance for a very long time. I didn’t accept or understand what was happening, what was “wrong with me” and developed an absolute disdain for my new womanly figure and would try to hide it. It wasn’t until much later in life that I reconnected with and actually appreciated my feminine form.
In the meantime I traded in my ballet slippers for combat boots or Penangalan Dreams platforms, leotard for fishnets, and other life circumstances dictated that I grew up fast. I found my path in academia – I studied German language for 5 years and was lucky enough to be an exchange student my junior year. I still study German to this day and hope to return soon! My grandmother in Hawaii who grew orchids gifted me a membership to the American orchid society and my lifelong love for orchids began. These days I have a pretty sizable collection and serve on the board as Vice President of the Alaska Orchid society.
I studied music by continuing with piano, violin and cello lessons. I was introduced to the goth cello ensemble Rasputina by my orchestra teacher Mr. Birch, who also used to teach founding member Melora Creager in Kansas and went further down the rabbit hole collecting music. Tons of gothic rock compilations, still have a bunch of those old Cleopatra and Projekt Records comps that always introduced me to fantastic bands. My music collection was a conglomeration of old doo-wop, gothic rock, psychobilly and classical. I would also sew a lot and learn to make my own patterns, usually inspired by or even authentic to another era if an instructor came up who specialized in the period. I loved making corsets ~ anything with structure. It was its own science. I would purchase items from thrift stores and alter them. I dyed my platinum blonde hair black and purple, painted my face white, my lips black and went out as often as I could to old venues we used to have in Anchorage, like “Gigs” downtown. I was definitely searching for something that was scarce in a place like Alaska with no metropolises like Europe or even other US states offered, and as things at home got pretty bad, the curfews kind of faded away.
I moved to downtown Seattle and attended a fashion design program immediately after graduating high school, but decided it wasn’t for me before completing it. If I would have known then what I know now, I would have pursued costume design for film and theatre or fashion history instead. But, I’m ok with being a fashion design school dropout too.
Anyhow, all of that kind of sets the stage for burlesque to come into my life. I’ve been performing burlesque for about 10 years now. Burlesque found ME when I was working at a local adult/underground boutique in our biggest city, Anchorage, called The Look. It was covered in Olivia paintings, Bettie Page and Tempest Storm were celebrated. I would order hair dye, corsets and lingerie from companies like Manic Panic, Volatile, Stormy Leather and would sometimes get to go on buying trips in Vegas and get retro reproduction clothing and lingerie for the shop. It was a fun time in my early twenties.
We sponsored Anchorage’s first and only burlesque troupe at the time, VivaVoom, so there would often be comp tickets left for the staff. I attended my first amateur night, stripped down to pasties and was asked to be part of the troupe. A few seasons later I was a principal dancer, and there were some fun memories doing things together like attending the Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekenders in Vegas. My favorite was touring historic southeast Alaska and performing in a 100-year-old brothel called the Red Onion Saloon.
What does burlesque mean to you and how has it changed your life?
My definition of what burlesque is to me has evolved over the years and continues to do so. At first, it was this empowering thing joining forces with strong women – burlesque was back! And it was about me reclaiming what I thought I lost in my body and dance and celebrating it with them. Then as I got more involved and enmeshed with it – learned more of the history outside of Tempest Storm, it became about honoring other legends too, constantly elevating my craft and professionalism, making musicality magic, hours in the studio and behind the needle preparing for the energy exchange with audience more than anything. If they paid to see me, I was going to give them a damn good show and was always determined to outdo myself. I would travel to perform outside as much as possible, always working hard and striving for professionalism and new goals I would set for myself. I was able to put my years of costuming experience to use too – on stage as well as teaching costuming classes. I like the innovation and challenges of creating – years ago I internationally patented one of my signature props. It seemed like a good idea at the time . . . I talk about all of this in past tense because throughout this plague, with things off and on, honestly it’s starting to feel like a lifetime ago!
What inspires your acts and general aesthetic?
My act inspirations are heavily influenced by many things, but I’d have to say burlesque legends and classic or horror cinema. Music has been a huge part of my life and I will generally build the costumes and concept around that – the mood, where the hits are dictates how the costume will come off and how I’ll move with it. Sometimes through, a color palette, prop idea, scene or silhouette will be the inspiring factor, and the music to fit comes second.
While it was a great way to get me thinking outside the box – I tend to stay away from creating new acts for theme shows now, and I’m more invested in only signature acts.
I’ve cultivated this general aesthetic for a very long time, kind of like my garden – baby bat all seasoned and grown up. I think now I’ve had the same bangs and long black hair with blonde stripes for over 15 years and sometimes have thought of changing it but haven’t. Music, taste, it’s all just part of me and my experiences, and I’m hoping to somewhat gracefully age with it, always learning along the way.
A 1958 Cadillac Eureka Landau is such an elegant vehicle, and really a dream car for anyone who’s interested in classic hearses. How did you come to own this beauty, and what’s her name?
Her name is Angelica, after my late mother. Taken from an old factory advertisement I have: “The incomparable Eureka Landau: The Eureka Landau for 1958 is the peak of perfection in professional cars. Long, low, sleek, the Landau reflects a classic beauty that is always in fashion. The custom-built steel body is finished to a jewel like, easily-maintained luster. Luxurious interiors enhance the Landau’s dignity and beauty. Every modern convenience and safety feature has been engineered into the Eureka Landau – America’s finest funeral coach.” As a little baby bat I had grown up wanting a classic funeral coach of my own, watching TCM, Nick at Nite, or whatever my grandparents would record for me on VHS since we couldn’t afford cable. The whimsical or darker films they would usually play around Halloween were my favorite.
Later in life I ended up married to a funeral director in New Orleans and we took dance lessons from Ballroom by Barbara inside the funeral home chapel after hours. We collected funerary antiques and one of our shared dreams was to restore a classic hearse together. There was a period of time in the middle of the marriage dissolving that more family tragedy struck and left me shattered. My mother and best friend passed away suddenly on a visit back home to Hawaii.
Once I recovered from it all happening at once, I decided to pursue the dream of restoring one of these beauties myself as kind of a reward after the hell I just went through, and something to look forward to. (Which totally would have been mom approved, BTW). I started learning and making friends within the hearse and professional car society communities. I actually took a few trips to the states to check out potential coaches. It took me a few years to find the one. I had already known a bit about the different coach builders – and at first I was searching for the most coveted, a 1959 Cadillac Superior Royale Landaulet. Probably the most well-known silhouette with the tallest fins, often used in logos and art when representing a classic hearse. I couldn’t collect multiple coaches and am limited to one due to space, so figured why not go for the most elegant coach. But my phone started blowing up with texts “She’s yours” “This is the one” as soon as I saw this gorgeous 1958 Cadillac Eureka Landau 3-Way (listed as Endloader) pop up on eBay and Jaxed Mash out of Colorado, and I knew.
Did you have to do any restoration work when you bought it?
Yeah a ton, and it’s never done! Fortunately, there was only a bit of rust when I got her originally, but she was rattle canned black, so I went for the classic gloss and matte “vinyl” top when having the body restored. She leaned to one side, and I needed to get new leaf springs. Mechanically a lot has been done over the years – the original engine has been rebuilt, added an extra electrical fuel pump in the back to help send fuel forward as is common with these old coaches. Actually, just about the entire fuel system has been reworked, including a reproduction replacement gas tank, as the original one had a massive hole in it. Other than the occasional seals going out and minor leaks, the biggest intermittent struggle I’ve had is with fuel line issues and sometimes running too lean and that’s been a back-and-forth battle. But with networking and learning more about their particular issues I think it is close to being resolved for good.
I still have a ton of her chrome that I’d like to get back on her, original to Eureka. The upholstery inside is still two-tone cream and blue original 1958 gold fleck cloth (and it shows with wear) but I’m hesitant to alter it at the same time. Since I’m comfortable working in fabrics, I‘ve planned to tackle most of the interior myself one of these days when I have my own shop/garage. The replica stereo with hidden mod for USB I added but used original knobs from a donor car, as it only came with a factory cancellation plate. At some point before she came to be mine, someone threw in a bench seat that’s not original to the car and is a bit too low, but functional, so I look like a disembodied head when driving, haha. A proper split back bench for a commercial Cadillac has been on the to-do list.
Do you drive it for day-to-day errands or is it reserved for special occasions only?
Definitely not just special occasions, but she’s not my daily driver either. Not to mention for more than half of the year in Alaska, road conditions are really not ideal/safe for any classic vehicle. And I still love to drive my modern winterized car on long road trips in the snow. Coffee, cigarettes and music on a Sunday cruise is the best. As gorgeous and unique as it is here, and as much as I love the mountains and open roads, we are slowly working on migrating south.
What is your favourite thing about the ‘58 Eureka and about yours in particular?
That factory ad says it all. Eureka’s attention to detail and elegance, like the interior upholstery and chrome details. The fins, taillights and side loading doors, but mostly on ’58 (and on a few other years) the design of their funeral procession sconces. They are so beautiful I even keep an extra one on my wall as home decor. Particular to my coach? Other than visual, audible and tactile elements when driving, I love the way she smells. Smell is strongly linked to memory, and it stands out when I think of her.
What advice would you give to those who are looking to get their own vintage hearse?
My best advice is BE PATIENT – keep looking. Learn about the prominent coach builders for the year(s) you are interested in, the fleets (landau, ambulance, combo, limo, flower car) they built and on what commercial chassis. Network within the community, ask questions, be humble and learn as much as you can. It’s ok to make mistakes! Just be respectful. If there is a hearse show in your area – attend and support! People who are passionate about these coaches usually love sharing their knowledge if approached respectfully and thoughtfully.
Plan to not only spend the money on the funeral coach itself, (which you will have a much better idea of what is reasonable if networking – because everything out there is truly worth what someone is willing to pay for it in the heat of the moment, and they are usually all dubbed “rare”) but for any mechanical and body issues that need to be addressed along the way for these old commercial beasts. They aren’t instant gratification cars for sure and come with special issues and quirks. There are times when I have tried to rush things and ended up regretting it. Things can and do go wrong, they are an investment.
Some coach builder specific items are incredibly hard if not impossible to find (again, network!). Plan to park the car somewhere that not only protects it from any extreme weather in your area but keeps it safe from potential vandals. In addition to just curiosity, hearses can unfortunately sometimes attract negative attention too, and these older coaches all have unique features that are pretty hard to come by again if they go missing or get damaged. Not to mention curved glass is very expensive if a window gets smashed. But don’t let that scare you, we’ve come close but haven’t had it happen yet. Just like any classic car investment they need a bit of consideration, they just tend to attract a bit more negative attention.
There are some very knowledgeable and serious pro car collectors that took the time to talk to me and educate me along the way in my years long search, and I’m forever grateful to them. I am still and will always be learning more from them as my relationship with this coach evolves.
If any of you out there are searching for your dream hearse, best of luck – reach out to your community, and I hope to see you in the procession line!
