YESZISTA, Spring 1989
---------------------

This band needs no introduction, unless you've been in the dark you have
to know who The Misfits are.  Since their break-up in 1983, Glen seemed to
be the only one with any interest in music.  What have Jerry and Doyle been
up to?  The YesZista crew found out after an autograph session at Tower
Records.

YZ: What the story with the break-up?
Murph: We had many problems with drummers., at one time we went through
so many drummers and there was usually a conflict between one of the drummers
and another member in the band.  It got to the point where we got disgusted
and couldn't take it any more so we split up.
Jerry: The break up was inevitable.  It was a course of two different
directions.  We were trying to stay away from the trash stuff.  Some of
them (songs) were good, but as far as we could see they were starting this
demonic possession shit which we didn't want to do.  We just started to
drift away from that.

YZ: Are you still going to use the gore image with this new band?
J: Oh yeah, but it's much deeper this time.  It's got more behind.  The way
it's working out right now, we got a comic book that runs right along with
the album.  It's this epic story.  The comic was written to the music.  It
works out really well, instead of writing the music to the story, we wrote
a story to the music.

YZ: What is the story with "KRYST THE KONQUEROR?"
J: The music is a mixture between Iron Maiden and Motorhead.  We riff, we
really play now ladies and gents.  We wanted to make music that lasts.  There
are albums that we listen to for the past ten years and the shit plays the
same.  You see we got families, we do what's right.  We work all damn day.
We're not out there drinking and getting pulled out of the gutter everyday
and living off the music we play at night.  We work all day to pay to play
the music!  This is what we want to do because we have goals in music, we
don't think "Let's sell alot of records to this fool and that fool" and be
a bunch of assholes about it.  That's now what this is about, it's about
taking care of your shit.  That's why the only way we'll get respect is if
we dump all of that shit.  We don't want people to come out and say they
were great, but they're into that devil shit.  That's not it, all of our
songs are about going out and chasing the son of a bitch.  That's what it's
all about.  That's the story with the new band, there's not much talk that
is gonna go down before it because you got to prove it.

YZ: Why do you spell Kryst with a "K"?
J: I didn't make it with a "C" because I didn't want people to jump on me
because it's a religious thing.  They say the world is 95% good people and
5% assholes.  We're here to keep those assholes in line.  You can't go the
right route to do this without taking a stand.  If I made Kryst with a "C",
people are gonna say "He's making fun of God."  We've come in HIS name to
do the job.  That's what we're gonna do, kick everybody's ass and keep them
in line.

YZ: Why was there such a long drought between the end of the Misfits and
the start of KK?
J: Economics, that's it.  We were moving at the time, when one band broke up
we had moved our factory from one place to another, we were renting a
building, so we built our own place.  We moved up there, it took us four
years to start, get everything going.  We made a good deal and took care
of business, you got to take care of business.  The Misfits don't pay the
rent, somebody's got to pay it, it's simple.

YZ: You didn't make any money off the Misfits?
J: Not a dime.

YZ: What about Glen?
J: He must have, he put out all the Samhain stuff and I can't see where it
came from since he rarely worked.

YZ: What do you think of Samhain and Danzig?
J: I don't, the last thing that you do is sling mud, especially at people
who are supposed to be your friend.

YZ: Is there some court case over who gets the rights to the Misfits?
J: We're trying to settle out of courte.  You know what brought this about?
We asked for some T-shirts and records and he (Glen) wouldn't give us any.
When we moved up to Vernon all the kids were like "You were in the Misfits?"
So we told them we would get them shirts, posters, and shit.  We hadn't
spoken to Glen in like three years, so we had someone contact him to let
him know we want shirts and Glen said that if we want them we could go out
and buy them.  I paid for half of the records that are our from my pocket.
I was laying cash out left and right.  Now I don't see why the dude has to
turn to me and say buy the stuff, I mean so far he offered us $13,000 for
making our claim.  That's nothing compared to what we put in over seven or
eight years.  I have receipts for twice that much, that's not counting what
I should be paid besides my investment.  Let's talk economics, if you invest
money, say $25,000 and you do something for seven or eight years what do you
get back, 13?  How well are you doing with your investment?  You're not
doing shit!  It's that simple.  Now I just want to settle because what the
hell kind of offer is that?

YZ: What is the outlook?
J: Well it's just principle, I don't even want his fucking money.

YZ: Are you close to a settlement?
J: That's up to him, he told my lawyer that he re-recorded all the bass and
guitar tracks himself.  If this is true, is that record the Misfits?  You
tell me as the consumer, you're buying it now.  If Glen does it all over
is it Danzig live or is it the Misfits?  I have a record of all the different
releases I did, 18 different albums in 10 colors.  He gives in a settlement
and offers us money for 3 records and he says he doesn't owe us anything on
one because he redid the tracks and this happens to be the biggest selling
record.  I don't know you figure it out.

YZ: What's the story behind the re-release of Walk Among Us?
J: Slash re-released it, when we signed with Slash we did individual
contracts and what goes on with that is that we are getting paid for it.
According to Slash Glen is trying to get them to stop selling the record.
Why would you stop somebody from selling your record when you they're 50,000
for you and you are making a quarter or two on each one, so you're making
maybe 15,000 bucks.  If somone makes you 15,000 dollars are you gonna stop
them?  Why would you do this?  Because there's a bootleg going around.  This
is my opinion, what do I know???

YZ: What are your new songs like?
J: The stuff we are writing now is classic material.  Now this stuff is
gonna live for thirty years at least.  You're gonna listen to it like you
listen to early Zeppelin and Van Halen's first album.  That's what we're
shooting for.  We're not shooting to go and sell records to Anthrax fans,
this is not our point.  If we were in the business to sell records I better
start doing rap.  We're not back to sell you the Misfits because we want
to let Glenn sell them.  We're back in the game either we win or we die, it's
taht simple.  We're looking very strong right now.  We might wind up being
the favorite by the end of the year so I'm happy about it.  Me, my brother
and Murph are real tight and we will go and play for nothing if we have to.

YZ: What are you going to do as far as signing?
J: I might put it out msyelf.  I was thinking about it at the convention we
were at.  I should have people bid on my shit.  I'm not signing over to
anybody, I'm leasing it.  I'll put it out myself before I lose it to anybody.
Look at what Slash did to this record (Walk Among Us), they took it in 1982
and sold 20,000 copis and then they put it on the shelf.  Now eight years
later they bring it back and sell 50-60,000 in a couple of months.  Why?
It's the same record.

YZ: What will it take to get you to play again?
J: If we play, 1, we're going to have to headline our own shows or, 2, we're
going to have to knock the shit ouf of all the big bands the country.  The
Misfits are history, when I get home tonight I'm taking this vest off and
putting it in the drawer and it's done like I said we are so much better
than this.

YZ: How soon before we see Kryst the Konqueror in the record stores?
J: It might be out in three months or three years.  I really don't give a
shit either way it's coming out right or it ain't at all.  I told the guy
I'll take the tapes and throw them in the Hudson if it isn't done right.
Either it's the best or it ain't at all.