Kevin Bergeron is more than your average cult/horror/scifi movie fan. Not only did he start one of the most righteously cool vinyl labels - Waxwork Records – but he is the founder/CEO of a rapidly growing empire that is releasing all your treasured soundtracks with the keenest attention to detail.
Titles such as Nightbreed, Creepshow, Halloween and even Nosferatu allow vinyl aficionados to sink their teeth into all the 180gram splatter patterns, vivid color palettes and extended packaging they can poke a stake at and that’s before the record even reaches the turntable. Bergeron has recently announced an original comic book extension for the label and with more obscure titles to come (including some creepy xmas faves like Krampus and Black Christmas), there’s no end to the darkest depths of our imagination Waxworks will inspire.
1. What was the impetus behind you wanting to start a company like Waxwork?
I quit college and went on tour with my band. I accomplished a lot with the group, but when we broke up I was still operating as if we were playing gigs every night. I had no money. So, I sold all of my music gear and started Waxwork.
2. What were some of your fav movies growing up? Was there one that inspired you in particular?
I was into horror. Anything horror. I was really drawn to early Universal monster flicks. I really dig the classics.
3. What is your most treasured piece of rare vinyl?
My 3 Hits From Hell Misfits 7".
4. You started off with Reanimator, what were some of the reasons behind that being the first?
There was no real planning. That was just the first title that got locked in. Composer Richard Band took a chance on a new company, and all the pieces fell into place.
5. How did you get involved with (former White Zombie guitarist) Jay Yuenger? (Read the interview here)
I was working in a donut shop in 2010 and a mutual friend picked me up after work. Jay was riding as a passenger in his truck and we wound up going to his recording studio. We hit it off with our shared love for horror, punk, and thrash metal.
6. What’s your proudest release so far, your ultimate moment to date?
Day Of The Dead or Nosferatu. It's a toss up.
7. Where would you draw the line in terms of films that are ‘wax-worthy’?
Good question. We're all over the board it seems. Like, we'll release a B-Movie that had a tiny budget, and then the next month we'll release something in the Criterion Collection. I think I draw the line at movies that have animals getting hurt or kids being exploited.
8. The packaging and artwork is an obvious focus, what kind of thought process goes into each one?
We go all out with the packaging without being corny. We also spend a lot of time art directing and getting the right artists on board.
9. You’ve just announced you will be launching Waxworks comics w/accompanying 7 inch records with the first being House of Waxwork – anything further you can reveal to us about your plans?
Waxwork Comics is a new company that features amazing talent. It's all original stuff. Original stories, music, characters. We're very excited about it and it's coming along. We're really going for it.
10. Are there any other brand extensions you would love to see realized over the next few years?
I think I just want to play music again while the company keeps growing. I'm doing that with the comics. Whatever happens with Waxwork will happen naturally. It's a legitimately cool company.
Waxworks ensure Christmas will be anything but a dull affair this year with the very first release of the Black Christmas soundtrack and the official Krampus soundtrack. Check out the trailer!
