CoolKay County Fairgrounds and CoolKay here. Do I have Johnny Hopeless on the line with me ?
Johnny Hopeless Ohh Yeah  – How you doing?
CoolKay Ok  – So I’m glad I finally got you.  So you’ve been Johnny Hopeless for how long?
Johnny Hopeless About 15 years.
CoolKay Ok Mr Johnny  –Do you want to tell our audience a little bit about what you do and how you got started
Johnny Hopeless  Yes Well uh originally my name is Jonathan Gilbert.  I’m from
Louisiana and some friends of mine got together and we’ve been playing music for years and uh
we were kind of in these like symphonic metal bands.  So we always had to look at our fret boards and really concentrate and we had this idea of just kind of creating this
joke band that was all about Halloween and horror movies
and that we could just have a good time with and we started Jason and the Krugers and that it all kind of spiraled from there
CoolKay Ok  – So you’re Jason and the Krugers How many members do you have?
Johnny Hopeless Well  – that’s uh it’s like this open door policy
and and so we have three core members that create like the skits and the music videos songs things like that.  And then we have different players that come in and out
CoolKay Ok But you also perform by yourself right?
Johnny

Hopeless

 Yes  – Yes So I perform as Johnny Helpless which is the singer from that band.
And uh you know he’s uh he’s a zombie that is trying to find  – uh  – he’s trying to get his ex-girlfriend to fall in love with him again.  So he’s trying to be super popular and you know do comedy and music and and and win her love back.  And so that’s this kind of like silly story.
And then I’ll do uh cover songs and songs about horror movies and just do whatever I can to kind of entertain people that are out there especially if you’re stuck in line .  Or you’re uh if you’re out in the woods like sometimes I’ll do haunts where they’re out in the woods and I’ll just sing creepy songs while people walk by things of that nature.
CoolKay This is kind of an unusual occupation you know?
Johnny Hopeless Well I uh I enjoy doing unusual things you know I wanna keep life interesting.
CoolKay I would think that would be would be interesting.  So what is I mean how did how did you really get into it?
Johnny Hopeless Uh well as I said I mean I’ve been playing music since I was 14. And uh and a really close friend of mine is pretty much a you know the brother from another mother  – We got together and we were both just the kind of outcast kids that liked Halloween a little too much you know liked all the creepy horror movies and stuff and the music you’re not supposed to like when you’re a kid.
And uh but we both were those people that wanted to be kind of productive and didn’t we weren’t what we called we joked around like the some kids you know – 
so we just wanted to actually like make music and uh it was one of those things.  So I got involved in audio and video production
and then I kind of always wanted to be able to play the music.
We wanted to you know without anybody at all telling us what we can and can’t do.  And we still do . I still do work for hire and and I do uh
movies and scores and things of that nature but this was just something that was a lot of fun and it kind of always reminded me of why you do music in the first place you know why people go to shows it to have a good time.
CoolKay Ok . So do you have another occupation or do you make a living by doing this?
 Johnny Hopeless Uh  – Both you know I get paid for all the shows . So I uh I try to do like the full band does private parties and private things and then um I’m avail like my character Johnny Hopeless  – I’ll do haunts different haunts within the US and then private parties Um I do stand up comedy as well as that character play music as that character . And then um I also do audio and video production – so it’s kind of like that entire world that I’m involved in. 
CoolKay Yeah I was wondering if you could make a living doing what you’re describing Right
Johnny Hopeless Right.
It’s typically seasonal  – but they have especially now they do a lot of uh terror cons and horror movie festivals.  And you know like I said uh I guess it was weird that that the creepy nerd culturally in us we actually
build something that could be sustainable for weird fans.  You know like there’s some of us who just it’s that seasonal love and then as you you are I’m sure you’re aware of Halloween’s a huge season now and then people have a lot of fun with it
CoolKay So so are you like bookable for festivals  – Yes?
Johnny Hopeless For for anything.
CoolKay So what’s what are some of the festivals that you’ve done?
Johnny Hopeless Well Typically we’ve done – um haunted houses . So like we played Ho House of Shock  – Um – We’ve played uh I’m doing the screen here  – We’ve done um Freight Trail in Louisiana.
Uh  –  So it’s kind of like that weird novelty act . And then we play different venues you know out in Texas and Louisiana  – which is where as I said I was from Louisiana . So we basically did the South and then I whenever I moved up here (Colorado)  it was just something that I was like man I really enjoy doing it  – So I’m just gonna keep doing it and then we we still make like music videos and and sketches and things of that nature as well. 
CoolKay OK  – So you sometimes you perform with the band and sometimes you don’t . So are they pretty much the same members as they were that you when you started? 
Johnny Hopeless Oh yeah  – like the the two core members I’ve been doing it with these guys uh Corey Salini and Juan Salinas for 15 years now.
CoolKay OK Um  – You you must get some kind of weird reactions when you perform don’t you?
Johnny Hopeless Oh absolutely  – 100% . But you know it’s very interesting because um as a performer you know you realize that as the zombie people allow for their willing suspension of disbelief much more.  So you can be a little more playful and silly and they they all kind of accept it especially because the background story for my particular character is to try to convince people that not all zombies are bad.  He’s just stupid you know. 
He’s just dumb he’s a zombie . And so he tries to get things right . And it’s kind of like the trope of the tragic hero . And it’s important for me to have that kind of back story you know like I did this uh one con  – uh – the this one comic con where we got up and uh the walking dead was there and I got up in character and asked them if they would swear to stop hitting us in the head so hard you know like I’m an advocate for the living impaired
and try to  – Yeah ! So again it’s just a very fun creative way to be.  And as you mentioned earlier you know it’s it’s definitely strange and unusual. 
CoolKay Mr. Zombie ? Are you a married man?
Johnny Hopeless Yes
CoolKay Well  – I have to ask this question What does your wife think of this?
Johnny Hopeless Oh man I couldn’t do it without her .  It’s awesome I’ve known her since high school you know so we’re having a amazing story and she’s always been supportive and she was one of the one of the few people in my life where um I would have this weird idea and get up in the middle of the night you know and if some people would get angry about that . And she’s like – “Oh no go get it out you know go get it out go play your song or get that melody out of your head”.  And I think that’s very important to have someone especially if you’re any uh involved in the entertainment industry at all  – You know it’s super important to have someone there that can ground you and and remind you of how absurd everything is but you have to have someone else that’s on the same kind of path as you you know. 
CoolKay Yeah –  I don’t know how much zombies could be grounded .  Do you?
Johnny Hopeless Well,  that’s where they come from . You know they have to get out of there you know.  They live. 
CoolKay  Yeah  – Do you have any kids? 
Johnny Hopeless Yes Yes I do – I have 2 children –  a boy and a girl.
CoolKay Uh huh  – What do they think of this? 
Johnny Hopeless  Uh –  they just they mock me all the time  – and say you’re that  – I’m the reason that they’re weird and they’re ok with it you know .  But it was
I didn’t mean to I apologize Yeah
CoolKay It’s ok . Do you scare do you scare their friends? 
Johnny Hopeless  Um sometimes.  But uh I I don’t know man it’s very weird.  Like uh whenever I was growing up I’d always kind of make them watch me do the makeup stuff but I would never let them watch like the movies or super scary stuff  – you know because I just didn’t want them walking around that in their head.  But if they grew up watching how it was done like the behind the scenes of it then they would get it you know.  And so uh it’s made for a very interesting interesting upbringing . I’m sure you know because they grew up with their uncles playing heavy metal in the room and then you know uh the character Johnny.  Angels dresses up like Santa Claus but he’s got bloody bandages all over his face and his you know  – and they’re just – 
we try to be comical and silly with it as well
CoolKay Ok . So the zombie Christmas character does shows? 
Johnny Hopeless Oh yeah  – Johnny Hopeless  – Yeah I like to do a nightmare before Christmas . And so I’ll do like acoustic songs based off of like Christmas horror movies you know uh Black Christmas –  or um you know Gremlins . We have a song along Gremlins cause whenever I was younger I used to do this uh Gizo impression just to make fun of stuff.  And so I threw it in the song to be silly
and there’s a there’s a horror movie now I don’t know how familiar you are with the horror genres but now they make them all in in line with holidays.  So you’re gonna have an entire Thanks  – Now it’s stinks killing right ?  So they have Thanksgiving and then summer will do like summer beach parties and then uh Christmas is your nightmare before Christmas and all your Christmas horror movies and just going down the rabbit hole you know.
CoolKay Ok Um  – All right So how old are your kids by the way?  Ok so they’re used to you by now ?
Johnny Hopeless They are definitely used to be by now
CoolKay Uh Have you ever done any performances that you’ve had problems with that you regret doing?
Johnny Hopeless Um Not really I mean I go out there with the idea of just trying to have fun . Um  – And one of the things too  – is I grew up uh involved in like boys and girls club and stuff  – So like if I if I’m in an environment where it’s an all ages environment then I kind of tailor it to that and when I see kids that are kind of scary then I tend to uh just make them laugh or get them to you know not be so frightened or terrified
CoolKay Are there places you’d like to perform that you have not had the chance? 
Johnny Hopeless  Uh man um to be honest any haunted houses in the US available you know anywhere as long as they’re cool  – I love it Like it’s just I said anything like that that fun to me.
CoolKay  What states would you like to perform in? 
Johnny

Hopeless 

 You know I need to play I need to play in Salem.  And I need to play in Salem Massachusetts .  I needed why not  – right?  And if they don’t have a Halloween scene that’s good . That’s their fault .They’re they’re failing miserably I think they’re failing us. 
And in Germany there’s this Krampus festival  – I don’t know if you’re familiar with that at all where they dress like the the so they take on the the the Krampus is like this giant winter demon  – and it goes through town and it gets all the bad kids and it takes them away.  And so they have this fest they have this festival in Germany where everybody dresses up like the giant monsters . Look it up when you get a chance  – they dress up like Krampus and they go to all the kids they were misbehaving and they pulled them out you know and shamed them through the town
and then they celebrate at the end. 
CoolKay  Ok So do you want to leave any information as to how people can reach you
Johnny Hopeless  You look up Johnny Hopeless Undead Entertainer or Jason and the Krugers on all our social medias we have a link tree Jason and the Krugers and then you can see all of our music videos and random collections of our songs and we hope you like what we do and if you don’t we’re not for everybody