Weird Kids Wanted
Weird Kids Wanted, are a literary and social criticism podcast for alternative individuals who are tired of their cultural experiences being curated by normies for normies.
Podcasts
Weird Kids Wanted
I started Goth Wiki with the understanding that I would put wiki entries in on artists, regardless of level of fan or how long the artist has been in the industry. My only requirement would be that the artist identify with the alt/goth community in some way.
I decided after entering a few entries that I would begin reaching out to my warm market on Instagram to get my first collaborating interviews & wiki entries. Weird Kids Wanted was the first to take me up on my offer, when I announced on my page that Goth Wiki would begin doing interviews.
These ladies are offering the alt/goth community a great service, by highlighting and focusing on literature and book writers that are writing books we would love.
Thank you Zoe & Miyuki for being our first wiki interview.
*I consider Weird Kids Wanted to be our first because we asked a model that we work with to do the first entry I published as a sample entry.*
Sources used:
- This article was created with assistance from Weird Kids Wanted regarding facts, dates, history, links.
- All images & Media: Provided by Weird Kids Wanted.
What makes you identify as a goth?
Zoe:
My interest in goth culture started with campy horror and Halloween movies when I was very little. I loved how witches in movies were so dark, dramatic, and disruptive of standard beauty norms. I later found the same styles and morals in goth culture. I identify as goth because I value the rebellious spirit and artistic inclinations of the community.
Miyuki:
I think I identify most with goth fashion, and this idea of feeling like I’ve never fit in.
Which people, music or books have had the most influence on you as a goth?
Zoe: Our podcast, Weird Kids Wanted, is all about alternative/goth/punk books and movies, and my list could go on and on. I think I was originally really influenced by silly, Halloween movies like Hocus Pocus, the Craft, Little Vampire, etc. Those have had the most influence on me, because they are what made me fall in love with the goth aesthetic.
Miyuki: Vampire culture (not twilight) has always been influential to me. I think about mortality a lot and I also really like blood.
What does a typical day in your week look like?
Zoe: A typical day is pretty packed! In addition to being a podcaster, I am also a student and a nanny. I often wake up early, post on the podcast Instagram, then go to class, then pick up the girl I nanny from her school and watch her until her parents come home, then do homework, and then and only then do I have time to work on podcast stuff. My hope is to monetize the podcast more so I can quit my other jobs.
Miyuki: I hate going outside so I avoid it as much as I can and spend most days doing work at home with my
cat.
What are your 3 favorite things to do in your spare time?
Zoe: Write. Read. Play with my dog!
Miyuki: Read books, experiment with makeup, spend quality time with my cat.
What 3 things does anyone starting out as a goth influencer needs to know?
Zoe:
1) Don’t be afraid to be weird. You may have been bullied for it in the past, but now you can use it to your advantage!
2) Though it’s important to keep your audience in mind, do what inspires you artistically first. If you’re not enjoying what you do, your audience won’t either.
3) Be supportive of other members of the goth community!
Miyuki:
I think I’d have a better idea of this if I were a goth influencer!
What motivated you to create your community?
Zoe: We felt like a lot of alternative, goth, punk kids had a passion for books and films, but were being peddled only commercialized, mainstream media. We wanted to curate cultural experiences and have intelligent conversations about books and movies that interested the goth community.
Miyuki: The feeling I’ve never fitted in, feeling like I’m always hovering on the outside of inner circles, and knowing that there’s got to be other people who feel the same way. The goal is to find those people and create our own inner circle, where the ones who’ve left us out can hover outside.
What would you say is the #1 key to success as an influencer?
Zoe: Reach out to others and collaborate!
Miyuki: Probably reaching as wide an audience as possible, which comes down to working with social media algorithms, and reaching out to those who you feel should belong in your audience.
Talk about the biggest failure you've had. What did you learn from it?
Zoe: I’ve really struggled in knowing who to trust for advice. We had a marketing guy who told us not to record many episodes at first, so we listened to him. Then, he contradicted that advice, but by that time, we had already lost listener momentum.
Miyuki: I was rejected from every grad school I applied to, which totally threw my plans off track. I learned that having a backup plan is not the same thing as planning for failure.
What has been your biggest success story? Why do you think it was a success?
Zoe: We have had real success with every episode we’ve recorded. I think people are responding really well to our subject matter and personalities.
Miyuki: I graduated from an undergraduate program which felt like a big deal because I worked on that degree for seven years.
What keeps you going when things get tough in this business?
Zoe: I love making this podcast so so much. My excitement to record new episodes motivates me when I’m down.
Miyuki: Simply having faith that I’ll end up where I need to be one day.
Zoe Darazsdi
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