RuPaul says we're born naked and the rest is drag, but drag doesn't have to be a dress and high heels. Drag can be re-creating a costume from a comic book, or go-go dancing in a jockstrap, or letting someone turn you into something not entirely human.

You might know this week's guest as artist and performer Tyler Rush; or Pup Amp, as he's known in the fetish community. As grown-up identities go, Tyler and Amp are both a long way from the quiet Catholic school kid who hid from constant teasing by playing videogames in his basement. When it was time to move to a new school, he decided to re-invent himself, and found a nerdy tribe where he not only belonged, but could become a star by dressing up as someone else.

Costumes don't have to be a way to hide -- sometimes, they're extensions of who we are, a way to amplify our assets and flaunt our hidden talents. Rather than masking his true identity, Tyler found that costumes could draw him out of his shell. But when he started dressing up for anime conventions, he probably didn't expect that within a few years, he'd be undressing at conventions of a somewhat different nature.

In this episode, we talked a bit about Death Note, which started out as a printed manga, but became an anime series:

this video is in no way mine. or whatever the fuck i dont even think this thing matters. but maybe it does. well yeah i have no ownership of this.

And then we also marveled at the phenomenon that is filk -- science fiction folk music. I could not be more delighted that such a thing exists.

EDIT: This is a reupload of an earlier video; the first upload got cut short for some reason. Sorry to the few people that posted comments. For more Leslie Fish music, please visit Prometheus Music at http://www.prometheus-music.com No lyrics because I am lazy and couldn't find something cool to screencap, since this is from her sci-fi album.

Another topic of conversation: Batman bondage. Here's one of my favorite of such clips, from the episode featuring Liberace. Because of course.

Batman and Robin escape near certain demise at the hand of Chandell, played by Liberace, who strapped them to a paper puncher for making player piano music.

How many bondage fantasies were formed by this image, which we briefly address in this episode?

Oh and of course check out Amp's new show with the delightful Bolt:

Ever wonder what that thing in the back pocket of some hot guy at a gay bar is actually for. Well only half the time is it actually to blow your nose, the other half is a really neat code with a colorful herstory. So stuff you pockets with fabric and get ready to get learnt.

And here's a clip from Final Fantasy X2, the game that's all about using different outfits to do battle:

the opening to final fantasy x-2. another shot at hd. wish me luck

It's been my distinct pleasure to photograph Amp on many occasions. Here's a few of my favorite shots.

Bolt & Amp

Ruff ruff!