25 drag kings you should definitely know about
| 09/09/24
atomic_pixies
CONTACTCAREER OPPORTUNITIESADVERTISE WITH USPRIVACY POLICYPRIVACY PREFERENCESTERMS OF USELEGAL NOTICE
© 2024 Pride Publishing Inc.
All Rights reserved
All Rights reserved
20 Drag Kings You Should Definitely Know About
The art of drag consumes so much more than just the love of the art from cis men. Drag kings don't get nearly the same amount of attention as their mainstream counterparts, but these performers still deserve some love and attention!
No matter what RuPaul says, there are plenty more people who love the art of drag than just cis men. Drag kings don't get nearly as much mainstream attention as their counterparts, and much like drag queens, these performers come from all over the gender spectrum!
There are so many drag kings out there who are slaying the game, and these 20 are real stand-outs that are totally worth seeing perform! (Note: we are using he pronouns only to refer to their drag king personas!)
HercuSleaze
HercuSleaze is a drag king and artist who is bringing avant-garde gender-bending to Montreal, Canada. If he look familar it may be from his time in season one of OUTtv's Call Me Mother.
Follow him on Instagram.
King Molasses
King Molasses is the self-described "sweetest and stickiest drag king you'll ever meet. This non-binary king rules the Washington D.C. scene.
Follow him on Instagram.
Andro Gin
Andro Gin is a Cuban-American, NYC-based drag king who's eye-catching aesthetic takes its inspiration from cartoon villains. They have appeared on Transformations with James St. James and are frequently included on the most-wanted list for future seasons of The Boulet Brothers' Dragula.
Follow him on Instagram.
Maxxx Pleasure
Glam rock king Maxxx Pleasure hails from Brooklyn, New York. He's no stranger to the stage or screen, and has performed alongside Sasha Velour on her Nightgowns show as well as starred in the Bushwig drag festival. Maxxx has also been featured in a short documentary film, Maxxx, and even opened for Chappell Roan.
Follow him on Instagram.
Prinze Valentino
Prinze Valentino, a self-described "genderbending Sicilian zaddy" is wowing crowds in Los Angeles. Aside from simply driving audiences wild this politically active king regularly speaks on LGBTQIA+ panels and is inspired to empower others to be their authentic selves.
Follow him on Instagram.
Justin Abit
Canadian king Justin Abit may look familiar, like HercuSleaze he was a contestant on season two of Call Me Mother.
Follow him on Instagram.
K. James
Drag King extraordinaire K. James is heating up the nightlife in Brooklynn as part of the drag collective Switch n’ Play. The group’s mission is to span the gender spectrum with avant-garde performance and has been doing so in unique venues including the Brooklyn Museum and the New York Public Library. They have also brought their unique gender-bending talents to Sasha Velour’s Nightgown series.
Tenderoni
Chicago-based drag artist Tenderoni once described his drag to the New York Times as a mash-up of Michael Jackson, Bobby Brown, Prince, George Michael, and Boy George” — and he’s not wrong. His talents earned him the title of Drag Queen of the Year — the pageant founded by Alaska Thunderfuck and Lola Le Croix — in 2021.
Elvis Herselvis
Elvis Herselvis is the stage name for singer Leigh Crow, who performs as a female Elvis Presley impersonator. This gender-bending cabaret singer has been on the scene since 1988 and still entertains us to this day.
Landon Cider
Another king who is fighting for more inclusion is Dragula champ Landon Cider who has spoken out specifically about how much stronger RuPaul’s Drag Race would be with some king inclusion. You can check out this hottie who performs in the LA area.
Follow him on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter!
Vico Suave
Vico Suave is the stage name for non-binary Puerto Rican actor Vico Ortiz, who plays a gender nonconforming swashbuckler named Jim/Bonifacia on HBO’s Our Flag Means Death television show.
Adam All
This UK king has been performing for 12 years, using art and humor in his performances. He currently runs a show in SoHo, helping new talent succeed.
Hugo Grrrl
Hugo Grrrl is a New Zealand drag king who’s best known for winning the inaugural season of House of Drag. His appearance on the show marked him the first drag king and first trans man to compete on a drag reality show.
Miles Long
Another performer deeply involved with helping the public know more about drag kings (he and several others on this list are involved with The Making of a King documentary), this Inland Empire king can be found on the LA scene.
Murray Hill
The "hardest-working, middle-aged man in show business," this comedian and drag king has been working since 1995 and helped pioneer the art of male impersonation.
Buck Wylde
This classy Dallas king oozes easy sex appeal, and is often very outspoken about the drag king scene and gender politics.
Follow him on Facebook!
Spikey Van Dykey
One of the most famous drag kings, Spikey Van Dykey has toured the country performing as an emcee to drag shows and as his own amazing act.
Mo B. Dick
Mo B. Dick started in 1995 in NYC and is cited as one of the founding fathers of the modern-day drag king movement. He currently lives in Los Angeles where he works on Drag King History providing lectures via Zoom.
Follow him on Facebook and Instagram!
Gage Gatlyn
The best Tim McGraw impersonator in the U.S. and a champion for the term "male illusionist," Gage is an amazing advocate for drag kings!
Phantom
This drag king focuses on costumes and horror, bringing a delightful cosplay vibe into their dark and creepy performances!
Throb Zombie
Courtesy of Shudder
This self-professed undead himbo hails from Boston, Massachusets. They are obsessed with horror making them a perfect king for the Boulet Brothers Dragula series, in which they star in season 5. Their drag combines punk, burlesque, and a whole lot of sex appeal.
Follow him on Instagram.
Jarvis Hammer
Jarvis Hammer is hauntingly talented — perhaps because he a g-g-g-ghost drag king. This Atlanta, Georgia-based performer not only brings the theatrical to every performance but his comedy chops as well.
Follow him on Instagram.
LoUis CYfer
A UK-based king, LoUis CYfer can truly do it all. He sings, acts, dances, and is a true comedian.
Follow him on Instagram.
Sigi Moonlight
A London-based king, Sigi Moonlight is inspired by old movies and pop culture and his performances explore socio-political issues and toxic masculinity through the lens of clowning, lip-syncing, and striptease.
Follow him on Instagram.
Dr. Wang Newton
Dr. Wang Newton is a Taiwanese-American king who hosts shows in New York and runs a Wang TV series on social media where he interviews and documents the backstage antics of drag stars and notable folks including Coco Rocha, Laganja Estranja, and Anna Phylactic.
Follow him on Instagram.
