Cannibal Watercolors

Photo by Jason Frank Rothenberg. Jello Biafra once said, “the only thing worse than living in the past is living off the past,” but what about living off the dead in the past? What about living off the girls you used to eat to death in the past? France’s most notorious “death addict,” a psychotic cannibal who was charged with murder and grave-robbing in 1994, is now an artist, and guess what, he sucks. VICE: Vampire Killer, you’ve given up on murder and cannibalism and now you want to paint. Nico: I have spent too many years in jail and it is time to change my lifestyle. I moved to Sweden to be with my bride, Valeria. I have been monitored since I have been out of jail. My phone has been out of surveillance. I have been followed in the street, asked many questions. Do you ever mix blood with your paint? I’m really into magic and stuff like that, so I’m always suspicious. I think they can do rituals if I give them my blood. So this is not something I’ve done lots of times. You once said you just wanted to serve your master. Who’s that? The one that creation calls Satan. Are you making your living off painting? My paintings, I sell them for $100. Some are sold for as much $500—the big-format ones. There’s one that I did of Natural Born Killers—that is the one in Los Angeles that is for $500. Also I’m working on a series of paintings, and I’ve got about three offers on the table from people who want to write my biography. I’m just making a living on my old image and that’s OK with me.