Welcome to another week of Comacan Questions, this week were joined for some answers from Skatanic Disciples. Anyone local to the southern Ontario area-ish might recognize this name or have heard of it in some way or another, but one thing is for sure that is that Skatanic Disciples is a heavy collection of Canadian Rippers. Originating as Videos to Full Length Videos and Mags in-between the videos Skatanic Disciples has shared some strong and skilled skaters from many skaters in the area. Were proud to share a little behind the scenes with them today.
1. Where does the name Skatanic Disciples come from?
It originated back in 2016 when my friends and I thought it’d be funny to burn my board that broke earlier that day in a “Skatanic Sermon”. Everyone changed their Insta handles to something Skatan related, and I came up with “Skatanic_Disciple”. I deleted my personal account years ago, but the name continues on under the zine page “Skatanic_Disciples”.
2. How long have you run Skatanic disciples?
I think since March 2018 as an official thing.
3. What do you do with Skatanic Disciples?
I’ve filmed a couple full lengths and some other associated videos since starting it. Videos are incredibly stressful so I started the zine aspect because I knew I couldn’t sustain filming videos forever, at least to a full-length caliber. The zine is focused on skating, music and supporting things that I believe deserve recognition. Zines are free but that’s thanks to people who believe in it enough to buy ads and support the project.
4. Do you sell products?
I don’t believe in “products” or “merchandise” for what I do with the Disciples name because I think that would have to involve caring about making money. I make stuff with the help of artists that I like and release whatever I think would be cool at the time hoping to just make the money back and support what I’m trying to produce at that moment.
5. What’s your motivation to run Skatanic Disciples?
Sometimes, I honestly don’t know. I’m blessed to have an undying motivation or compulsive need to do something productive, but it also kills me if I let it. Skateboarding is hard and so is working in skateboarding, they’re very hard people to work with (not excluding myself). Skaters and musicians talk a lot of game, but it’s a matter of whether or not you back that up with actions.
6. What areas of skating are included in your videos/mags?
Its compilations of sessions that I’m a lot of times filming on but manage to snag a photo as well. I wouldn’t claim to be a photographer, but I don’t have anyone else to do it most times, so I fill the role out of necessity. I’m down for anything if it looks good and is genuine, there’s only so much space in a zine or time in a video at the end of the day unfortunately. This is more than skating though, music influences Disciple’s stuff super heavily. I try to have that be a driven focus as well.
7. What does skateboarding mean to you?
It’s a free space with no rules. Fuck anyone who says different. Everyone has different tastes and forms of self-expression through it. That doesn’t mean you or I have to like everything that everyone does, just do your thing.
8. What’s your dream with Skatanic disciples?
No dream really, just keeps it going one way or another. I’d be stoked if eventually more people contributed to the zine so I can fill the editor role more than the main content creator role. More people involved = more stoke and community. I guess that’s the dream.
9. Anyone you’d like to thank?
Skatan, Griffin, Jake, KP, 501 boys, Adrien, Barrie boys, skateboarding, music, Comacan, anyone else who supports the stoke. To my friends, I love you.