Interview With Bokuwahyde

Joseph Zuzula, aka the internet’s favourite glampire Bokuwahyde, is popular across social media, with his own following of baby bats. Joseph is described on Instagram as an entrepreneur, creator, photographer, musician, and cosmetologist. He’s also a guitarist with the band No Silence.

Recently we were excited to interview him about his glampire alter ego and his various interests.

What inspired you to become the internet’s favourite glampire? 

Being able to be myself and the freedom to share that with the world, paired with the ability and hopes to inspire others to live their lives to the fullest and with all the joy possible has inspired me to do everything that I do now and to push harder and harder every day.

When did you start? 

I really only got started with this as it is in Nov of 2020. 

Why and how did you start? 

I guess I really got started more seriously after Covid lockdowns because I had an opportunity to create something at that time that I didn't have before that. 

Where did you get the name Bokuwahyde from? What inspired the name? 

Bokuwahyde means "I am Hyde" in Japanese. I've always been heavily influenced by Japanese musicians. The name Hyde came from people calling me that after a famous Japanese guitarist from a band called "X Japan" whose name was 'Hide" (He-day") People called me "Hide" (like hide and seek) but I changed it to Hyde so it wouldn't be confused between the two. This was back in 2004. 

Do you have a favourite glampire outfit? What is it?  

To be honest, my outfits are all pretty similar to one another with small variations here and there. I typically wear black jeans with a T-shirt or button up shirt. I'll pair that with a coat or jacket if it's cold!

What is your favourite glampire prop/item? 

It has to be the fangs! 

What is your favourite Bokuwahyde photograph and where was it taken? Why do you like it? 

My favorite photograph so far would have to be one of the images I shot in my collection I called "BLVCK". It was taken in my living room

What has been your favourite fan interaction so far? 

I honestly don't know if I can say that I have one favorite. I've met so many amazing individuals who support what I do in different situations. It's like asking a parent who their favorite kid is. I'm just so grateful to be able to even have any interactions with supporters at all. 

What has been the most beautiful moment so far? 

It's always meaningful to me to see people talk about what I do and how it's had a positive impact in their life or how it inspired them to do something life changing for themselves.

What would be your dream for Bokuwahyde? 

My dream for Bokuwahyde is really many things. On a Personal level, I want Bokuwahyde to be a lifelong career that allows me to do all the things in my life I'm passionate about and share that with those who find value in what I do. I want to be able to provide for myself and have a family one day. But, outside of a personal level, I want Bokuwahyde to inspire and motivate others to chase their dreams and passions on a daily basis and be the best they can be. Live the happiest life they can. 

Where do you see it going in ten years’ time? 

I'm not sure. It's changed so drastically in just a couple years. We have gotten places in just a couple years time that I never thought I'd see in a lifetime, so I'm not really sure what 10 years time will bring. I suppose that just depends on how many people find value in what I do and decide to be a part of this journey with myself and the other Baby Bats on Patreon. 

What has been the most difficult thing you’ve had to do? 

Grow. Growing our Patreon and audience on social media has been one of the biggest challenges I have ever faced. To be honest, I never thought it would be this difficult. I really thought people would come in left and right to support this message and journey for such a small fee. I was wrong. It has been incredibly difficult but I have never let that stop me. I believe the right people who truly believe in this will join in time and it will be bigger than any of us ever imagined. 

What was your most embarrassing moment? 

I used to get very embarrassed performing live and messing up a song or a few notes here and there. I don't get really nervous about any of that anymore. But when I was 14, my very first show in front of an audience, I attempted to play the National Anthem. Let's just say that did not go well and I will never be able to forget this moment.

What have you learned about yourself since starting Bokuwahyde? 

I learned that I have a serious problem with quitting. I don't allow myself to give up or to know when to take a break. I learned that I can truly achieve anything I put my mind to if I do it right and consistently. 

You’ve worked with a few brands. What has been your favourite partnership and why? 

That's another favorite child type question. It's hard to pick one partnership over another especially when each is so unique. I've partnered with companies that do lenses, jewelry, clothing, etc. I've been so lucky to have amazing companies like Funky Lenses stand beside me as we continue to grow. 

Personal

You seem to have a lot of interests. Your Instagram profile says you are a creator, photographer, musician, and cosmetologist. We’d love to know more about how you got interested in cosmetology and photography. 

As a child, I had a large interest in animals and programs like National Geographic. As I grew up, I thought it would be amazing to work for them and travel photographing animals in the world. I had an opportunity to work for a company doing Dance Recital photos for kids and their families and wedding opportunities and it just blossomed into a full time career immediately after that. In regard to cosmetology, I was very inspired by American 80's hair bands and Japanese VK (Visual Kei) bands. Both, in my opinion, always had incredible style. It really inspired me to learn how to do these things on my own for future endeavors.

We noticed you have a lot of cool tattoos. Can you tell us about one of them? 

I've been working on my left arm sleeve which is a tattoo of hide from X Japan as a memorial and the rest of the sleeve is lace and roses. I wanted something that was dark and elegant but still had a hint of beauty.

You like to colour your hair. We’ve seen it white, purple and blue. What colour do you prefer? 

I tend to jump back and forth. I've really come to find out that I prefer cooler color tones like Purple, Blue, Green. But, I think purple will be my most common color. 

Your cat is called Tayto. How did you come up with the unique name? Can you tell us a bit about her/him. 

Tayto is short for Potato. To be honest, I'm not really sure how that name came about. I think it's a thing when you have a pet. Sometimes they get a name, and then a nickname and then three more nicknames and it's been like that for him. He's had 100 nicknames in the last few years.  

Band

You perform in the hard rock/metal band No Silence.

How long has the band been going? 

We started the band in early 2020.

Do you cover songs or write your own? 

All the songs we perform live currently are original songs. 

What is your favourite song? What is your favourite song that your band plays? 

I think my favorite song to play live would have to be "Deja Vu" It's an amazing feeling to stand there and hear your band's song sung right back at you. 

What instruments do you play? I think we’ve seen you playing drums and guitar. 

I only really play guitar. I started playing drums before guitar but didn't take it very far. I can play a few little things on piano and I have a violin, but guitar is the only thing I can really make much of a decent sound on. 

What is your favourite guitar? 

Currently, my favorite guitar is my ESP FRX EII.