Press Release: Suicide Girls Join the Wizard World Comic Con Tour!
The SuicideGirls are exceptionally interesting and stylish beautiful women from all over the world. They are the most crush worthy women we could find on the planet, the girls with style and grace and sexiness that we love!
The SuicideGirls website and concept were created by the founding partners of parent company SG Services, Inc., Sean Suhl (“Sean”) and Selena Mooney (“Missy Suicide”) in late 2001, and based in Portland, Oregon. In 2003, the site operations moved to Los Angeles, California. Suhl and Mooney started the site “just to see hot punk rock girls naked.” Mooney has also stated that the purpose of the site is to give women control over how their sexuality is depicted. The site is privately co-owned; in addition to Suhl and Mooney, co-owners include Steve Simitzis (server admin and SG user, “s5″). Simitzis’ wife Olivia Ball (former site programmer and Suicide Girl) was also described as an owner, but as of 2006, is no longer listed among the staff of SuicideGirls.
The term “suicide girl” is used by Fight Club author and Portland resident Chuck Palahniuk, in his novel Survivor (1999): “It’s the same with these suicide girls calling me up.” Excerpt: Mooney previously confirmed this novel as the source for the name in the Suicide Girls FAQ but has since removed the reference.
As a trademark applied to the website, and related merchandise and media, the term “SuicideGirls” is a single word, though this camel notation is often violated by external sources who split it into two words. The girls themselves are referred to as “Suicide Girls.”
The website features a community created around the pin-up photos of the Suicide Girls. The members and the models all have the option to have a profile, keep journals, and upload their own photos and videos. There are message boards, public and private groups, and a chat room in which members can communicate with one another. There is a local feature in which members post their favorite local haunts, tattoo shops, and other businesses. Members in your area and regional groups are highlighted, and a calendar of events and map of your area are listed with the location of the previously mentioned businesses. The site features interviews and an ongoing newswire with celebrity columnists. There is an “Army” of members that promote the site online and offline. SuicideGirls merchandise is also available for sale on the site. The models can keep and write their journals in any language.
The images are collected into “photosets” that contain 40–60 images that take place in the same setting or theme. Originally, only one photoset went live on the site per day, though this eventually increased to two or more every day. As of March 2008 there are nearly 1.9 million images live on the site. The photographs are intended both as an homage to classic pin-up art and a portrayal of alternative images of beauty. The SuicideGirls create the theme of each of their photosets, and each is designed to showcase how each girl feels most beautiful about themselves.
As of March 2008 the website features nearly 1,800 Suicide Girls, each billed simply under a first name or one-word nickname. Most of the models have non-traditional appearance modifications such as colored hair, dreadlocks, piercings, more extreme body modifications, or tattoos. Images include professionally shot photos as well as self-written profiles and journal entries which they update as often as they see fit with their thoughts, snapshots, anecdotes, rants, and whatever else they wish to include. The girls themselves are involved directly with the community and interact in groups and on message boards. Members can send the models private messages as well. The site receives over 1,000 applications from new models interested in becoming Suicide Girls every week.
According to the website, over 1,000,000 unique visitors a week visit SuicideGirls.com. However, according to domain industry tracking sites, such as Domain Tools , the actual online traffic figure is only about 180,000 unique visitors per month. The Alexa trend rankings , as of December 2008, also show the number of visitors to the site has declined in recent months. The overall Alexa ranking still makes suicidegirls.com among the most popular sites tracked by Alexa, placing the site in the top 1% of websites generating consistent, unique user traffic.
Although most of the Suicide Girls are American, the site features girls from every continent including Antarctica. Canada and the UK also have large communities of SuicideGirls. Payments are accepted from every country in the world. The girls’ FAQ is available in various languages as well.
Suicide Girls from various countries, such as France or Italy, have their own MySpace pages, promoting the site and their lifestyle. SuicideGirls has also been featured in press outlets including People Magazine Australia, Tattoo Girls Japan, MTV Italy, Arte French TV, and Emeequis magazine in Mexico.
Positive reviews of the SuicideGirls site appeared in Rolling Stone, Wired, The New Yorker and other mainstream magazines. It was featured in a 2006 episode of the CBS program, CSI: NY, titled “Oedipus Hex” (guest-starring Missy Suicide), and also on HBO’s Real Sex special, on ABC’s Nightline, on the G4 series Icons, and on the Showtime series Californication. A number of Suicide Girls also appeared in the 2007 remake of The Wizard of Gore directed by Jeremy Kasten and starring Crispin Glover. The literary magazine Fence used a Suicide Girl for the cover of a recent issue. Rock musician Courtney Love is a member of the site, and, in the past, has written “rambling, stream-of-consciousness posts on the site.” She also brought along three Suicide Girls (Emma, Robin and Ruby) during an appearance on MTV’s 24 hours of Love. Sixty-six Suicide Girls appeared in the PROBOT music video “Shake Your Blood”. The Boston Phoenix did a two-part review of the site and its models. “The Naked Sorority” and “The Naked Sorority Part II” report on and discuss the girls themselves and the phenomenon.
The SG newswire features daily columns, news items and feature interviews covering a diverse range of subjects, including politics, music, film, celebrity, gaming and technology, philosophy, love and relationships, spirituality, and food. Feature articles cover the world of arts and entertainment from underground niche artists to award winning filmmakers, directors, authors and recording artists. SG journalists go on location to movie sets, video shoots, press conferences, and cover festivals such as the Cannes Film Festival, CMJ, SXSW, the Tribeca Film Festival, and ComicCon events around the nation. SG also has an embedded war reporter Michael J. Totten who publishes news, commentary and features from the Middle East on the SG newswire. The newswire provides a forum for the SG community to read up on areas of interest and discuss and share their own opinions about the material on the newswire message boards.
The newswire has featured celebrity columnists such as: Brad Warner, author of Hardcore Zen and Sit Down and Shut Up; Scott Ian, co-founder and guitarist for legendary metal band Anthrax; Wil Wheaton, Geek author and actor; Chris Gore, founder of Film Threat; Margaret Cho, actress and comedian; Jonathan Kesselman, director of The Hebrew Hammer; Rob Corddry, actor and former Daily Show correspondent; Warren Ellis, author of science fiction and super hero comics, novels and television; Martin Atkins, author and musician known for his work with post-punk and industrial bands such as Public Image Ltd., Ministry, Pigface, and Killing Joke.
SG’s feature interviews include both cult and high-profile talent such as: Mike Patton; Maynard James Keenan; Dave Mustaine; Dita Von Teese; David Lynch; Otto von Schirach; Debbie Harry; Jhonen Vasquez; Maggie Gyllenhaal; Johnny Depp; Neil Gaiman; Woody Allen; Bill Murray; Natalie Portman; Christopher Walken; Emile Hirsch; Kate Nash; Del James; Nina Hartley; and David Belle.
SG also produces a weekly radio show on Indie 103.1 FM in Los Angeles, broadcasting Sunday nights from midnight to 2 am PST. The show had been on air for 4 years and Indie 103.1 was named the “Best Radio Station 2008″ by Rolling Stone Magazine. On the show, Suicide Girls take phone calls, give advice, discuss current events and play music. Past phone-in and in-person guests on the show included Maynard James Keenan, Mindless Self Indulgence, Dave Navarro, Tom Green, the Melvins, Rob Corddry, Ron Jeremy and more. Past Radio Show guest interviews can be downloaded as podcasts from the website. Indie 103.1 is no longer broadcasting on air and is now a streaming-media station online.
Join tens of thousands of fellow fans as they converge in New York City at Big Apple Comic Con, October 1-2-3, 2010 to celebrate the best in pop culture. New York City’s Big Apple Comic Con brings it all – Movies, Comics, Toys, Video Gaming, Games, TV, Anime, Manga, Horror, Wrestling, MMA, Original Art, Collectibles & More! This is New York’s longest running and most widely attended Comic Con! Come see us at our new home at Penn Plaza Pavilion, 401 Seventh Avenue at 33rd St. in Manhattan! We are just steps away from Penn Station! This is the most anticipated move of 2010!
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New England Comic Con runs from October 15-17, 2010 at the Hynes Convention Center. Join tens of thousands of fans as they converge in Boston at the New England Comic Con 2010 Wizard World Convention to celebrate the best in pop culture. New England Comic Con brings it all – Movies, Comics, Toys, Video Gaming, Games, TV, Anime, Manga, Horror, Wrestling, MMA, Original Art, Collectibles & More! New England Comic Con is brought to you by the group who produces the most widely attended Comic Con tour!
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Join tens of thousands of fellow fans as they converge on the Austin Convention Center at Austin Comic Con to celebrate the best in pop culture. Austin Comic Con brings it all – Movies, Comics, Toys, Video Gaming, Games, TV, Anime, Manga, Horror, Wrestling, MMA, Original Art, Collectibles & More! This is Texas’ best new Comic Con! Austin Comic Con is brought to you by the group who produces the most widely attended Comic Con tour!
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Join tens of thousands of fellow fans as they converge at the Cobb Galleria Centre at Atlanta Comic Con, December 3-4-5, 2010 to celebrate the best in pop culture. Atlanta Comic Con brings it all – Movies, Comics, Toys, Video Gaming, Games, TV, Anime, Manga, Horror, Wrestling, MMA, Original Art, Collectibles & More! This show is brought to you by the group who runs the longest running and most widely attended Comic Con tour!
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