Illustrator, tattoo artist, and noise nerd Gary Stevens turned on the news Saturday evening to discover his ex-girlfriend, Christine Burrage (who he knew back in the day as a teen goth who called herself Corpus Christie) had allegedly shot and murdered her current boyfriend, Damon Smooth, in a parking lot. We talked to him about her and in the process found out he lives in a miasmic hellhole where the sanest people around are deranged noise musicians. The whole thing's really sad, so we're tempering the interview with a bit of Gary's relatively cheery art. He's kind of like the boy version of Lisa Frank, obsessed with cute li'l animals but mixing in boogers and creepy crawlers instead of hearts and rainbows.
Vice: That shit is crazy.
Gary: Yeah, I was watching the local news and saw her mugshot.
When did you date her?
She was this cheeseball goth chick I dated when I was 16.
Tell me more.
We used to make zines together. I wish I still had them. It was called Aroo!
Wow. What was it about?
I did some illustrations for her sad life stories and scenester haterism.
That sounds kind of awesome. What kind of sad stories?
I hardly remember the details, just stuff about family abuse. I remember I paid her 54 cents for sex.
Oh man.
While her boyfriend was in the other room.
WHAT?
I had my first three-way with her too.
Yikes. Why was she called “Corpus Christie”?
‘Cause she thought she was so goth. It was a name she gave to herself. She called me Krishna because I was always spouting about my bullshit punk philosophies.
So she's always been a little nuts. Any hints she would grow up to be an alleged killer?
Well, we were all pretty disturbed, but no.
How did you feel seeing her on the news in this context?
Not surprised, so maybe I did see it coming.
I think something like this would make me sad.
She was that tragic girl at the party starting shit for attention.
I was that girl quite a lot too, but I'm pretty sure I have no actual murdering tendencies.
Fuck, she’s like the tenth [alleged] murderer I know personally. Maybe it’s this town.
Ten people who've gone to jail for killing someone?
Yeah. Many of them have since been released. I'd see em on the street and they would still want to be friends. But that’s hard.
What town is it again?
Hampton, Virginia.
Are they all kinda arty or whatever?
No, not arty, just damaged.
What's your town like? Why would so many people you know be killers?
Hampton is a military town where military families leave behind their misbegotten children. Not orphaned children, like 17- and 18-year-olds. Everyone here is poor and there is nothing to do but service the military or join the army.
Why do you stay?
Mainly because of my job. I tattoo all the army boys before they are shipped off to war.
What do you tattoo them with, mostly? Are there any favorites?
Mostly religious themes, but you would be surprised how many of them want swastika tattoos and Satanic stuff. I'm not sure how much longer I can stay here. It’s really killing my mind.
Good, get out of there. It sounds nuts.
Yeah.
LIZ ARMSTRONG
54 cents? shit, dude, i think you could've gotten it for free. what was she trying to buy, a postage stamp?
Posted by: eli | 26/01/2009 at 18:36
the tidewater area (hampton, chesapeake, va. beach, norfolk) is a very pretty area but full of military guys and poor families. it makes for a strange environment, not to mention it basically being a huge beach town, which we all know are weird enough to begin with.
Posted by: blanco | 26/01/2009 at 18:45
i guess trees don't swallow. who knew...
Posted by: DabblesInPacifism | 26/01/2009 at 18:55
i visted a pal in chesapeake probably 8 years ago or so and we went to a bar. we were some of the only non-military there, and they call them "squids." it was a weird trip.
Posted by: tom | 26/01/2009 at 19:36
do girls always get crazier after you date them or do you just not notice the psychotic side until after you take a step back?
Posted by: antonio | 26/01/2009 at 20:02
ahhhhh the joys of small town America.
Posted by: Jucifer | 26/01/2009 at 21:01
Hampton isn't really a small town.. there's seven major cities in Hampton Roads, and they all suck. I wouldn't say it's all poor either, but the military angle is dead on.
Posted by: Justin | 26/01/2009 at 21:17
fuck south va
Posted by: | 26/01/2009 at 23:53
I lived in Hampton. My neighbor was shot and killed during a Halloween party at her house. That place sucks.
Posted by: matt | 27/01/2009 at 04:15
I went to high school with this girl. She worked for a few years at the 7-11 in the same shopping center as the cafe where her boyfriend worked & was shot. I talked to every day when I went in for coffee.
I'd have to say it really isn't too big of a surprise to me either. But very sad.... especially that it's the first homicide of the year on the PENINSULA. That says something. Usually Newport News claims the first.
Posted by: Jah-nut | 27/01/2009 at 15:42
this guy should get out, he seem okay. but we decide so what do you say guys?
his illustrations are not great, im an illustrator i know iknow ....isn't everybody
Posted by: | 27/01/2009 at 16:23
gary: get out of there. I did, and I've never been happier.
there are much better cities out there for tattoo artistry, and with your lifestyle, it shouldn't be too hard for you to do it.
hampton is a shithole. save yourself.
this is christi's old friend, karen, btw.
I haven't spoken to her since 1997. Mostly because her crazy went a little too deep.
yes, I found this while doing a search to find out what the fuck was going on with this situation. A friend of mine told me about it.
good luck to you.
Posted by: Karen | 27/01/2009 at 19:36
I've been a friend of Christie's for years - and I never saw this coming. She was the kind of girl who would stand up for you in a heartbeat, but I never thought she would kill anyone. In fact, she has stood up for me multiple times. I also know Gary. Finding this was rather shocking, and this entire situation is very sad.
Posted by: shan | 27/01/2009 at 20:17
First of all. I don't understand why Gary is being interviewed about Christi since they probably haven't spoken in 15 years. Next, this case hasn't gone to trial so it's too early to speak with any kind of authority...no one knows what really happened, the people who were right there when this went down don't seem to have their stories straight. So how could Gary know anything relevant to the case?
I don't think that I can respect the opinion of a guy who admits to paying a 14 or 15 year old girl for sex...KNOWING that she'd been abused.
54 cents at that? Doesn't say much about your respect for women. Which is probably why this girl hated men so much that she snapped one day. This article is bunk. Gary doesn't know a single bit of current info regarding this girl. No one knows why she shot this guy, I have heard that the guy had put his gun to HER head and threaten to kill her and her new boyfriend. Whatever...Gary, you're no saint. I hope you've stopped paying 14 year old girls for sex, or at least have been paying your child support or else your ass will end up in jail right next to her.
Posted by: Bodhi | 31/01/2009 at 00:45
Nice of you to interview Hampton's very own Kato Kaelin... enjoy the 15 milliseconds Gary. Milk it for all you can. Judging by the examples of your "art" you need all the help you can get.
Posted by: James Randi | 31/01/2009 at 07:08
Divorce is expensive! And who needs extra expenses these days?! Learning how to patch up a relationship is so important.
Posted by: | 17/04/2009 at 15:07
Hey, I was in the joint with her, true she talks a lot of shit and stay in every subject that she hears. Damn she has a comment about everything. You have to cathch her on a good day. She sleeps all day. True she cleans at night for free not time off for felons. I also bunked with that Wooden girl. True these girls are distrubed they just done tragic things without thinking and the sad part is that they have not reconginzed what they have done. The Lord is dealing with them as I type. I have seen it with my own eye. It is only the start of Hell. Mark my word Unit / F block Felon/inocent me
Posted by: F block | 30/09/2010 at 07:49
your generalization of Hampton can only be described as moronic, H-Town is great, moved here in 1975 when i was one and lived here ever since...and i like it here, wouldn't want to live anywhere else. i'm not in the military nor poor, neither were my parents so now it's time for me to generalize, what would you expect from a tattoo artist (a tracer at best), probably took a graphics arts class at TNCC and flunked out, seems getting into tattoos is the last ditch effort from a failed artist before he goes sniffing for work at Kinko's. lol. yeah i went to school with her and she was a bit of a weirdo/fake punker (not goth), no excuse to kill anyone, otherwise you'd be in jail to Gary, right? just goes to show kids, do good in school, stay away from drugs and alcohol, get an education and get a good job or you will end up like the waste s of space this article is about, tattooist...lol
Posted by: Hamptonian | 22/02/2011 at 18:42
oh your the RatWard guy making the noise music, you've got to be kidding with that shit, my dog could sit on the floor and tinker with knobs and buttons, hahahahaha. seriously, that's gross
Posted by: N.O.W. | 22/02/2011 at 18:59