It’s rare to find a VTuber that is as hot and entertaining as they are socially responsible, but Bonnicula, Queen Vampire has found a way to do all three! While many content creators of all disciplines shy away from politically or socially charged issues, Bonniula is open addressing those kinds of topics despite the potential pushback from digital platforms. As someone who also strives to contribute to the social good through my work, I have a deep respect for Bonnicula’s work and mentality.
What’s the elevator pitch for you and your channel?
Thank you for the questions! I’m Bonnicula, vampire VTuber game dev and comedienne, and I host a twitch channel that centers around my adventures attempting to responsibly manage the cursed castle of Lord Dracula in his absence. My content is campy and oriented towards an older audience, with a focus on in-house special effects and lots of audience interactivity.
Why’d you get into VTubing? What makes VTubing preferable to traditional streaming or “fleshtubing” for you?
I got into VTubing while I was looking for a new project after my podcast of 15 years finally wound down. I was completely thrilled to find a medium that brought together many of my interests – game development, 3D art, public speaking and stand-up comedy. It felt like a way of making content that I’d been waiting to come into existence for a long time. The ability to craft a wholly new character and build a world around them that folks could explore and participate in felt really different to me and really sparked my imagination in a way that traditional streaming did not.
How does VTubing fit into your life and broader career? Is it something you are trying to do full-time or is it closer to a side-hustle that bolsters your other pursuits?
VTubing is certainly something I’d love to do full-time, and I put full-time hours into it! But it’s very true that it takes a lot of time, work, and more than a little bit of sheer luck to break into a tier where it can be sustainable as one’s primary source of income. Thankfully I also own my own small business that pays the rent.
Between the two I don’t sleep much though.
What are the biggest issues in the VTubing space right now and, subsequently, how can the VTubing space improve?
I’d say the biggest issue facing VTubers is the number of creators versus the number of viewers watching or even being aware of their content. The indie scene is vibrant and full of incredibly creative folks doing amazing content. But despite a relatively big surge in awareness of VTubing as a thing that exists in the mainstream consciousness, it remains a very niche segment of the entertainment space. The folks out there that do know of it might only have an association with the largest of the corporate creators and have no idea the incredible variety of things people are doing to explore what is possible in this medium.
From what I’ve seen, you’re pretty outspoken about social, political, and sexual issues in both your streams and your social media accounts? How has that affected your VTubing career? Do you ever feel like you have to censor yourself to meet platform standards?
Oh I definitely have felt the friction from being outspoken about social issues. I think it’s pretty well established at this point that algorithmic sites like Youtube, Facebook, or Twitter tend to advance rightwing positions pretty hard and suppress or actively endanger folks who are speaking out for the rights of minorities, for women, for LGBTQ+ folks, etc. But there’s a lot of people out there who are looking for content creators who are like them, who support and stand up for them as best they can, and who do their best to make sure their communities are safe and welcoming places. It’s important right now when a growing majority of folks’ get their news or have their worldviews informed by “influencers” and streamers for there to be voices in that mix that have their hearts in the right place.
Do you have any advice for people looking to start VTubing?
My advice for anyone looking to start is to jump in immediately and play in the space. The barriers of entry are incredibly low – anyone can make a model themselves very quickly and easily, and almost all of the software required is free and easily accessible. That means there’s a lot of room for self-expression without a huge amount of startup cost. Once someone jumps in they can pretty quickly decide if it’s for them and, if so, what they want to bring to the table. If someone wants to be a sockpuppet VTuber that crafts puppets on stream or wants to sing showtunes as a rockabilly diner waitress, there’s communities of other creators playing in those spaces that one can find and network with.
Just don’t put down a lot of money for a high end VTubing model before you know if you even like to do it!
Article Editor: Kelly Stewart
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