Start Your Engines: Here Comes RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 12’s Cast
Image via VH1
Via Twitter, Drag Race Season 11 reigning queen Yvie Oddly was tasked with RuVealing the cast of Season 12, and for some reason there was a hell of a lot of plaid. Each of the show’s 13 forthcoming contestants strut down an industrial-looking runway beset by Oddly’s freak-flag-flying visage overhead. Not sure if the runway’s theme was “punk” or if the queens were taking a page out of Oddly’s book, because several queens were rocking teased hair, Westwood-esque plaid, chains and a ton of straps. Aiden Zhane started out the floor show with a Siouxsie Sioux look, leading into Crystal Methyd’s DnD-tinged, half-elf warlock get-up. Later, Nicky Doll looked like she crawled out of Kingdom Hearts’ concept art, and Rock M. Sakura stomped out in club-kid platforms (you know, those shoes judge Michelle Visage warned against wearing over five seasons ago).
Drag Race’s fandom has gained notoriety for their unwavering dedication to the franchise, with a highly active subreddit of detectives and investigators keeping their ears to the ground on updates for the show. Every single queen who appears in Season 12 has appeared on lists of rumored appearances, with the fandom keeping close tabs on the world’s supply of drag queen’s social media and public appearances.
Based on the traditional Meet the Queens video posted to VH1’s YouTube, it seems like the season will indeed be filled with off-kilter weirdos following in former winner Yvie Oddly’s (dinosaur) heels. “I’m an oddball,” North Carolina’s Heidi N’ Closet admits. Atlanta’s Aiden Zhane hilariously describes her drag as being the intersection of “Judge Doom from Roger Rabbit and the alien from the movie Species,” a reference so specific yet so resonant when you get a peek at her unique drag styling. Many also cite anime as an influence, including Nicky Doll, Dahlia Sin and Rock M. Sakura.