Lenora Claire Finds Late Night 'doNUTS' on World of Wonder

By 04/14/2009
Lenora Claire Finds Late Night 'doNUTS' on World of Wonder

Lenora ClaireLenora Claire and World of Wonder (WOW) have launched doNUTS, a new web series that chronicles the late night antics of the unique people Lenora meets at donut shops. Lenora Claire describes herself as an art curator, writer, glamour girl, performance artist-glass eater, and event producer—even curating the scandalous Golden Gals Gone Wild show that featured erotic depictions of the Golden Girls. She has written over two hundred published articles and interviewed countless celebrities including Elvira, Lynda Carter, John Waters, Julie Newmar, and Bob Mackie.

Claire teamed up with World of Wonder, an international entertainment company with a host of film and TV credits. WOW has a large online presence with web content created for Yahoo as well as its popular WOW Report, a pop-culture blog read around the world and WOW TV, an online video destination designed to attract young filmmakers.

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We talked to Lenora Claire about her new series, her history of unique projects with World of Wonder, and 
of course donuts.

Tubefilter: How long have you been working with World of Wonder?

Lenora tabloidLenora Claire: I was a fan of World of Wonder’s TV shows and films for years and knew the owners Randy Barbato and Fenton Bailey socially via my friend’s producer, Thairin Smothers and Party Monster author James St. James. So I was aware they had a long history of creating quality content with camp or fringe culture celebrities. Because we share such a similar sensibility, I approached them in 2007 about using what was then a vacant retail space on the lower level of their gorgeous art deco production offices on Hollywood Blvd for my Golden Gals Gone Wild art show that featured erotic art based on the Golden Girls. The show was a huge success having appeared on everything from TMZ, NPR, the LA Times, The Globe, LA Weekly, LAist (check out their extensive photos), Defamer, and AOL news. The space is now known as the World of Wonder Storefront Gallery and hosts the hippest pop culture themed art shows in LA. I’ve also appeared on the World of Wonder internet series Ring My Bell which features “wowlebrities” taking phone calls live on the internet. So when it came time to launch my new web series doNUTS I thought WOW TV would be the perfect home since I already have such a great relationship with them and love all that they do.

Tubefilter: How did the idea for doNUTS come about?

LC: The way all of my ideas seem to come about. I’m inspired by eccentrics- and anyone who lives their life to an extreme. One late night a friend, who is completely unsympathetic to my desire to diet, dragged me to pick up some donuts. I was in awe of the paranoid schizophrenics, conspiracy theorists, and other colorful characters that were hanging around, all hopped up on sugar and caffeine. I was like can someone please get me a mic. I want to know their backstory.

Tubefilter: Tell us a bit about shooting doNUTS late night episodes.

LC: Well, if you watch the first episode, which starts out with me innocently trying to interview a group of chess players and their groupies at Tang’s donut shop you see everything from a man who makes his living walking around my neighborhood selling found objects for $5 to a drunk donut eater who kept trying to get his glaze covered hands all over my behind.

Tubefilter: Are you ever surprised at who you run into?

LC: Constantly. That’s why this show could go on forever and ever.

Tubefilter: How many episodes have you shot and how many are you planning to do?

LC: Only one is online right now, but we are in the process of editing others. WOW gave me absolute freedom. I can do however many I want. I own it. They are just super cool and let me borrow their equipment. That’s why they stamp their name at the end, but it’s all mine. I’ve also been asked to film an episode for a European TV network.

USA Network Character ProjectTubefilter: What other projects do you have coming up?

LC: I’m currently featured on the USA Network’s Character Project ad campaign. It’s been pretty cool seeing my face on a billboard in Times Square and all over the commercials. I’m appearing in multiple books coming out this year, have a TV project called Apocalipstick in development, as well as various art projects including my very exciting Bettie Page tribute show featuring the art of pin-up legend Olivia and Bunny Yeager who shot many of Bettie’s most iconic images. The Bettie Page (tribute) show debuts Saturday, May 2nd at the World of Wonder Storefront Gallery.

Tubefilter: We have to ask. What is you favorite type of donut?

LC: I don’t get to eat as many donuts as I would like, having to watch my girlish figure, so I would probably pick one that is neon pink take a few bites and go in to a sugar coma.

Follow Lenora on her late night doNUTS adventures on WOWtv. Hat/tip to Boing Boing. (Top photo by Marla Rutherford.)

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