First of all Hi Michael and thank you for taking the time to let me do this interview with you for Punk Globe Magazine.

THANK YOU FOR ASKING ME.

After extremely unfortunate events you had to leave the world of clubs,parties, your entire old life behind .What was your life like after that, emotionally? How did you cope and how do you cope?

WELL FOR A LONG TIME I CONTINUED USING DRUGS IN ORDER TO COVER UP ANY FEELINGS AT ALL. I'D SAY FOR THE FIRST 3 YEARS I WAS STILL ADDICTED TO HEROIN, OR METHADONE,WHICH THEY GAVE ME IN HERE. IT WASN'T UNTIL AFTER I STOPPED THE METHADONE THAT MY FEELINGS AND SENSES BEGAN TO SLOWLY RETURN AND I WAS ABLE TO CONFRONT IN ANY WAY THE ENORMOUS DAMAGE I'D CREATED IN OTHER PEOPLE'S LIVES. THE HURT AND DEVASTATION. IT TOOK A LONG TIME TO EVEN BEGIN TO BE ABLE TO FORGIVE MYSELF. IT'S A PROCESS THAT TO THIS DAY IS NOT COMPLETE BUT I'M WORKING TOWARD THAT WITH A THERAPIST.I ALSO PAINT, WRITE, EXERCISE ETC. EXERCISING IS GREAT FOR DEPRESSION BECAUSE IT GETS YOUR ENDORPHIN MOVING. STILL THOUGH WHEN ALL IS SAID AND DONE I FEEL GUILTY EVEN HAVING THE LUXURY OF THESE THINGS, OR THE LUXURY OF SELF REFLECTION.IT ALL SEEMS RATHER INDULGENT TO ME AND I'D LIKE TO LIVE THE NEXT HALF OF MY LIFE IN A LESS INDULGENT WAY

When you compare Michael Alig in the 1980ies and 1990ies to Michael now how would you describe the difference and personal development??

WELL OBVIOUSLY I'VE MATURED QUITE A BIT. PRISON WILL DEFINITELY DO THAT TO A PERSON AND FAST. ALTHOUGH I DIDN'T SEE IT AT THE TIME, CAUGHT UP AS I WAS IN THE EXCITEMENT AND SELF INDULGENCE. LOOKING AT VIDEOS FROM THAT TIME I CAN SEE HOW SPOILED AND ANNOYING I MUST HAVE SEEMED TO OTHER PEOPLE. HOPEFULLY I'VE SHED SOME OF THAT BEHAVIOR - MOST OF IT IN FACT. I'D SAY ''ALL OF IT'' EXCEPT THAT OF COURSE THERE IS STILL A PART OF ME, A TINY PART THAT DOES STILL CRAVE THE ATTENTION AND HOOPLA. I DON'T THINK THAT WILL EVER LEAVE ME COMPLETELY. NOW THOUGH IT'S ALL ABOUT BEING BALANCED. I' VE GOT TO DEDICATE A LARGE PART OF MY LIFE NOW TOWARD DOING GOOD, HELPING OTHERS. KARMA INSISTS ON IT YOU KNOW

When you think back to the Club kid times, what are your fondest memories and which ones are memories you'rather forget?

I COULDN'T CHOOSE JUST ONE FOND MEMORY, IT'D BE LIKE ASKING OCTO MOM TO CHOOSE HER FAVORITE CHILD. I LOVED THE OPENINGS OF CLUBS OF COURSE, THE FIRST NIGHT WHERE EVERYONE, ALL THE BEST, MOST EXCITING AND CREATIVE PEOPLE IN NYC CONVERGE TO CHECK OUT THEIR (HOPEFULLY) NEW HAUNT.NOTHING COMPARES TO THAT. AND ANY NIGHT AT DISCO 2000, OR AN OUTLAW PARTY, WHICH WAS ALWAYS FRESH AND UNPREDICTABLE. THE MEMORIES I'D LIKE TO FORGET? I THINK I'VE FORGOTTEN THEM ALREADY. I CAN'T REMEMBER ANY

You were good friends with a lot of people and some of them made a nice career. Do you still keep in touch with many of your old friends or let me ask: Do they still keep in touch with you and stand by you?

I TRY AND STAY IN TOUCH WITH EVERYONE AND FOR THE MOST PART THEY RETURN MY ATTENTION.I CALL JAMES ST. JAMES A LOT AND WE SPEND HOURS ON THE TELEPHONE, HIM KEEPING ME UPDATED ON EVERYTHING GOING ON. IT'S HARD THOUGH BECAUSE OF COURSE NO ONE WRITES LETTERS ANYMORE. SO I WROTE MORE LETTERS THAN I RECEIVE. BUT EVEN THE FRIENDS WHO DON'T WRITE AS OFTEN AS I'D LIKE MAKE UP FOR IT BY EITHER SENDING, ONCE IN A WHILE, A LONG AND HEARTFELT LETTER SAYING THEY ARE STILL THERE AND WAITING FOR ME TO COME HOME OR ELSE VISITING IN PERSON .JENNY, CODIE, KAITILIN, STEVEN LEWIS, LARRY SEIDLER, FENTON, TINA PAUL, MAURICE BRAHMS, WALT ... IN FACT WALT WAS HERE JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO. A LOT OF GUYS IN HERE NEVER GET ANY VISITS AT ALL.

Do you plan a comeback after your release? ..and if so what do we have to expect from the Michael Alig of the 21st century?

I DON'T KNOW IF I'D CALL IT A 'COMEBACK'. I MEAN EXCEPT FOR THE FACT THAT, YES, I AM COMING BACK .. HOME.I'M OLDER NOW THOUGH, I HAVE OTHER INTERESTS. ART, MOVIES, REALITY TV, MUSIC. I WON'T BE PAINTING BLUE POLKA DOTS ON MY FACE IF THAT'S WHAT YOU MEAN.

What and who were your own most important influences?

AGAIN SO MANY. LEIGH BOWERY IS OBVIOUSLY A BIG ONE. I CAUGHT A LOT OF FLACK FOR SUPPOSEDLY 'COPYING' HIM OR WHATEVER. I NEVER COPIED ANYONE.I BORROWED BITS AND PIECES OF WHAT BOWERY DID, ADDED THEM TO OTHER ELEMENTS, CHANGED THEM A LITTLE TO SUIT MY NEEDS AND PERSONALITY AND CAME UP WITH MY OWN THING. RONALD MC DONALD WAS AN INFLUENCE, AS WERE JAMES ST. JAMES, ANDY WARHOL, STEVE RUBELL, RUDOLF AND BUGS BUNNY.

Lady Gaga is a phenomenon of the 21st century. Wild and colorful. Do you see her as the same kind of trendsetter that you and the other Club kids were way back then?

WELL OBVIOUSLY SHE'S REACHED A LEVEL OF FAME NONE OF THE CLUB KIDS EVER DID. I'D SAY SHE IS DOING WHAT WE DID, REACHING KIDS IN THE SAME WAY AS IN, LIKE, LETTING THEM KNOW IT'S OK TO BE THEIR WACKY, TRUE SELVES. BUT GAGA IS INCREDIBLY TALENTED AS A SINGER AND STYLE ICON. SHE IS WHAT WE ASPIRED TO BECOME AND IN SOME WAYS SHE IS SORT OF THE RESULT, AT LEAST IN PART, OF WHAT WE STARTED. LADY GAGA IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING OF A CLUB KID HERSELF,ALBEIT ONE WITH AN IMMENSE TALENT AND PINACHE.

I know you have a deep love for movies and the entire creative process involved with movies. Any plans regarding the world of movies and movie making after your release?

YES NOT ONLY AM I INTERESTED IN PRODUCING AND WRITING MY OWN FILMS. I HAVE A PILE OF IDEAS THAT I CAN'T WAIT TO SHARE WITH FENTON BAILEY AT WORLD OF WONDER. ALSO YOU AND I (REMARK:Michael and interviewer Manoush are friends) HAVE BEEN DISCUSSING GETTING ME ACTING GIGS IN YOURS AND OTHER MOVIES AND PRODUCING PROJECTS TOGETHER IN THE FUTURE. WHO KNOWS. I MAY BECOME THE NEXT MARLON BRANDO.

I know besides movies you love music too. Any plans on recording music other making movies other than the plans that you and I made a year ago?

I'M NOT SURE IF I EVEN CAN SING. AT ONE POINT ME, JENNY TALIA, DAVID ALFABET, TOBELL VON CARTIER AND RICHIE RICH DID PUT A GROUP TOGETHER. IT WAS CALLED DYNAMO AND I THINK IF WE'D BEEN MORE SERIOUS ABOUT IT, IT COULD HAVE GONE SOMEWHERE. LARRY TEE HAD JUST WRITTEN ''SUPERMODEL'' FOR RU PAUL AND HE'D WRITTEN A FEW SONGS FOR US AS WELL. UNFORTUNATELY WE WERE ALL TOO ..UMMM .. 'UNFOCUSED' YOU COULD SAY, TO TAKE THAT SERIOUSLY. AGAIN YOU AND I HAVE DISCUSSED GOING INTO THE STUDIO AND MAKING A FEW SONGS WHEN I COME HOME. SO WE WILL SEE WHAT HAPPENS.

(REMARK: after Michael's release him and Manoush plan to record song material either for solo tracks/duets or with Manoush's new music project 'Sugarland Excess' with her producer Jova Nne and for Europe producer Michael Donner)

You were often called "King of Club kids", " Founder of the Club kids" etc etc..Does all that still mean anything to you nowerdays or do you feel you have outgrown it all?

OF COURSE IT MEANS SOMETHING TO ME ON SOME LEVEL. IT'S SUCH A HUGE PART OF WHO I WAS AND WHO I 'VE BECOME. HOW COULD I NOT? ON THE OTHER HAND I HAVE SO MANY OTHER, NEWER IDEAS I'D LIKE TO TRY OUT SO HOPEFULLY I'LL BE ABLE TO ADD SOME OTHER TITLES TO MY NAME AS WELL. I SORTA LIKE 'DIRECTED BY MICHAEL ALIG', IT HAS A NICE RING TO IT.

You and James St.James had kind of a roller coaster friendship over the decades. Are you still best friends/best enemies and how has your relationship developed esp.since you left the free world?

JAMES AND I WILL ALWAYS BE FRIENDS, I THINK. I MEAN, AT THIS STAGE IN THE GAME IT'D BE KIND OF CRAZY TO JUST SUDDENLY SAY "OH WE'RE NOT FRIENDS ANYMORE''. BESIDES, OF ALL MY OLD FRIENDS I'D SAY JAMES IS THE ONE WORKING HARDEST AND TRYING TO KEEP ME SANE AND MOTIVATED WITH HIS LETTERS AND PHONE CALLS. I DEFINITELY COULDN'T HAVE MADE IT THIS FAR WITHOUT HIS HELP.

Is there anyone from your past that you really really miss??

I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY YES. LOTS OF PEOPLE. I MISS MY MOM AND BROTHER, AND FRIENDS LIKE JENNY, JAMES AND WALT. BUT THESE PEOPLE WRITE AND VISIT AND TALK TO ME ON THE PHONE SO IT'S NOT LIKE THEY ARE COMPLETELY 'GONE'.

Did you get to see the movie "Party Monster'' in the meantime? and if so what are your thoughts about it in general and how did you like Macaulay Culkin portraying you in the movie??

I HAVEN'T SEEN THE MOVIE YET BUT NATURALLY I WAS QUITE HAPPY WITH THE CHOICE OF ACTOR TO PORTRAY ME. DON'T YOU SEE THE RESEMBLANCE? THE BABY SOFT SKIN, BLUE EYES AND SILKY BLONDE HAIR? WE'RE THE SPITTING IMAGE OF ONE ANOTHER.

Of course once you will be back in the free world you will date and hopefully find the right partner for you.What does the partner of your dreams look like and what would he be like??

OH, I'M NOT SURE IF THE MAN OF MY DREAMS EVEN EXISTS. I LIKE BEEFY RUSSIAN GUYS OR SOUTHERN REDNECKS WITH CHAIN WALLETS AND RED FORD 150'S. TATTOOS ARE GREAT, AS ARE CHIPPED TEETH, OR RATHER, A CHIPPED TOOTH. ONLY ONE. ANY MORE IS TOO MUCH. A SOUTHERN ACCENT IS ATTRACTIVE. IT'S DIFFICULT TO FIND GUYS LIKE THIS WHO ARE ABLE TO ... UMMM ...'APPRECECIATE' .. I GUESS MY PARTICULAR KIND OF .. UMMM...PERSONALITY, YOU MIGHT SAY. I LIKE TRAILER PARK BOYS AND SUBURBAN WHITE TRASH, BUT ALSO WHOLESOME RED CHEEKED MIDWESTERN TYPES. A VERITABLE SMORGASBORD.

Michael, on Facebook (I explained that social media thing to you) I got one question from fans of yours and "Party Monster" quite a couple of times so let's put it into this interview too: Can people just go ahead and write you and do you appreciate their letters?

YES I DO. I LOVE TO COMMUNICATE WITH PEOPLE. IF SOMEONE WANTS TO WRITE ME PLEASE GIVE THEM MY MAILING ADDRESS AND I WILL TRY MY BEST TO RESPOND TO EVERY LETTER.

(REMARK BY MANOUSH: If you want to write Michael: Elmira Correctional Facility, Michael Alig # 97 A 6595, P.O Box 500, Elmira, NY 14902-0500. No one under 18 years of age allowed)

Anything else you would like to say to the readers of Punk Globe Magazine?

I THINK YOU ABOUT COVERED IT, MANOUSH. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME AND YOU CAN TELL ANYONE INTERESTED TO ALSO GO TO MY BLOG AT www.michaelaligblog.com AND LEAVE A MESSAGE.

OF COURSE I DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO A COMPUTER BUT IT'S BEING RUN BY MY FRIEND JOANNE AND SHE IS VERY GOOD AT PASSING ON MESSAGES. LOVE AND SEE YOU LATER!