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Maki Roll, the Doll-Faced Gremlin, is the cosplay queen of the nerdlesque scene. Based in Washington, DC, she is the current Executive Producer of the historic International Nerdlesque Festival, and has been featured by NPR, MTV, ESPN’s The Undefeated, Crunchyroll, and The Mary Sue. Take it away, Maki!
What is your burlesque name? Maki Roll
What inspired your burlesque name? True story: my ex couldn’t pronounce my first name. The best he could manage was the first two syllables, “you know, like sushi!” I dumped him, but the name stuck.
What first got you interested in burlesque? I was Miss Undead May 2012! To take a few steps back: I’ve always been a huge nerd, which is how I got into anime, which is how I got into cosplay. Cosplay got me into modeling, and one day I saw the casting notice for a zombie pin-up calendar. My interest was piqued! I got the gig, and one of the promotional events for the calendar was a burlesque show. At that point I knew absolutely nothing about burlesque, but I cobbled together a zombie cheerleader act, and… the rest is history!
What style(s) of burlesque do you perform and why? Nerdlesque. That’s my signature and my first love. I have other acts in my repertoire, from classic burlesque to sideshow, but my biggest contribution to the artform has been helping to build the nerdlesque scene. Remember, I got my start in cosplay! And when I discovered burlesque I realized that there was an amazing intersection of skills, interests, and communities that really spoke to me. It’s not just the costumes, it’s the stories you can tell, all the different ways you can connect with audiences.
Where are you from and where do you live now? [Washington] DC born and bred! It’s crazy to me that I get to produce shows and perform at venues like Black Cat where I used to go to concerts as a wayward youth. Burlesque has taken me around the world, but DC is a fantastic home base for me because in addition to the burlesque scene there are a ton of comics / anime / cosplay conventions in the DC area. Otakon, Katsucon, Anime USA, lots of others. It’s perfect for a nerdlesque ambassador, because burlesque fans are nerds and con attendees love burlesque!
Who are your inspirations and influences? There are so many women who have shaped my look and my style. Eartha Kitt, Grace Jones, Skin (from Skunk Anansie). But! It’s easy for me to pick my number one, and that’s Monique Dupree. If you’re not familiar with her, this is my gift to you: look her up, check out her work. She’s an actress, a model, a singer, a wrestler … she’s a legend, she’s an icon. And she was doing amazing stuff at a key moment in my personal and artistic development.
I’m gonna date myself a little bit: remember MySpace? That’s where I discovered Monique Dupree. At that point she was doing the Troma movies, and there was. This. Photo. She’s nude, she’s covering her breasts, she is DRENCHED in blood. It was out of this world to me.
As for my burlesque-specific influences: Sweetpea, Jeez Loueez, Pillow, and Fem Appeal are big inspirations.
Describe your look: Punk rock intergalactic space cowgirl.
What’s the worst and/or funniest thing that’s happened to you when performing? Every burlesquer dreads the pastie-pop. These things happen, it’s not the end of the world, but I had a performance recently that… well, okay, here’s the story:
I have a Waluigi act. It involves four key costume components: a big pointy moustache, two power star pasties, and a merkin full of roses – all held on by a combination of spirit gum, double-sided tape, spray adhesive, and the power of prayer. It’s a great act, and I’ve done it several times with no problems, but on this occasion I guess the stage lights were a little hotter than usual? I could tell things were melting, and halfway through my performance I felt EVERYTHING let go.
So: there I am, about to go from four articles of clothing to zero, and I only have two hands available for a rescue operation. Needless to say, my moustache fell to its doom. Burlesque is the art of the tease, so I’ll leave the other sacrifice to your imagination.
Who do you like working with most and why? Nerds! I love people who don’t take themselves or the industry too seriously. I love performers who can be little cringe with their glamour.
Where can people usually see you perform? I produce a bi-monthly show called The Nerdvana Experience at Pubkey DC. I also perform at Monarque in Baltimore at least twice a month, and you can catch me go-go dancing at Wok & Roll in DC.
What other things do you do in the burlesque industry besides performing? I love watching other performers as much as I love being on stage myself – I’m a burlesque fan! So once I got into the industry it didn’t take long before I became a producer. Besides my recurring shows I’m proud to be the executive producer and CEO of the historic International Nerdlesque Festival, the longest-running nerdlesque showcase in the world!
Any upcoming burlesque tour plans? Mark your calendars for the International Nerdlesque Festival! September 11 & 12 in Washington DC, and we’ll be doing events at Miryokucon in Baltimore and Twin Cities Con in Minneapolis. I will also be with D20 Burlesque at Gen Con in Indianapolis for the 8th straight year, performing in their burlesque show as well as doing workshops and live play events.
What are you available for and how should people contact you? Everything is better with burlesque! Birthdays, funerals, divorce parties, wrestling events, I do it all. I can officiate your wedding or jump out of the cake – or both! My dance card fills up quick, so it’s always good to plan ahead: email me at makirollofficial@gmail.com
Is burlesque your full-time gig, or do you have a day job? Day? I am the NIGHT, and I’ve got the batarang pasties to prove it.
I don’t have a day job, I have a night life – burlesque, cons, theater work – it serves the thrills and pays the bills, and I couldn’t be happier or more grateful for the amazing community that makes it all possible!
What do you love about burlesque? The people! Getting to connect with so many different and incredible kinds of people. That’s what’s so amazing about nerdlesque, I get to nerd out with colleagues and fans of not only us as performers, but the fandoms we represent. There are so many different kinds of performances you can give and stories you can tell, and people get drawn in by the beauty of it all, the comedy, the grotesquerie, the campiness. Leading people out of their comfort zones, maybe introducing them to something new, showing them something they’ve never seen before.
What do you hate about burlesque? Okay, I said that what I love about burlesque is “the people” – I don’t love it when the people get caught up in discourse and backbiting. I love opinions, I have opinions, everybody is entitled to their opinions … but there are so many unnecessary opinions, especially online, and it can turn into infighting that just doesn’t help anybody.
Maybe it’s because so much of my work is on the production side? There’s always too much to do and never enough time to do it. We only have so many hours in a day, in a week, in a year, in our lives. When I see how much time gets spent arguing back and forth – not looking for solutions, but just arguing – that’s time that could be spent on advancing our art, getting it out there. Some conversations aren’t worth having, especially on the internet.
Do you compete and have you won any titles? I don’t enter performance competitions, but I did win the “Cosplay Club President” award for costuming at the Silver Tusk Burlesque Awards last year. I headlined the North Star Nerdlesque Festival in 2024, and was a featured performer at the Wickedest City Burlesque Festival in 2026 – and when I was invited to Anime Kon Expo in Barbados I got the chance to make friends with the great Phil LaMarr and Kelly Hu. They even came to an afterparty event to see me perform! To me, THAT is what feels like winning.
Which social media accounts can people follow to keep up with you?
Substack: https://makiwrites.substack.com/
Follow the festival at:
Website: www.thenerdlesquefest.com
More media
Maki Roll Talks Nerdlesque, Anime and Moving to Your Own Beat (June 24, 2023)
Soaring & Exploring: Self-Suspension for Experienced Tiers & Fliers ( November 16, 2024 – contributing author)
