All Images Courtesy of Jenn Waitt

Aside from The Beatles, no band has influenced my life and lifestyle quite like Queen. I was 15 when A Night at the Opera was released, and its iconic track “Bohemian Rhapsody” dominated the airwaves. That was the beginning of a teenage obsession. Queen became more than just a favorite band for me; they were more like a religion, or a way of life. I joined their official fan club in London and quickly connected with Queen pen pals worldwide, one of whom remains one of my closest friends to this day. Freddie Mercury, Brian May, John Deacon, and Roger Taylor were deeply important to my teenage years, and I still look back on those memories with immense fondness.

A couple years back, I discovered artist Jenn Waitt on Instagram, who creates fantastic drawing of Queen, showcasing her love and devotion to their music. When Jenn posted an image of Brian May paper dolls — complete with outfits from his late ’70s and early ’80s wardrobe — I couldn’t resist reaching out. She’s been selling and trading these paper doll sets for years, and when I asked if I could feature them here, she eagerly shared photos and agreed to this interview. Enjoy!

“As far as my background with Queen, I was aware of them in the early 1980s, hearing “Another One Bites The Dust” on the radio and, later, seeing the music video for “Radio Ga Ga” on MTV. It wasn’t until February 1992, when the film Wayne’s World was released, that I realized all of these songs I’d been hearing were by the same band.  Of course, I then wanted to learn all I could about them and immediately joined Queen’s Official Fan Club.

A month later, I started drawing the band members, as I have been doing artwork since I was a child. Later, in early 1993, I was swept up in Brian May’s solo album Back to the Light, which had a tremendous effect on me.

Brian toured the States in March of 1993, and that’s when we first met and began a marvelous three-decade long adventure together. He became an enthusiastic fan of my artwork, and prominently featured my Brian and Queen related works on his official website. There are many stories I could tell, but overall he is a most generous and kind man.

The Queen Paper Dolls were created during the time period that I was first exploring Queen’s music and history. In 1993, I drew the Freddie and Roger Paper Dolls. The following year, I drew John and Brian to complete band. These dolls and their accompanying outfits were an immediate hit with fan at various Queen Conventions I attended, where I’d sell or trade my artwork.