A hearth-breathing performer who has had $20,000 of procedures to appear to be a dragon – together with carving scales into his arms and tattooing his eyeballs – is decided to grow to be essentially the most modified particular person on the earth.
Joshua Burns, 30, from Vancouver, Canada, who goes by his surname, started his journey aged 19 when he had his tongue cosmetically break up in two.
Since then, the efficiency artist and reptile vendor has had his earlobes cropped and ears formed to seem pointed, dyed his tongue purple and inserted silicone ‘horns’ into his brow.
Joshua Burns, 30, from Vancouver, Canada, has had $20,000 of procedures to appear to be a dragon. He’s pictured in full dragon make-up
Burns is pictured right here earlier than his transformation which has concerned a number of painful surgical procedures
Burns’ again tattoo, which took 51 hours is pictured left and proper. It was additionally his costliest inking
Burns after having his ears pointed which concerned stitching collectively the ends of his ears to type some extent
Burns exhibiting off his arm scars with tattoos. He says that that is essentially the most painful of the procedures he has had performed
He additionally has 1000’s of kilos value of tattoos – essentially the most intricate of which took 51 hours to finish – and desires to get his penis and gums inked, too.
His girlfriend, Tristan Threat, 40, is totally supportive of his plans to push his transformation even additional.
Burns mentioned: ‘I wish to be 100 per cent coated as a dragon, and beat all of the world information on the market for essentially the most modifications and tattoos. However I additionally wish to look aesthetically pleasing.
‘I am liking the place I am at presently however each time I get one other tattoo or one other modification, I really feel extra assured and happier – and it helps with my profession.’
In 2017, he even had scarification performed, which concerned utilizing a scalpel to chop out sections of the pores and skin and type a scale design (pictured)
Burns is pictured after having his arms scarred – which he mentioned was thrice extra painful that having a tattoo performed
Burns has additionally had his eyeballs inked (pictured), which price him $1000 CAD (£580), however he mentioned it wasn’t painful
‘Obsessed’ with reptiles since he was a baby, Burns started working at carnivals as a teen, finally transferring on to grow to be a juggler and road performer.
By his late teenagers, sporting a Mohawk haircut and several other piercings, he already had an alternate look – which his mother and father hoped could be a section.
However quickly after he left house aged 18, he obtained his first tattoo – a dragon coronary heart design on his chest.
Then, when he made a buddy within the juggling neighborhood who had their tongue break up, he was fascinated.
He mentioned: ‘I noticed it and instantly thought, ‘I need that’ as a result of reptiles have break up tongues too. I did not see any draw back to having it.
‘I already had all these piercings, so it wasn’t that far-fetched for me.’
Burns is pictured as his onstage persona Burns the Dragon exhibiting off his break up tongue
Burns (pictured exhibiting off his break up tongue) is decided to grow to be essentially the most modified particular person on the earth
So, in 2009, aged 19, Burns was launched to a physique modification artist – who has performed the vast majority of his procedures – paying $500 CAD (£283) to have his tongue break up.
‘I completely cherished it when it was completed,’ he mentioned. ‘I felt like I used to be changing into the particular person I used to be meant to be.’
Quickly after, Burns and his fellow forked-tongue buddy travelled across the USA in a camper van and landed a gig at a ‘freakshow-themed drag present’ – which impressed him to study extra jaw-dropping tips.
So, in 2009, aged 19, Burns was launched to a physique modification artist and began having extra work performed. Pictured earlier than his transformation
Now, his performances contain him respiratory fireplace, strolling on glass, placing nails up his nostril and suspending himself from steel hooks that pierce by his pores and skin.
And as his act has grow to be extra excessive, so has his look.
Between the ages of 21 and 26, Burns obtained at the very least one physique modification process and enormous tattoo a 12 months, together with having his eyeballs inked, which price him $1,000 CAD (£580).
In 2017, he even had scarification performed, which concerned utilizing a scalpel to chop out sections of the pores and skin and type a scale design.
Burns and Tristan are pictured right here in considered one of their extra outlandish seems collectively
Burns with considered one of his snakes. He has 4 in complete that reside with him on the house he shares together with his girlfriend
Burns the Dragon is pictured respiratory fireplace onstage throughout considered one of his loopy performances
‘I did not have any anaesthetic – it was about thrice as painful as a tattoo. I livestreamed it so I needed to maintain it collectively,’ he joked.
‘I’ve additionally had my eyeballs tattooed. They injected the purple dye in a little bit spot, after which it unfold round my eyeballs.
‘I wanted ten pictures in complete to get it proper. I’ve a distinct relationship to ache than most individuals due to my work, so it wasn’t too unhealthy for me.
‘It’s laborious to clarify, but it surely felt like an eyelash caught in my eye.
Burns exhibiting off his arm scars which he had performed to mimic the look of a snake’s scales
Burns is pictured throughout his pores and skin hook act which includes being lifted off the bottom by a rope hooked up to his again pores and skin
‘I used to be most nervous about getting this performed, as a result of if something did go improper, I used to be risking my eyesight.
‘Thus far, it has been completely superb although – I would like studying glasses now however I do not assume that has something to do with the tattoos.’
Nonetheless, not all procedures have gone to plan.
He continued: ‘Once I had my ear cropped, I wished a jagged impact, like a dragon.
‘However when it healed, the factors rounded out, which wasn’t fairly what I used to be going for. I’d get them tattooed to look extra pointed in some unspecified time in the future. It is laborious to understand how the human physique goes to react.’
On one other event, Burns misplaced considered one of his silicone horns when his damaged glass act went awry in 2015.
‘On the finish of my act, I would put my face within the glass and ask a gentleman weighing round 200 kilos (14st) to face on my head,’ he defined.
His girlfriend, Tristan Threat, 40, is totally supportive of his plans to push his transformation even additional (pictured collectively)
‘It was a brand new glass package and my face slipped barely, reducing open my horn, which then popped out.
‘I needed to get it stitched up and could not get it put again in for 18 months, which was actually upsetting. I used to be a unicorn quite than a dragon.’
Unsurprisingly, Burns’ look gathers consideration when he’s out and about.
Used to strangers pointing and staring, he mentioned: ‘I do not take it personally – I made the selection to look this manner, so it is solely pure folks could be curious.
‘If folks make nasty feedback, I do not actually care concerning the views of anybody who would not respect me. What’s vital to me is that I am completely happy.’
In 2020, he arrange a YouTube channel, Burns the Dragon TV, the place he talks about his procedures and interviews different physique modification fans.
Burns’ ear cropping, earlier than and after, which includes eradicating sections of the earlobe to create a jagged form
In August final 12 months, he even obtained a chip implanted in his hand costing $300 CAD (£170) which, if scanned by somebody’s telephone, takes them to his web page.
‘It may well retailer 500MB of information on there, Bitcoin forex, and you’ll even use them to unlock doorways,’ he defined.
‘It really works utilizing the identical expertise because the chips in contactless playing cards. It is the longer term.’
Subsequent, Burns want to proceed including to his huge tattoo assortment, which presently consists of wings on his again and scales on his forearms.
Pandemic restrictions allowing, he hopes to journey to Ottawa-Gatineau Capital Metropolis Ink Fest – a tattoo conference within the Canadian capital – for a 70-hour session.
Sooner or later, he even needs to tattoo his genitals and get silicone ‘scale’ implants in his arms, which he thinks will enable him to cost extra for his performances.
He concluded: ‘I do not assume I will ever cease getting physique modifications – new ones come out on a regular basis, so I do not wish to restrict myself. However I need them to look good too.
Burns is pictured right here doing his staple trick the place he pushes staples into his personal head
Burns is pictured doing a nostril trick the place he pushes a rod by put up of his nostrils
Considered one of Burns’ greatest supporters is his girlfriend Tristan – identified by her stage identify Little Miss Threat (pictured collectively)
‘Individuals within the physique modification neighborhood are superior. Some assume we’d steal from them due to how we glance – however truly we’re in all probability the probably to assist an outdated woman cross the street.
‘We aren’t unhealthy folks. In actual fact, we’re a few of the most real folks you may meet, as a result of we aren’t afraid to specific our true selves.’
And considered one of Burns’ greatest supporters is his girlfriend Tristan – identified by her stage identify Little Miss Threat – who he met backstage at a efficiency six years in the past, and now shares a house, 4 six-foot snakes and a lizard with.
Although at one time, she had ‘one of many smallest waists in Canada’ – 16.5ins -due to corsetry coaching, the one physique modification process she has had is a chip in her hand too.
Burns and Tristan backstage. They met at a present and now reside along with their pet snakes
Burns is pictured left and proper earlier than having any procedures performed to make him appear to be a dragon
Nonetheless, she is 100 per cent behind her boyfriend’s plans.
She mentioned: ‘I’ve at all times had a factor for dragons, so I adore it.
‘Burns’ modifications have form of grow to be invisible to me as a result of I am so used to them.
‘It at all times strikes me as uncommon when folks stare if the 2 of us exit someplace, after which I’ve to remind myself. Persons are simply curious, I get that.
‘Everybody ought to have the precise to specific themselves and make themselves look on the surface the best way they really feel on the within.
‘So long as they are not hurting anybody else, they need to do what makes them completely happy.’
