The New York Times reporter Isaac Oliver released an article this morning on The Golden Age of Drag!  Finally, Drag as an art form is open to public conversation and World of Wonder is beyond proud to play a role in the helping launch many queens careers.

“Drag has finally arrived at the place it deserves in pop culture, in a way that cannot be ignored,” Randy Barbato

The article focuses on how RuPaul’s Drag Race has helped launched not only the careers of your favorite queens but also many other industries as well.

Lucrative sub-industries have emerged: wig and cosmetics lines, rhinestone peddlers and hip pad pushers, and YouTubers showing you how to don it all; online shops like DragQueenMerch.com selling T-shirts and enamel pins; and managers, publicists and assistants helping these brand-new celebrities meet the demands of their success.

For many queens, it’s only a matter of time…

“I will say, this has never been seen before,” the New Orleans-based Varla Jean Merman said by phone. “Drag is a viable career.”

Randy Barbato and Fenton Bailey  chimed in with support of how much grit goes into making a viable career in Drag:

“Drag queens have the hardest job in show business,” Mr. Barbato said, and Fenton Bailey, the other founder of World of Wonder, chimed in: “They are mega-artists.”

Beyond an insider’s account of what it takes to make it as a Drag Queen, photos by Jessica Lehrman give New York Times readers an insider’s look behind the curtain on tour.

Content via the New York Times and photos by Jessica Lehrman.