More Than a Pretty Face: 'Lizardman' Erik Sprague

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WHOEVER THOUGHT UP the old saying about not judging a book by its cover may have been thinking about Erik Sprague, the performer best known as the Lizardman.

On the outside, the 35-year-old sideshow artist is beyond strange, with his tattooed face, split tongue and specially filed pointy teeth.

But scratch his surface (metaphorically speaking, of course), and you'll find a relatively mild-mannered, intellectually inclined college graduate who uses his head for more than just a mere prop on which to smash concrete blocks.

"There are things that I like to talk about, like the psychology of entertainment and things like that," said Sprague by phone from his Austin, Texas, home. "But it's more suited to the five people who actually give a damn about it and are sitting in some classroom. Everybody always wants to know about my family — what's their reaction, that sort of thing. They're very cool. Very supportive."

Yeah, but when Sprague visits D.C. on Friday for an appearance at the Palace of Wonders, what will he do to get crowds to wince the night away?

"I'm still gonna do the sideshow stunts that I'm probably best known for," he says. "Swallowing swords, doing lifting with my piercings — like my earlobes — and picking up a beer keg and swinging it around with my ears."

Sprague says his oddball look has caused far fewer double takes since he started regularly appearing on cable television shows. People are now more likely to shake his hand, not shake in fear.

"When you recognize a person's face, you feel like you have a bond with that person, even if you don't really know them, and that fosters a sense of politeness," he notes. "And in my case, it's almost impossible to forget my face."

» The Palace of Wonders, 1210 H St. NE; Fri., 10 p.m., 21 and over, $5 in advance, $10 at the door; 202-398-7469.

Written by Express contributor Tony Sclafani
Photo courtesy Erik Sprague