Best Drag King

1. Heavy Cream, Melanie Funke Instagram.com/heavy_creammm.

2. Smash The King Instagram.com/smash_the.king.

3. Edd Zackly, Abigail Instagram.com/eddzackly.

For Heavy Cream, aka Melanie Funke, drag was a world they were enamored by but unsure where they could fit it. “I started seeing a local drag king, Jackley. He was one of the main kings on the scene and just seeing him not only be an amazing performer but also be so funny and goofy, I was like, ‘Yes that’s what I want to do.’”

After that Funke decided to attend drag queen Lyta Blunt’s drag workshop, where Funke could hone in on performance technique and perform a song at the end of the workshop. “After I performed everyone was coming up to me and asking me if I had ever done that before, and I was like no… and they were like, you need to do drag,” Funke says. “To have such a positive response was so important and impactful to come into my light.”

Funke is now a regular performer at Spectrum and an avid member of the drag community. “As of right now, the sky’s the limit for me,” Funke says. “I want to continue growing on this path. I want to travel and do drag across the states.”

A Note From the Publisher

Dear Readers,

The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.

That’s because of you!

Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.

Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.

We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.

And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.

None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.

As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.

Thank you for standing with us!