Q: I can't find any of your albums. Are they still available?
A: The original issues of Killer Dwarfs albums are all out of print. The self-titled debut album from 1983 was re-released several ago by Attic Records, and more recently on Unidisc, and can be found at many online retailers and import shops. 1988's "Big Deal" and 1990's "Dirty Weapons" were repackaged and re-released by Sony's Collectables Records division in late 2000. "Big Deal" also contained the first half of the tracks from 1992's "Method To The Madness"; "Dirty Weapons" contained the second half. Note that the Collectables reissue packages do not contain the original liner notes and lyrics, but do include a slightly misinformed biography. Band-authorized reissues of the Epic/Sony era CDs may occur in the future.

The 1986 album "Stand Tall" has finally been re-released in February 2003 on the Bullseye Canada label, remastered and repackaged with the original inserts from the Maze issue plus new liner notes from the band. It was originally released by Maze Records in Canada and by Grudge Records in the USA on vinyl and cassette, and in very limited numbers on CD. The Maze issue included hand-written lyrics and liner notes plus a photo collage, whereas the Grudge release had only a blank insert. Because of the limited quantity originally issued on CD, "Stand Tall" was one of the rarest hard rock discs of all time.

Be advised that an endless barrage of counterfeit copies continue to appear on online auctions such as eBay and Yahoo. These bootlegged versions will appear to be mint to the unsuspecting collector, but will sometimes command a price of over $100 US. Don't be fooled! Bid with extreme caution when sellers describe their wares as "mint condition" or as still-sealed.

Q: Why did the band give themselves the name "Killer Dwarfs"?
A: Originally, Russty fronted a band called "Oz" playing the Canadian hard rock circuit in the late 70s and early 80s, and Darrell handled drums and percussion in a band called "Sphinx". Russty and Darrell both met in Quebec City while playing in these different acts, and subsequently began jamming together. In late 1981, their management began to promote them as "The Killer Dwarfs" as a gimmick, based on the fact that none of the band members were really that tall to begin with, and singer Russty, at 5'4", isn't very tall at all. Russty took no offense and the name stuck. It has since been immortalized in the widely-published Weird Band Name Hall of Fame.

Q: Are all the band members' last names really "Dwarf"?
A: Yes.

Q: Really?
A: No. Their names are as follows: Russell Graham, Darrell Millar, Ronald Mayer, Mike Hall, Gerry Finn, Angelo Fodero, Bryce Trewin.

Q: Isn't "Dwarves" the correct plural form of Dwarf?
A: Actually, no. To quote from the intro to J.R.R. Tolkein's The Hobbit:

"In English the only correct plural of dwarf is dwarfs, and the adjective is dwarfish. In this story dwarves and dwarvish are used*, but only when speaking of the ancient people to whom Thorin Oakenshield and his companions belonged."
* The reason for this use is given in The Lord of the Rings, III (Second Edition), p.415.

[The Hobbit (Fourth Edition), p.7. (George Allen & Unwin Ltd., 1978). © 1937 by Estate of J.R.R. Tolkein.]

So there!

Q: What's that building on the cover of the "Stand Tall" album and in the video?
A: It's the tower at Royal Bank Plaza in Toronto. It is known in architectural circles as Toronto's only gold-plated skyscraper. It glistens with gold due to the fact that each window contains slightly less than an ounce of gold each, currently worth around $75 CAN, for a grand total of over $1,000,000. The south tower is the one featured in the "Stand Tall" video and on the album cover, and stands tall itself at 41 stories. If you're in Toronto you can visit the tower - it's located at 200 Bay St. (corner of Bay St. and Front St.) For more information about the tower, check out Royal Bank Plaza - Toronto from toronto.com.

Q: What ever became of the crate?
A: The crate, made famous in the videos for "Keep the Spirit Alive" & "We Stand Alone", was retired prior to the Weapons tour in 1990. It was given to MuchMusic (Canadian version of MTV) to thank them for all of their support. There are some stills of the crate in our video section.

Q: How about that tricycle?
A: Also a stage prop, and having made an appearance in the videos "Keep The Spirit Alive" and "We Stand Alone", the trike can now be found in the Hard Rock Cafe Toronto SkyDome (1 Blue Jays Way, Suite 3500) for all to see. The Dwarfs also "borrowed" the tricycle from the Hard Rock for their 2001 "Reunion of Scribes" show in Toronto. It's rumored that video footage of Russ and Darrell stealing the trike exists somewhere on our Web site.

Q: Who is Dunk?
A: He he. This story is a bit too off-colour in its unabridged version to print here. What we can reveal is this: In the early days, the band was staying at a typical low-budget establishment. Thanks to the paper-thin walls, the band took to eavesdropping on the constantly-arguing neighbours, who were subject to becoming nearly violent in their constant barrage of verbal assaults upon one another. In one particular incident, amongst the various abuses of the English language, the male tenant accused his female counterpart of performing a sordid act upon someone named "Dunk". (Something like: "You ****in' *****! You ****ed Dunk's ****!!!") The band found this rather funny, and in congratulatory stance, coined the phrase "Go Dunk!"

Q: What the hell is a scribe?
A: "Scribe" is defined as "someone who writes". In the liner notes of the albums, the band refers to fans who wrote the band as "scribes".

Q: What is that monologue at the beginning of "Method to the Madness"? Is that from a movie or something?
A: Why, that's Tommy the Miner! In itself, it is the cornerstone of classic Dwarfs lore. So much so, that The Legend of Tommy the Miner is deserving of its own web page (coming soon, of course!) A small excerpt from the Tommy the Miner tape appears as the intro to Hard Luck Town, the opening track from 1992's "Method to the Madness."

Q: Why did Ange & Bryce leave the band after the first album?
A: They didn't think the band was going anywhere.

Q: When & why did the Dwarfs originally break up?
A: Changes in the music industry led the Dwarfs to be dropped from the Epic / Sony label following 1992's Method to the Madness album. Soon after that, Russty needed to take time to attend to a family crisis. That, along with the fact that the band had been chugging it out since the early 80's, led them to call it quits after a whirlwind career. The last Killer Dwarfs show, with the lineup of Russ, Darrell, and Bad Ronbo Dwarf, as well as guitarist Steve Skull, was April 1, 1995 in Toronto.

Q: What did the band members do in their off-years?
A: Russ Dwarf formed a new band with bassist Dave Reaume, Goddo guitarist Gino Scarpelli, and drummer Steven Lederman, called Penny Black, which released a self-titled album in January 2001. Darrell Dwarf continued for some years as a drum clinician for Ludwig Drums and recorded and toured with the southern-rock combo Laidlaw. Bad Ronald Dwarf emigrated to the United States to work on his firearms collection. Mike Dwarf (guitars, 1984-1990, 2001-) and Gerry Dwarf (guitars, 1991-1994) both resurfaced as dueling guitarists for Canadian hard rock veterans Helix in the late 90s.

Q: When, where, and why did Killer Dwarfs decide to reunite?
A: Amazing things do happen once in awhile. The Dwarfs all had more or less managed to stay in touch with each other throughout the late 90s. The launch of KiLLeRDWaRfS.CoM in 1999 made this even easier. In July 2001, everyone's schedule opened up to allow for some rehearsal jam sessions, and the "classic" Killer Dwarfs lineup of Russ, Darrell, Bad Ronbo, and Mike Dwarf was reborn. After some surprise warm-up gigs, the Dwarfs officially reunited on stage on August 29, 2001, at The Docks on Toronto's waterfront. The result of this concert is the new CD and DVD, "Reunion of Scribes - Live." Since then, the band has been touring across Canada, and will continue to tour anywhere in the world where Killer Dwarfs fans still exist.

Q: Will Killer Dwarfs ever tour outside of Canada?
A: The band is hoping to embark on a club tour in the United States, and negotiations are underway for possible shows in Europe, Japan, and South America. Unfortunately, in the post-9/11 world, this isn't as easy as it used to be. INS and customs restrictions make touring in the USA an expensive endeavor, and without the guarantee of a large string of dates or a well-promoted package tour, it's not economically feasible. But not to worry, it will happen sooner or later. We love touring in the USA!

Q: Will there ever be another Killer Dwarfs studio album?
A: Currently, the band is promoting the first-ever official Killer Dwarfs live album and DVD, Reunion of Scribes - Live, as well as the Stand Tall reissue. However, Russ and Mike Dwarf have been penning what are, in essence, the very early stages of new Dwarfs tunes. Stay tuned, Dunk!

Q: What about the other players? What are they up to now?
A: Gerry Dwarf (Finn) has recently been performing with Canadian solo artist David Usher and can sometimes be found incognito in disco tribute Superfreak. Jason Dwarf (guitars, 1994) now calls himself Jason Hook and performs dually with L.A.-based BulletBoys and with teen pop heiress Mandy Moore. Steve Skull (guitars, 1995) still performs in several Toronto-based bands and operates his own web design firm (he's the cat responsible for developing Darrell Dwarf's official site). Ange Dwarf has been operating a business in Toronto for many years. Occasional reports of Bryce Dwarf sightings in the suburbs of Toronto continue to trickle through, though some are about as believable as Russ appearing on a commercial for Post Alpha-bits cereal.