By Cause Celeb Wed Jan 30, 2013 12:24 PM EST

Bumblefoot also known as Ron Thal is an American singer/songwriter and current lead guitarist of the legendary rock band, Guns N’ Roses.  In the past 20 years Bumblefoot has released 9 studio albums, a live DVD and has worked with numerous artists as a producer and guest artist on multiple CDs.  He’s toured internationally; headlining tours and festivals to sold-out crowds of over 150,000.  Bumblefoot has written TV jingles including the theme song for the VH1 show That Metal Show and the music for the New York Islanders 2008/2009 season, theme songs and background music notably on shows including Smallville, WWE RAW, Hogan Knows Best, Real World and many more.

Brimstone also known as William Kucmierowski has had a successful and rewarding career participating in and administering numerous entertainment careers spanning well over three decades – boasting a list of titles including professional wrestler, actor, author, food critic and comic book/animated/children’s book hero.  He is currently an entertainment entrepreneur who although has retired from pro-wrestling; continued to keep and brand the stage name Brimstone. As the co-founder, President and CEO of Hound Comics, Inc. (Hound Entertainment Group), Brimstone and his team of creators launched a comic book series based on his wrestling persona called Brimstone and the Borderhounds to which is the flagship brand of the company. 

Philanthropy:  A portion of the proceeds from Hound Comics’ newest issue of Brimstone and the Borderhounds Issue #8 entitled Zero Tolerence will go to the Project Meridian Foundation.  Bumblefoot and Brimstone just released an award winning line of hot sauces, sauces and seasonings together with CaJohn’s Fiery Foods with a portion of the BumbleBabe Hot Sauce proceeds going towards Breast Cancer Research. 

Project Meridian Foundation was founded in 2003 in Washington D.C. Project Meridian Foundation also known as PMF is run by a group of professionals with a wide variety of experiences and backgrounds in international and domestic law, security, psychology, finance, and technology. The team also consists of many retired law enforcement, veterans and terrorism experts. PMF works to stop human trafficking and has made many strides in this area through awareness and training. They are currently working on the launch of SAFE HOUSE which is an initiative to help victims of human trafficking who need medical help, counseling and any other services to help them resume a normal life. 

Interviewed By: Giacinta Pace

Introduction By: Meg Zrini

Q: What is the charity that you support?

Brimstone: Wow. I mean, there’s so many…

Bumblefoot: The two of us are very philanthropic. The one big thing we are currently doing is donating a portion of the proceeds from my Bumblebabe Hot Sauce to Breast Cancer Research. The Bumblebabe Hot Sauce is a delicious sauce with chocolate and cherry and has woman’s enjoyment in mind!  Something inspired by my wife and every other wonderful woman in my life.

Brimstone: Along with the Bumblebabe stuff; Hound is dedicating the next issue of the Brimstone and the Borderhound series, Issue 8 to supporting our initiative against the trafficking of children and woman.  I’m the celebrity spokesperson for The Project Meridian Foundation, and we’re relentlessly trying to get the word out there.  It is important to let people know what’s happening by raising awareness and essentially assist in acquiring funding for PMI.

Q: Why did you choose these specific issues and how much of the proceeds will go to the charities?

Bumblefoot: As far as the issues; usually what happens is something unexpected… you meet somebody, you talk to someone or something happens to a person you know that just raises your awareness to that thing in particular. For example, in 1997, a close friend of mine was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis; so he started a nonprofit organization to which all his friends and family volunteered.  We did concerts, dinners, comedy shows and all kinds of things to raise money that went directly to the labs.  Nobody ever took a dime; it was all donated with him in mind.  It’s not like you go through a book and ask “what matters to me?” Something happens that you didn’t expect and it makes you aware of it.

Q: Why the trafficking and woman’s issues?

Brimstone: As far as the trafficking is concerned, it kind of fell on me. A couple of good friends of mine were involved in this foundation and they told me that this is something that’s been taking place in our own backyard – I had to find out more information.  The more I dug the crazier it got.  Apparently, there have been countless instances here in NYC for many years!  A matter of fact, there has been a couple of major busts that have taken place recently.  The victims were young woman who were being trafficked as sex slaves… It’s a really crazy.  Not only woman; but young children are being taken as well!  It’s just one of those things; I’m all about fighting for the ones who can’t.  It was a cause that I just had to get behind.  Since signing on with PMI, I’ve really been working hard to get the word out there.  We’ve been heavily promoting and trying to ensure people are aware of what is taking place… these girls are daughters, sisters, mothers… I signed on with them and it’s been a fight ever since!  PMI is incredible - my daughter is 15 and one of her close friends actually went missing about 6 months ago; so the first person that I contacted was Nathan Wilson who is the head of the Project Meridian Foundation.  None of the local police could find her, they couldn’t do anything.  Within 24 hours of me letting Nathan know what was going on; she was safe at home.  That’s what these people do and that’s why I need to be out there, promoting and pushing to let people know that there’s a serious need for Project Meridian.  A portion of the proceeds from our upcoming issue of the Borderhounds will proudly go towards helping to fund PMI.

Q: Anything else you would like to add?

Bumblefoot: There’s so much. I mean, where do I begin?

Brimstone: We need Bumblefoot and Brimstone for Celebrity Apprentice, that’s what we need to do! Trump should do team Celebrity Apprentice and watch Bumble and Brim kick the snot out of everybody else on the show... Trump fears us.

Bumblefoot: I fear him! I’m not going near that show.

Brimstone: I’ve got your back; nobody’s going to yell at you with me around.

Bumblefoot: Alright.

Bumblefoot and Brimstone's new line of seasonings and sauces won seven major awards at this year’s recent ZestFest taking home a total of five Golden Chile Awards including 1st Place for Luscious Lip Smack'in Raspberry Vodka Barbecue Sauce, Bumblefoot: Bumblicious, Brimstone: Sweet Heat Treat, Bumblefoot: Normal, and Bumblefoot: Abnormal. You can get your bottles right here.