Dame Darcy’s Death By Doll_Gasoline

Dame Darcy won a scholarship to the San Francisco Art Institute in 1989. She majored in film and studied animation under Larry Jordan. That same year Dame Darcy self-published the first issue of her comic book “Meat Cake” as well as doing freelance illustration and cartoon work for Bay Area magazines, newspapers and underground zines. At this time she also began her career as an actress with parts in local independent films by directors such as George Kuchar and others. She began her music career at the age of nine and has since been involved in various bands, solo projects, and cabaret. Dame Darcy plays Banjo, singing saw, electric bass, and sings. Her albums, CD’s etc. have been released in the U.S. England, Japan, and elsewhere.

In 1991, “Meat Cake” was signed to Fantagraphics Books, the largest independent comic book publisher in the United States. In 1992 Dame Darcy moved to the East Coast. In June 1999 Darcy toured in the US opening for Michael Gira’s current band Angels of Light ( formerly The Swans ). Later that summer she then went on her European tour to exhibit art and perform. May 2000, Darcy toured with “Meat Cake The Play,” which was staged in seven different locations in the East Coast.

In August 2000, the “Dame Darcy and EZ Bake Coven Cabaret” was hosted by Ladyfest in Olympia, Washington. In October 2000, she was invited to judge the animation segment of the New York Film Expo.

In December 2001, a Japanese gallery and record label hosted Darcy to fly to Tokyo and Kyoto to exhibit original comix, paintings, and dolls, she also performed with her current band Gem In Eye and Victor Witch Dr. TNT.

In April 2002 her solo exhibit premiered in the Richard Heller Gallery in Bergamot Station in Santa Monica. In July 2002 she was invited to do a doll crafting workshop, perform with Gem In Eye and lecture about Women In Comix for the San Francisco LadyFest.

Dame Darcy then released a number of CD compilations including one entitled “Dame Darcy’s Greatest Hits,” featuring murder ballads, sea shanty’s and other experimental and folk/death rock which was released out of West Virginia. Also another CD compilation “My Eyes Have Seen the Glory” mostly experimental and rock music by “Happy Halloween” and many other collaborators, was a Tokyo release as was another release, “Gem In Eye.”

L.A. - based Symphony for the Record Industry then released a CD for Dame Darcy’s second band, “Aye Aye Captain.” This music was distributed by K Records along with Darcy’s other art, etc.

Presently her films continue to be distributed internationally by Video Pool in Canada. “Meat Cake” is still going strong, as of June 2005, with issue #14, while Frightful Fairytales, a hard bound book drawn and illustrated by Dame Darcy which was released by Ten Speed Press in October of 2002 for Halloween. Other books in the works include a compilation book of all of Dame Darcy’s comix to be released by Fantagraphics, and French versions of comics, music, movies, fine art, etc...

All that said, Dame Darcy now has a new venture - Dame Darcy’s Death By Doll - a band she co-exists in with music marvel, Benjamin Mahoney ( who’s no longer in the band ). Signed to Emperor Penguin Recordings late in 2004, Death By Doll was a definite pick as stated by label A&R rep, David Paul Wyatt Perko.

“Dame Darcy, who’s dastardly and diverse work I have been following since the mid ’90s like an eerie trail of breadcrumbs leading me somewhere exciting but never knowing where,” provocatively states Perko, “has finally dropped, for me personally, the last crumb.”

“I found this enchantingly scented crumb inches away from a new musical venture she has put together with cohort, Benjamin Mahoney, called Death By Doll.” Perko goes on to say, “When Dame Darcy phoned me last year and asked if we would be interested in having Emperor Penguin Recordings put out their Gasoline CD I quickly responded - absolutely!”

“Death By Doll was an easy decision and a definite pick,” he continues, “as it is built from the ground up with everything we love about a project. It’s: inventive, creative, unique, interesting, obscure, powerful, spooky, fun and last but not least courageously wonderful.” { fin }