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| Dame Darcy | |
|---|---|
 Dame Darcy swimming as a mermaid | |
| Born | (1971-06-19)June 19, 1971 (age 54) Caldwell, Idaho, U.S. |
| Area(s) | Cartoonist, designer of Dame Darcy Mermaid Tarot and Queen Alice Tarot decks, fine artist, musician, performer, animator, filmmaker |
| Pseudonym | Dame Darcy Pleasant |
Notable works | Meat Cake |
| damedarcy | |
Dame Darcy Pleasant[1] (born June 19, 1971),[1] better known by thepen nameDame Darcy, is an Americanalternativecartoonist,[2] fine artist, musician, cabaret performer, and animator/filmmaker. Her "Neo-Victorian"[3] comic book seriesMeat Cake was published byFantagraphics Books from 1993 to 2008. TheMeat Cake Bible compilation was released in June 2016[4] and nominated for anEisner Award in July 2017.[5]Vegan Love: Dating and Partnering for the Cruelty-Free Gal, with Fashion, Makeup & Wedding Tips, written by Maya Gottfried and illustrated by Dame Darcy, was the Silver Medalist winners of theIndependent Publisher Book Awards in 2018.[6]
Dame Darcy acquired her initial skill set while still a child and teen working as an apprentice to her father in his sign-painting studio, Green Tree Graphics. She began her own career at age 17 when she won a scholarship to theSan Francisco Art Institute.[1] During this time, she acted in films byGeorge Kuchar.[7]
She made her first publishing deal at the age of 21 when her comic book seriesMeat Cake was picked up by Fantagraphics Books.[1] She originally considered using thepen name "Richard Dirt" but her father suggested adding a title to her own first name instead, so Darcy used the name Richard Dirt as a character in her comic book.[8]
She worked with writerAlan Moore and for such publishers asAmerica's Best Comics,DC Comics,Image Comics,Kitchen Sink Press,Starhead Comix,[9]Penguin Putnam, PressPop Tokyo, Merrell,Henry Holt and Company, andSeven Stories Press.[citation needed] Dame Darcy published over 100 books internationally, with her comics being translated into Japanese, French, Spanish, and Portuguese, among others. Her films and animation won awards and have been shown internationally.[citation needed] Her fine art and dolls were exhibited and sold in art galleries globally for more than 20 years.
In the 1990s, Dame Darcy made a doll forCourtney Love which included hair from the lateKurt Cobain. The doll was a gift to Love's daughterFrances Bean Cobain.[10] Dame Darcy planned to auction some of Kurt Cobain's leftover hair in 2015[11] but withdrew it following a complaint from Love.[12]
In the late 1990s directorLisa Hammer and Dame Darcy produced a variety TV show titledTurn Of The Century profiling their short "silent film" style movies for Manhattan public access, which is now part of the Getty Museum Collection.[13]Turn Of The Century is currently streaming onNight Flight Plus as of 2024. Due to the popularity of this TV show on Night Flight, and with the support of the "Girls to the Front - Nineties and Now" Exhibition,The Elaborate Empire of Ache, an experimental surrealist short film directed by Lisa Hammer and starring Dame Darcy was shown in theMuseum of Modern Art.[14]
She performed for a time withLisa Crystal Carver andJean-Louis Costes's underground cabaretSuckdog Circus.[15] A documentary concert film starring Lisa Carver (Lisa Suckdog) as "The Dish" and Dame Darcy as "Ghost Mother" calledSUCKDOG Reunion Tour 2016 was produced in 2016.[16]
Dame Darcy's autobiographical graphic novel,Hi Jax & Hi Jinx (Life's a Pitch and Then You Live Forever), was published by Feral House in 2019[17] Other graphic novels includeHandbook for Hot Witches,The IllustratedJane Eyre,[18]Frightful Fairytales,Gasoline, andDollerium.[18] Her self-publishedMermaid Tarot and Queen Alicetarot card decks are independently distributed.[19][20]
She has illustrated for fashion designersAnna Sui andGothic Lolita designers CWC, Baby Doll, Ku, Coi Girl Magic andJared Gold[21] while working as a runway model inNYC andLA.
Her teaching experience varies among all ages and contexts. Dame Darcy taught an independent comics publishing course at theSchool of Visual Arts inManhattan, as well as lecturing and workshops atColumbia University, and in Europe andJapan.[citation needed]
Dame Darcy is married to J. Pleasant as of 2023.
Darcy seriously began pursuing a life in art when she won a scholarship to the San Francisco Art Institute in 1989. She majored in film and studied animation...At the same time, she pursued a career as an actress with parts in local independent films by director George Kuchar
When I first started self-publishing comics I wanted to experiment with having my pen name be Richard Dirt...My Dad advised against it, saying that if I add a title to my first name, like Queen Latifah or Dr. Seuss, I would not have to deal with the hassle of actually changing my last name. I came up with Dame because it is alliterative with my first name and is a ladies' title.
Courtney Love commissioned doll maker and comic artist Dame Darcy to make a doll for her daughter using some of Cobain's blonde hair. The leftover hair is now on sale starting at $4,000.
She legitimately had in her possession some of Kurt Cobain's hair and nearly sold it for a significant sum of money before the auction was pulled because of Courtney Love's protest.
Caught on the living celluloid for the first time- the hot-blooded mania of Dame Darcy conversing with dolls no bigger than Gods foot.
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