Dame Darcy was born in Idaho in 1971. By age ten, she had written several illustrated books, as well as composed volumes of poetry and song. It was at this age that she learned to play the banjo and read palms. 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. That same year Darcy self-published the first issue of her comic book, 'Meat Cake', as well as starting freelance illustration and cartoon work for Bay Area newspapers, magazines, and underground zines. At the same time, she pursued a career as an actress with parts in local independent films by director George Kuchar and others, while also finding time to perform on stage with her banjo, in the band Caroliner Rainbow.
Dame Darcy moved to Rhode Island in 1992 after touring with the notorious Suckdog performance troupe. That summer, she starred in her first independent feature film, 'Check Out Time', directed by Scott Hamrah. In 1993, she moved to New York City where she continues to reside and pursue her various artistic interests. She also developed a series of hand-crafted dolls that have earned her vast attention in the curious world of doll collecting. In 1999, acclaimed writer Alan Moore offered to collaborate with Darcy on a story for the ninth issue of 'Meat Cake'. All he asked for in return was two Darcy dolls for his daughters. She teaches art to inner-city school kids and also designs for her own fashion label based in Japan, called Offbeat Brands. Her Fairytale book 'Frightful Fairytales' was published by Ten Speed Press in 2002.
Darcy wrote a personal homage to Robert Crumb in Monte Beauchamp's book 'The Life and Times of R. Crumb. Comments From Contemporaries (St. Martin's Griffin, New York, 1998).
