For a while Dame Darcy’s ‘Meat Cake’ was something I knew I should like but just couldn’t get into. From a distance her work looks beautiful but to actually read a strip and follow its storyline requires determination because they’re a bit jumbled, her cursive handwriting is difficult to read and the stories are usually utter nonsense. But a few weeks ago I decided to read the compilation book and persevere…and I loved it! The Victorian gothic world of Richard Dirt, Friend the Girl, Strega Pez and friends is a dark and surreal (yet very girly and silly) world that Dame Darcy seems to immerse herself in.

Dame Darcy, bizarrely enough, is also a star of reality TV- she seems to apply for every dating show going and usually gets picked. Look here to see why.