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Gasoline
At the height of a society governed by corporate greed and corruption, a fiery apocalypse rains down. Among the few survivors are the Armbusters, a family of orphaned witches. Establishing a utopian commune, they uphold their position of power through the maintenance of their car, the only remaining working automobile. The Armbusters’ search for precious gasoline pits them against the conniving nihilists who lurk in the decaying urban sprawl, and they learn to adopt new, alternative means of survival to which they had been blind while caught up in a life of materialism. Written and illustrated by the cult artist Dame Darcy, Gasoline is a rollicking, eco-conscious, gothic fairy tale of danger and suspense, heartbreak and redemption, and above all the perseverance of magic and love.
191 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
August 19, 2010
Not a graphic novel, rather a novella with lots of illustrations. The descriptions of Dame Darcy's post-apocalyptic utopia were cloying and obnoxious. It's a hard life: everyone is terribly beautiful and creative and damn annoying. From time to time, the daring darling family Armbuster must embark on dangerous road trips to find gasoline for their station wagon so they can continue to take these treacherous trips to find gasoline. They meet some odd but uninteresting characters but nothing really happens. Plot development is definitely not one of the Dame's strengths. And the photograph of Dame Darcy at the beginning of the book seemed to serve no other purpose but to let the reader know that the story's heroine is an extremely thinly-veiled version of our charming author.
I will say I was looking forward to reading this and I liked the general idea of the book, but the descriptions, lack of plot, and slapdash storytelling made me skim the second half; it just wasn't worth my time. But since it was a intriguing story idea, I am willing to look past this book and see what else the Dame has to give.
I will say I was looking forward to reading this and I liked the general idea of the book, but the descriptions, lack of plot, and slapdash storytelling made me skim the second half; it just wasn't worth my time. But since it was a intriguing story idea, I am willing to look past this book and see what else the Dame has to give.
December 15, 2008
Of course I love the artwork and the design of the book. Dame Darcy excels at those things. I love the cover, with the title and fairies overlaid on a toile background. I love the old-sheets-of-paper-fed-through-a-salvaged-typewriter look of the pages. I love the illustrations. She's like a less-frightening, female Henry Darger at times, and I mean that in the best possible way.
The writing is... well... this isn't a graphic novel, it's a novel novel with lots of illustrations. The character intros of the Armbuster family are a little rough, almost like descriptions of dolls in a mail-order catalog. It is vaguely autobiographical, up until the apocalyse/nuclear war part. The little details of simple living in a world that has changed drastically, the peripheral characters that the Armbusters know or run across (Ginger, who can replicate herself, is maybe my favorite), and the elaborate pagan/voodoo rituals/performances are the best parts.
I will have to relisten to the album Gasoline, since they were intended to overlap, and a lot of the lyrics appeared in the book.
The writing is... well... this isn't a graphic novel, it's a novel novel with lots of illustrations. The character intros of the Armbuster family are a little rough, almost like descriptions of dolls in a mail-order catalog. It is vaguely autobiographical, up until the apocalyse/nuclear war part. The little details of simple living in a world that has changed drastically, the peripheral characters that the Armbusters know or run across (Ginger, who can replicate herself, is maybe my favorite), and the elaborate pagan/voodoo rituals/performances are the best parts.
I will have to relisten to the album Gasoline, since they were intended to overlap, and a lot of the lyrics appeared in the book.
October 29, 2023
Dame Darcy is a staple of 90s goth DIY scene, most notable for her Meat Cake comic zines. I personally love her outsider art and her fairy tale goth sensibilities. She's a big presence in real sub-culture (of a certain type) who has true artistic roots in music, comics, fine art, fashion, and design.
I would say though, that I did not love this book. Gasoline is way more concerned about aesthetics than it is really about plot. It's filled with her illustrations yes, but I would say this book feels a lot more cloying, almost utopian for a post-apocalyptic tale. You might argue, that yes, looking at the references in the back of the book (yes, she has a bibliography of research in the back), that the book was more.... let's say an exercise, in hope for a sustainable, green future where also everybody is a goth and a witch, where they bake cookies and build contraptions, sometimes have magic powers, have passionate sex, and revels in calling someone or thing a 'bitch' from time to time.
In practice, it reads more as a fan fiction level akin to the 90s version of My Immortal. I say that both as critique and with pure, loving intentions in my heart. I love My Immortal, like kinda unironically. And like, okay, maybe it's a little mean to compare the two, Gasoline is definitely written better than a fan fiction made by 13 year olds over a decade ago. However, I cannot help but think of the writing where famously in My Immortal and as well as this book, nothing is written with as much care and as lovingly rendered as the description of the outfits and looks of the characters. But we also get to look at the characters drawn in Darcy's idiosyncratic pen stylings throughout the book which is a plus.
The fan fiction comparisons don't end there though; the unabashed self-insert 'main' character, chapters that go nowhere, incomprehensible B-plots, a meandering plot that basically withers and dies with any new addition of characters or setting, just some deeply weird bits of characterization, and an incomprehensible ending when she didn't know how to end the book. Also let's not forget the weird amount of cultural appropriation.
Anyway, I would love to give this book to some moody, gothic pre-teen. I feel like it is just weird enough and also harmless enough to permanently change the trajectory of of their mind and become a problematic fave in their future. I think that would be really funny.
I would say though, that I did not love this book. Gasoline is way more concerned about aesthetics than it is really about plot. It's filled with her illustrations yes, but I would say this book feels a lot more cloying, almost utopian for a post-apocalyptic tale. You might argue, that yes, looking at the references in the back of the book (yes, she has a bibliography of research in the back), that the book was more.... let's say an exercise, in hope for a sustainable, green future where also everybody is a goth and a witch, where they bake cookies and build contraptions, sometimes have magic powers, have passionate sex, and revels in calling someone or thing a 'bitch' from time to time.
In practice, it reads more as a fan fiction level akin to the 90s version of My Immortal. I say that both as critique and with pure, loving intentions in my heart. I love My Immortal, like kinda unironically. And like, okay, maybe it's a little mean to compare the two, Gasoline is definitely written better than a fan fiction made by 13 year olds over a decade ago. However, I cannot help but think of the writing where famously in My Immortal and as well as this book, nothing is written with as much care and as lovingly rendered as the description of the outfits and looks of the characters. But we also get to look at the characters drawn in Darcy's idiosyncratic pen stylings throughout the book which is a plus.
The fan fiction comparisons don't end there though; the unabashed self-insert 'main' character, chapters that go nowhere, incomprehensible B-plots, a meandering plot that basically withers and dies with any new addition of characters or setting, just some deeply weird bits of characterization, and an incomprehensible ending when she didn't know how to end the book. Also let's not forget the weird amount of cultural appropriation.
Anyway, I would love to give this book to some moody, gothic pre-teen. I feel like it is just weird enough and also harmless enough to permanently change the trajectory of of their mind and become a problematic fave in their future. I think that would be really funny.
December 29, 2008
I'm not much of a graphic-novel reader, but I really liked Dame Darcy's illustrations in a copy of Jane Eyre I found at Half Price Books, so I bought this book on a whim. I liked the illustrations, but certain things kept me from going over to "really liked it." It seems sort of narcissistic to create a main character who looks just like you and describe that character down to the color of your nipples. And maybe this is a graphic novel thing, but the story seemed too disjointed to me. Nonetheless, I did enjoy the illustrations a lot.
February 13, 2009
The drawings are great. Gorgeous. Some are the best I've ever seen from the Dame. The cover is fancy, the paper stock is environmentally friendly, the story is fascinating. But the writing is like an unedited first draft. It's so frustrating!!!
November 12, 2009
Post apocolypse. The creaters vs. the nihilists. Which one would I become? This book and the illustrations in this book are great and magical.
December 23, 2009
I loved this book. It's so creative and beautiful. Unique, definitely unique. I want to read another really interesting book. I hope I can find one :-)
March 12, 2016
Not as great as meatcake- disjointed storytelling, abrupt endings... Fantastic art though.
December 23, 2009
Worst book ever written. Seriously, THE WORST.
December 4, 2022
This is a fever dream written by a 15 year old girl. I can’t tell if it’s brilliant or stupid or both. Amity is a self insert of the author, which contributes to the naïve writer vibes but also like, I get it. If I were writing a world that contained all of my favorite things I would want to join in too.
Some review said this was like “My Immortal” without an editor. They’re not wrong. And i say this with loving care. My Immortal is a work of art in its own way. Is Gasoline also a dada-esque masterpiece? Perhaps.
The overall writing style and imagery makes me think of the movies Troll 2 and The Room. There is a genuine sincerity and passion on the creator’s part but lack of skill or experience or something keeps it from reaching the heights that they envision and instead it becomes something else - something so bad it’s good.
This book made me continue the conversation that always happens in the back of my mind - what is good art? What is bad art? Is skill important in “good” art?
Outsider and folk art are beautiful in their own ways even if they are “academically” incorrect. The fact that this story is a published book also contributes. If I found this online on a random website would I bother reading it? No i wouldn’t. But the legitimacy that a published book offers validates its worth to an extent and makes it worthy of a chance. Isn’t that wild?
For its ability to contribute to that conversation I really appreciate this work.
I think to thoroughly enjoy it you need to shed any expectations and strap in for the ride and let it take you where it goes.
Some review said this was like “My Immortal” without an editor. They’re not wrong. And i say this with loving care. My Immortal is a work of art in its own way. Is Gasoline also a dada-esque masterpiece? Perhaps.
The overall writing style and imagery makes me think of the movies Troll 2 and The Room. There is a genuine sincerity and passion on the creator’s part but lack of skill or experience or something keeps it from reaching the heights that they envision and instead it becomes something else - something so bad it’s good.
This book made me continue the conversation that always happens in the back of my mind - what is good art? What is bad art? Is skill important in “good” art?
Outsider and folk art are beautiful in their own ways even if they are “academically” incorrect. The fact that this story is a published book also contributes. If I found this online on a random website would I bother reading it? No i wouldn’t. But the legitimacy that a published book offers validates its worth to an extent and makes it worthy of a chance. Isn’t that wild?
For its ability to contribute to that conversation I really appreciate this work.
I think to thoroughly enjoy it you need to shed any expectations and strap in for the ride and let it take you where it goes.
February 9, 2019
Loved it. As much as I like DD's graphic work (not to mention the brilliant performance art interventions, such as the TV dating programme) I am especially interested in her more text based work. Really liked the Death by Doll cd as well though. All serious fun.
January 11, 2014
When I bought this book, it resided in the graphic novel section of the store. Not sure I would call this a graphic novel. It's more of a regular novel with a lot of artwork.
I really liked most of this book. The illustrations were beautiful and the different adventures the Armbrusters had along with the people they mets personal stories kept me very interested but for whatever reason, the disappearance of Caleb for no apparent reason at the end totally ruined it for me. Because of the disappearance it felt unfinished to me and kind of ruined the experience of reading it. I'm still trying to decide whether or not I'm going to keep it or give it away.
I really liked most of this book. The illustrations were beautiful and the different adventures the Armbrusters had along with the people they mets personal stories kept me very interested but for whatever reason, the disappearance of Caleb for no apparent reason at the end totally ruined it for me. Because of the disappearance it felt unfinished to me and kind of ruined the experience of reading it. I'm still trying to decide whether or not I'm going to keep it or give it away.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 7, 2016
I am about half way into this and I think I am going to stop reading it. The illustrations are fun and the author has a unique voice but sadly that voice is one that sounds like a self-obsessed 14 year old girl; that just doesn't really appeal to me right now. There is a lot of potential in this book and I like the freak-folky feel to it but the story is too flat. I expect greater things from this author in future times.
September 28, 2009
Have been following the Dame's work for over 10 years now and the artwork and whimsicality didn't disappoint me. However the disjointedness of the storyline was a bit much at times and if it hadn't been for the underlying themes (alternative living, communalism, etc) and beautiful illustrations I wouldn't have finished it. But I did and for fans of Dame Darcy I would recommend giving it a try.
February 5, 2012
I was VERY dissapointed in this book. It as horrible plot going no were, the ending is...incomplete?...non existent? This was just the worst book I ever read, and to top everything is that for a graphic novel, the said graphic looked like they had been draw by a 6 years old....
September 22, 2014
the book begins with pages and pages of description, it was boring after the first page. no action or development, just tedious backstory. the illustrations are pretty but make the book difficult to read.
October 22, 2009
Not as into this one as her meat cake stuff. It was basically a schmorgasborg of magic practices aimed at a preteen audience. well that's my take. I couldn't get all the way through it.
January 7, 2010
The ideas in the book are interesting and I love her illustrations
February 27, 2010
I found myself wanting to be part of her world
December 4, 2011
So disappointing. This seems like a book for 14-year-olds written by a 14-year-old. Who knows, maybe that was her intended audience. I just don't get it - her Meatcake stuff is so good.
March 10, 2013
Dame Darcy is wonderful, but this story wasn't constructed very well and was hard to follow. The point wasn't very pointy.
May 21, 2015
5 stars for the illustrations, 2 stars for the plot. Negative points for the magical witch who resembles the author.
May 30, 2016
If My Immortal had a copy editor, it'd read something like this.
September 26, 2011
I just didn't feel like reading it anymore...
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews