Dolcett: The Man, The Mystery...
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Despite some attempts at playing Net detective, Dolcett remained almost a complete mystery to me for a long time (and to a large extent, still does).  In December 1997 I was priviledged to hear from Dolcett via e-mail (that this person was, in fact "The" Dolcett is unquestionable - he has proven it beyond any doubt).  He is a very private, very cautious person (our initial contacts were made through an intermediary), and I think he is quite honestly taken aback by how popular his art is!  Although  he included a "self-portrait" in his story, "The Tightrope Zone," and long-time fans will notice that this face (the hangman, "Mr. Dolcett") seems very similar to one which has appeared in a number of his other drawings, from what I have been told this is not what Dolcett actually looks like.  This, however, may not be the case with all his characters.  Although Dolcett himself concedes that the characters in his art tend to look somewhat alike, some of them are, in fact based on real people.
 
     One of his favorite subjects (judging by the number of times she's appeared) is one Penny Larson.  Penny, who "starred" in "The Tightrope Zone" (not to mention a host of other Dolcetts) is a bisexual woman with fantasies of being tortured/executed in various ways (long-time fans of Dolcett will recall that stories and art featuring Penny often include the use of pool cues for impalement... Dolcett tells me that Penny's comment whenever this was mentioned to her was always "make sure you chalk it up first.").  Penny is currently living in Southern California, and has known Dolcett since the mid-1980s. Dolcett has done a number of drawings of her (some of which he dedicated to her), and she tells me that "The Mob" is based in a story she wrote.  In addition, there has been a series of hanging/asphyxiation photo images which have appeared on the Usenet (alt.sex.asphyx) in which she stars. According to Penny, she has wanted to be a professional bondage model since college.  From what I have been told, one of the masked gentlemen in the hanging photoset is none other than Merle Hill (see below), and Lee Felman (see below) was the photographer.
 
    Another recurring character is Lee Felman.  Lee has also appeared in a number of Dolcett's drawings and I have corresponded via e-mail with an individual claiming to be Lee (I believe he is).  Again returning to "The Tightrope Zone," you may remember Lee was the sheriff who apprehended Penny. Another drawing, showing a woman strangling in the closet while her friend asks to borrow a garter is dedicated to Lee by Dolcett; this is one of a series of drawings Dolcett did based on Lee's story "Castle Whipcord."  Lee is said to be into asphyxiation, but not to share Dolcett's degree of interest in impalement, etc.  Lee has been an exceptionally rich source of Dolcett material for Internet fans and I have been told that he has many more previously "unknown" Dolcetts waiting to be scanned (as an aside: I have heard that Lee has been very ill for the past several months; this may account for the dearth in new Dolcetts on the Net.  I hope everyone will join me in wishing him well!).  One of the Dolcett pictures in which Lee appears shows him about to hang his secretary for his birthday (one of the special "company benefits" according to the dialog).  The secretary bears a strong resemblance to yet another recurring face in Dolcett's work.  Lee tells me that the woman in question is his wife, Ali.
 
    According to Lee, Ali is another member of Dolcett's inner circle, but unlike Penny, is strictly heterosexual and monogamous.  Ali is said to have modeled as the character "Nena" in Dolcett's "Housewife's Hangup" for every drawing except the lesbian scene.  There is also a story called "Ali's Bet" in which she stars, along with Penny, Lee, and other Dolcett regulars Merle and Jessica Hill (see below).  Ali is the subject of a stand alone Dolcett drawing called "Garage Gallows," which reportedly is her "spitting image" (or perhaps her "drooling image" would be more accurate!).
 
      Another recurring character in Dolcett's work about whom little is known is a woman by the name of Marsha.  Marsha has made cameos in a number of Dolcett's drawings.  A character who strongly resembles her (I hesitate to say for sure it was the same person) was once referred to as "Ms. Grant" in another Dolcett drawing, although whether or not this gives a clue as to her real name is unknown. From what I understand, Marsha was an acquaintance of Dolcett's from when he was living in New York who was very much into hanging, but has since dropped out of the scene.
 
    Some of Dolcett's earliest works feature a character named Merle Hill.  He is also a real person, and in fact I have received e-mail from Merle.  Merle lives in Colorado with his wife Jessica, and has appeared in several Dolcett stand-alone drawings, as well in "Merideth's Last Interview" (I have been told that he was the one who suggested the story to Dolcett; he is also the one who came up with the idea for "Feast Day").  References to Merle are sometimes seen in other drawings by Dolcett even when Merle himself isn't ("Hill's Fine Meats" sometimes adorns butcher trucks that are picking up or dropping off women).  Jessica, whom Merle says shares his interest in cannibalism, has appeared in a small number of Dolcett drawings as well as the story "Ali's Bet."
 
   Another character I believe to be based on an actual person is Joanne, of "The Execution of Joanne."  From what I have been able to gather, Joanne was, at the time, an art student living in London, England. She is very much into hanging and cannibalism and "Execution of Joanne" was based on her fantasy.  She apparently is (or was) an acquaintance of Penny Larson, and sent Dolcett a number of photographs which he used for his drawings.  She resembles characters in several other Dolcett drawings, but whether or not those drawings were of (or based on) Joanne is not known.
 
     One of Dolcett's more recent models is Karyn (that's me!).  Karyn appeared in "Karyn's Choice" and "Karyn's Cookout," as well as a number of stand-alone drawings, which Dolcett drew in appreciation of her efforts in assembling La Casa de Dolcett.  Although some people had previously suggested that she was in fact Dolcett, this is not the case.  Since she's me, I think I can state without fear of contradicton that she is a devoted fan of Dolcett who is absolutely thrilled to be able to serve as a model for his drawings, but her only contribution to Dolcett's art is a bit of dialogue and maybe an idea or two (or three or ten).
 
    Another relative newcomer to the lineup of "Dolcett Girls" is Kay Milton. Kay, who also has gone by the pseudonym "Madame X", says she is an exhibitionist and enjoys being photographed in the nude, and has modelled for her husband (a photographer) for a number of years. She starred in "A Current Affair", which Dolcett drew based on a story idea she suggested and some photos her husband had taken, and "Dinner by Design". Kay says her interests center on the use of guns, electricity and asphyxiation during sex.
 
    The art of Dolcett spans a number of interests.  Asphyxiation (especially hanging) and gynophagia (the eating of women), especially after impalement, seem to be the most frequent subjects, but execution by gunfire, electrocution, decapitation, and several more exotic tortures (such as the use of honey and ants) are included in his portfolio.  I have heard that Dolcett first began creating these masterpieces as an outlet for his own fantasies, and Dolcett himself says that he has been creating them since he learned to draw (click here if you'd like to see some of Dolcett's comments on his art technique). Copies of some of his art has made its way onto the commercial market, but this was not his intention.  Dolcett produces his art entirely for his own enjoyment - he has NEVER sold any of his artwork; he only gives them away as gifts.
 
    There was a rumor that Dolcett was so upset about his art being shared over the Internet that he quit drawing.  This last is definately not the case!  The only problem he's had with the distribution of his art was a disagreement with Bill Majors (of "B&D Pleasures," a California-based bondage/s&m producer/distributor) over copyrights to some of his art, some of which he did apparently draw for Bill, although not as "works for hire". While Dolcett doesn't seem to really care that much about about what Bill did, it was not authorized, and Dolcett has never given, sold, or otherwise transferred the rights to his art to Bill Majors. Bill Majors has told me that the only reason he copyrighted Dolcett's material was to protect Dolcett's privacy (since he would then be able to prevent the art from being widely circulated without directly involving Dolcett himself).  Bill has agreed to publicly release all claim to rights to the Dolcett art he has, and make them "public domain" so long as the artist himself doesn't mind (although he reserves the right to reassert the claim if Dolcett decides he wants to be "protected" again).
 
   Dolcett was also rumored to be deceased, but of course, this is not the case.  He is, in fact, alive and well, and continues to produce his art.  I am honored to have been the subject of some of his art (I have to date, appeared in the story "Karyn's Choice" and "Karyn's Cookout", as well as in several stand-alone drawings Dolcett made based on ideas I had). Another rumor that was popular a while back was that Dolcett was in fact a woman.  While it is true that there are some women, including yours truly, who enjoy Dolcett's work, there has never been anything to suggest that he is female.  On the contrary, all evidence seems to point to his being male (he certainly seems to think he's male).
 
    Dolcett is a generous and dedicated artist.  He likes to concentrate on the thoughts/feelings of the central character as she is snuffed, and his favorite theme is the "willing victim."  Dolcett wrote to me: "I've explored almost everything at some point but an excited volunteer has always been a favorite. I don't usually work from a sadistic point of view and the real aspects of torture and pain are not part of my fantasies even on the more heavy handed ones."  What more can I say?  I've always felt that the women in Dolcett's art were basically consensual participants, even when the story line indicated that they weren't... I've also said that I thought Dolcett's art approached women with an attitude of reverence and appreciation - certainly NEVER with an attitude of hatred or anger - and I think I've been vindicated.
 
    Dolcett tells me that he's continuing to produce his art as time allows... For one who never thought he'd ever see her tribute to him and never thought she'd ever really hear from him, and most of all was begining to think that there weren't anymore Dolcetts being made, this is good news indeed!