A glimpse into the dark realm of dominatrix Domino through song
Luana Vecchio, acclaimed for her erotic horror series Lovesick, has collaborated with the popular punk band NIIS to offer fans a glimpse into the dark realm of dominatrix Domino through a new song and music video inspired by the series. Directed by Meriel O’Connell and featuring NIIS lead singer Mimi Doe, the music video for “Lovesick” portrays Doe as a mesmerizing yet menacing dominatrix, reminiscent of Mother Demon Domino, enticing her victims. Domino’s backstory will soon be unveiled in Vecchio’s upcoming miniseries Doll Parts: A Lovesick Tale, which blends elements of coming-of-age and horror-thriller genres and is set to premiere this December. A preview of the first issue, displayed below, showcases the story’s beginning.
In Lovesick, dark web subscribers pay a high price to be maimed, tortured, and killed by the ruthless and irresistible dominatrix, Domino. This is what they call “love” in the Lovesick Club. But as Domino faces emerging threats and mounting pressure from a needy audience, what price will she have to pay for success in this literally cutthroat world? And what will she have to become to survive? Vecchio invites you into a digital underworld of cannibalism and bloody neon to explore the limits of consent, love, and idolatry in one of the most erotic and extreme stories in recent years.
“One of the things I love most about art is how creating it inspires others to create more,” said Vecchio. “It’s incredibly beautiful and, in a way, so romantic. That’s exactly what I thought when Mimi sent me the demo of ‘Lovesick.’ I was amazed that someone on the other side of the world could create something that captured the essence of my work so perfectly. NIIS’ ‘Lovesick’ is bold and addictive, just like the world of my comic.
As I listened, I could imagine each scene vividly coming to life. When I wrote Domino, I envisioned her as a natural performer who loves to dance and sing; I had a clear sense of her voice, sweet like a mother’s yet sharp as a demon’s. I’m almost spooked by how perfectly Mimi captured her, as if she read my mind. I was blown away by the quality of NIIS’ music video. Everything is so perfectly done! I love how the visuals echo Lovesick’s style while the band still told their own story. Hats off to everyone involved—I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve watched it!”
“When we were writing the song ‘Lovesick,’ my guitarist started kicking around a dark riff,” said Doe. “I hadn’t found the words to put on it yet. Actually, I wasn’t really feeling inspired until that night. I was laying in bed with my boyfriend and he asked if I wanted to read together. He pulled out Lovesick and I immediately was awestruck. I couldn’t get enough of Domino. She was so beautiful, strong, scary, and so fragile at the same time. Domino’s character conveyed so much power to her audience, and the fragility and incompleteness spoke to me so much. I kept getting lost in her character amongst everything else going on in the comic. ‘I would never let you shatter me’ continues throughout the song because I truly feel as if no one could shatter Domino, except maybe herself.”
Continued Doe: “For the music video, Meriel O’Connell directed it and she was so amazing. I explained to her how much the comic meant to me and how I really wanted to incorporate Domino’s character into the story. She really went above and beyond, and took it and ran. I’m grateful I got to live in a world where I was my version of Domino for a second. I just can’t wait for Luana’s next chapter.”
Vecchio’s next venture into the Lovesick world, the upcoming Doll Parts: A Lovesick Tale miniseries, sheds the latex to reveal the haunting and tragic story of what first led Domino down her dark path. The new four-part miniseries, set in the 2000s, is a must-read for both seasoned fans and newcomers to the disturbed universe of Lovesick. It follows a twelve-year-old girl called Madeleine who dreads the idea of growing up. She fears becoming like the cruel older girls or facing the contempt of her devoutly religious mother. But most of all, she doesn’t want to become a target for the monsters that are out there, hiding in plain sight. However, a stomach-churning discovery forces Madeleine to confront the harsh reality that growing up isn’t a choice—it’s survival. As she is thrust into a world of perverted killers and unsavory websites, she has to come to terms with her own dark obsessions.
Added Vecchio about the upcoming Doll Parts: A Lovesick Tale miniseries: “Since Lovesick was released, both Domino and I have received so much love. This support inspired me to write Doll Parts: A Lovesick Tale, the prequel that tells Domino’s teenage story. I feel that female adolescence isn’t explored enough—at least, not in the way I’d like. Growing up as a girl can truly be a terrifying experience: getting unwanted attention, dealing with a changing body, and discovering love and sexuality. For some of us, these can be real-life horror experiences. That’s why I’m so proud of this prequel; I feel I’ve told this story with the freedom, honesty, and sensitivity it deserves. I love how, with Image Comics, I truly feel free to express both my creativity and my worldview, finally bringing a female experience to comics that is still too rarely explored.”
