ToM Zarzecki is a multifaceted artist hailing from Redford, Michigan, a small suburb nestled along the Detroit border. His creative journey began in his youth, when he started experimenting with filmmaking using a VCR camcorder his father purchased from a coworker. He would create stop-motion action figure movies, horror and action films with his friends, and aspired to be both an actor and director.
However, his focus shifted towards music during his high school years, as he played in punk bands. It wasn't until he turned 20, after a psychedelic experience involving LSD, Pink Flamingos, and a tape of a local bowling alley filled with clowns, that he became inspired to create unconventional films again. This experience led to the creation of the no-budget film "Telepathic Telephones".
Following a two-year probationary period for malicious destruction of property, ToM relocated to Chicago, where he attended the Tribeca Flashpoint Academy. During this time, he produced the mockumentary "The Curse of the Death Cat", which gained recognition in the underground Ypsilanti and Detroit music scene.
After returning to the Detroit area, ToM embarked on a challenging filmmaking process, producing the art-house science fiction narrative "Telepathic Telephones". In 2013, he moved to Los Angeles, California, to pursue filmmaking opportunities. He reformed his band Death Cat in 2014, which continues to perform and tour.
From 2016 to 2018, ToM produced, directed, and acted in the art-house narrative film "Psychedelic Psychopaths". In 2017, he co-founded the Planet 9 Film Festival with Oshka Kuwalski, a platform showcasing underground cinema and art. ToM is also a comic book writer and illustrator, whose work ties into the Death Cat Universe of music, movies, and live performance.
As a vegan, Buddhist practitioner, and environmentalist, ToM's artistic endeavors are often described as surreal, horror, comic bookish, psychedelic, and abstract.
