Figure Eights (A Music Podcast) Episode 80 w_ David Markey (Filmmaker: Nirvana, Sonic Youth, Ramones, Babes in Toyland, Dinosaur Jr and more

David Markey is a resilient and resourceful filmmaker who has sustained a truly independent career in the shadow of Hollywood and against the backdrop of corporate America for over four decades. As a self-taught filmmaker and musician, Markey brings together underground music, experimental cinema and contemporary culture in a direct and insightful way. His unique take on pop culture and sometimes dark wit are also present throughout his work, the majority of which has been self-funded and distributed.

His films include the acclaimed documentary "1991: The Year Punk Broke" (1992) and the Los Angeles Punk Super-8 cult classics "The Slog Movie" (1982), "Desperate Teenage Lovedolls" (1984), and the sequel "Lovedolls Superstar" (1986) which were all produced before he was of legal age. His international Film Festival favorite "The Reinactors" (2008) had him traveling the world exhibiting his film, inclusion in film festivals in Argentina, England, Sweden, Switzerland, Denmark, Australia, and China. 2012 saw the release of his feature length documentary on Los Angeles' long running punk band, Circle Jerks entitled "My Career As A Jerk" and his first published book "We Got Power: (Hardcore Punk Scenes From 1980's Southern California)."

Markey's body of work is also historically significant, representing a unique record of the punk scene in Southern California. Markey has worked with Sonic Youth, Nirvana, Mudhoney, Redd Kross, The Ramones, Black Flag, Meat Puppets and artist Raymond Pettibon to name a few. Markey's indefatigable DIY aesthetic continues to drive him, as well as inspire a whole new generation of filmmakers, musicians and artists. His latest documentary is "The Secret Lives Of Bill Bartell" (2025), which tells the tale of a shadowy figure from the punk world, who would go on to have a lasting influence on pop culture of the 20th and 21st Century.