Told by his art teachers that he would never make it as an artist due to his crude style, he quit art and became a full-time magician. After a few years, his passion for art overtook him and he created the comic about Lenore, the Cute Little Dead Girl for Xenophobe magazine. The comic strips were later seen by Dan Vado, president of Slave Labor Graphics.

He has also written books such as "Something At The Window Is Scratching", "The Monsters In My Tummy","The Cat With A Really Big Head: And One Other Story That Isn't As Good" and has done work for "The Haunted Mansion" comics.

He has over 75 tattoos.

26 Episodes of a Lenore Animation were created for Sony's website ScreenBlast, these are no longer available on Screenblast, but can now be seen on Roman's site: Spooky Land. Roman Dirge wrote for (his friend, and fellow Slave Labor Graphics artist) Jhonen Vasquez's Invader ZIM, and on the back of the second Invader ZIM DVD it says "Made with 100% more Dirge" with a picture of him on it, Invader Zim style.

Dirge was in a band during high school named Of Worlds Long Dead.

Dirge provided original art for Scarling's tour posters in 2003.

Dirge provided the cover, booklet and CD art for the 2001 album Welt by ohGr.