Talking Archie Comics’ ‘Darkling’ With Sarah Kuhn And Carola Borelli

Nothing says fashion better than a cape. In writer Sarah Kuhn and artist Carola Borelli upcoming one-shot, Darkling — however, Darla Lang’s cape isn’t just good for serving looks. it’s also good for teleporting one’s adversaries away. Want to learn more? Check out this interview with Kuhn and Borelli below:

Rachel Bellwoar: As someone unfamiliar with Darkling [AKA Darla Lang]’s history at Archie Comics, how much did you know about her going in, and what’s been your favorite part about writing or drawing for her?

Sarah Kuhn: When I signed on to do this book, I read pretty much everything I could get my hands on featuring Darla. I had some awareness of the character, but the more I read, the more I wanted to know her well enough that I could be her best friend. I think with every licensed character I write, I come away from the research with a very specific feeling, and maybe I felt that way about Darla because she seemed so mysterious in every iteration, like it would be tough to get to know her well enough for best friend status. Since this was a new spin on Darkling, I started to think about how we could reimagine her a little bit. And I think what I loved most about that process was exploring her vulnerability, the secret desire she has for connection even though she feels like connection is impossible for her. Every version of her looks so cool, so tough, so imposing — I mean, she’s always wearing that incredible cape! So, when she finally starts to make a friend in this story — Phoebe, an intrepid podcaster who’s her polar opposite, cheery and chatty — it feels so rewarding to me. I love getting a character who’s stoic and closed off to a place where she feels like she can truly open up.

Carola Borelli: I didn’t know Darla before, but from the moment I saw the first concept, I loved her. I love giving life to the characters; making them real and studying specific outfits for them and studying the whole Goth aesthetic as inspiration for Darla’s clothes was a lot of fun, especially with the challenge of figuring out how to integrate her cape and make it believable.

Bellwoar: In the Archie Digests that Darla has appeared in she’s mostly interacted with Archie and Sabrina, who are high school students. What made you want to have this one-shot take place in college instead of high school?

Kuhn: I believe that was the great suggestion of our amazing editor, Jamie Rotante! Though I think it was also mentioned that we could set this in high school if we wanted to. But I liked the idea that Darla had already been through several key gauntlets — childhood, high school, moving away from home and entering college — and that’s one of the things that gives her this world-weary attitude and strong desire to rid herself of her cape and her connection to the supernatural. Also, the idea of building this super eerie dark academia vibe around her was irresistible to me. One of my Heroine Complex novels, Haunted Heroine, was set at a haunted college that was loosely inspired by the haunted college I attended. I had so much fun writing in that setting and remembering some of my own collegiate experiences — the ghosts! The vibes! I guess that’s one of those things that’s always like catnip to me. Send me all your haunted college projects, that’s what I’m saying.

Bellwoar: Assuming that a lot of this one-shot takes place at Ivy Hollow University, what was it like getting to design a college campus and what would you say is the school’s overall vibe?

Kuhn: In the script, I think I said something like: “This school is notorious for its macabre Gothic architecture, underground libraries of forbidden tomes, and plethora of rumored hauntings. Everything should have that vibe times a kazillion.” I wanted readers to feel like every cobwebby corner led to a hidden passageway. One of the things I was anticipating the most on this whole project was seeing how Carola designed the setting and brought it to life, and she went so far above and beyond anything I could have imagined. I mean, the shadows! The looming buildings that look like they could come to life at any second! The clearly haunted forest surrounding the school! She created such a vibe on the page. I could feel every creak and whisper. I want to live there.

Borelli: The whole setting has dark vibes, a dark atmosphere that I tried to convey with the abundance of blacks, and the knowledge of Gothic architecture also helped me design the architecture of Ivy Hollow!

Bellwoar: Darla is of the opinion that her abilities are a curse, but is it really that black and white?

Kuhn: No, of course not — I don’t think there would be a story if it were! One of the things I explore and enjoy deconstructing a lot in my writing is this hoary old trope that women simply cannot handle a certain level of power. Like, there is this bizarre idea that it will automatically turn them evil or overwhelm them or force them to sacrifice themselves. I hate that trope with a passion! And I’m always doing whatever I can to upend and disprove it. Darla has never really been given the space or tools to understand her cape and her connection to the supernatural world and because these are very powerful things, she’s been taught to code them as automatically bad. But once she embraces them, once she has a friend who will actually help her understand them . . . well, she’ll learn to love and accept just how powerful she is.

Borelli: I don’t think everything is black or white; the facets exist, and I hope these can be explored in the future!

Bellwoar: A lot of Darla’s powers seem to derive from her cape, which she never takes off. Is it hard to maintain a character’s alter ego when they’re wearing such an identifiable piece of clothing all the time, and how did you address that problem with Darla’s wardrobe in this issue?

Kuhn: I actually did not find this that difficult, maybe because I enjoy experimenting with my own style so much — and also, the fashion happening at a lot of colleges tends to get kind of wild as the semester wears on. I remember people wearing bathrobes to finals. I had a pair of baggy shorts with dinosaurs printed all over them — I got them in a Goodwill bargain bin, they did not go with anything, and I wore them everywhere. I had a friend who wore bunny ears for an entire semester because they were part of an art installation she was doing. We do mention that Darla is kind of regarded as a weirdo outcast in general, so her insistence on wearing the cape all the time is part of that — her dorm mates call her “The Caped Creepo.” But to be honest, I don’t think the cape would stand out that much on a lot of college campuses.

Borelli: I would be lying if I said it was easy! A cape is such an iconic garment that it is difficult to make it “normal.” The first time I heard about this detail I didn’t know where to start. Once I realized I couldn’t minimize it, the best thing was to make it part of her outfits, something special that didn’t clash with her style, but that made it unique.

Bellwoar: Why do you think now is the right time for Darkling to get her own solo story?

Kuhn: From my own perspective, I think a lot of people are feeling alienated and lonely right now in the very strange times we’re living through. Our version of Darla is also alienated and lonely, but she starts to build connection and community in the end, and those are things that have certainly been important to me in these times.

Borelli: I just loved the character from page one, and I’m sure the future holds endless fantastic adventures for her!

Bellwoar: Thanks for agreeing to this interview, Sarah and Carola!

With colors by Ellie Wright and letters by Jack Morelli, Darkling is available Wednesday November 22nd from Archie Comics.