[Editor's Note: Welcome to Archie's House of Horror! We're thrilled and chilled to team up with Archie Comics for this recurring column written by Jamie L. Rotante, writer and Senior Director of Editorial at Archie Comics. Each column takes a closer look at the ever-expanding world of Archie Horror, with this month's column focusing on the Dark Academia lurking in the halls of Sabrina the Teenage Witch: Holiday Special and Darkling, now available from Archie Comics!]
Many younger horror enthusiasts might be reading this on their holiday break, to which I say: good for you! School is the worst, enjoy your time off!
Okay, that’s inappropriate. School isn’t that bad, in fact, sometimes I even miss it. Homework? That I don’t miss but, spoiler alert, most of being an adult is doing work after work’s ended, you just don’t get graded on it.
While you’re on break, you might also be spending an excessive amount of time scrolling through social media, especially TikTok. That’s also kind of the worst.
Okay, again, inappropriate and unfair. I, too, often fall prey to the illustrious nature of the endless scroll appeal of apps like TikTok. And despite the many, many issues with social media, oftentimes they can create wonderful things: communities, inclusive environments, and, most prominently, trends. These trends can be fleeting, but many can also form brand-new subcultures and artistic styles. Or, as the kids these days say, “vibes.” While many were collecting prints of mushrooms and wrapping themselves in the finest lambswool sweaters to achieve peak Cottagecore chic, others were gravitating toward something more sinister: an aesthetic known as Dark Academia.
For those not chronically online (how lucky!), here’s a quick and dirty explanation of Dark Academia and how it came to be. Some folks date it back to 2015, while many also point its origin back to 1992, in Donna Tartt’s novel The Secret History. While its origins are murky, one thing is clear: it stems from a sense of longing, for both a bygone era and something that’s never, or at least seemingly never, existed. This is why the Dark Academia aesthetic and subsequent subculture picked up in prominence in mid-2020, thanks in large part to the Covid-19 lockdowns when restrictions were at their height.
It romanticizes university life with images of tweed blazers, leather-bound books, liberal arts of the highest caliber, gothic architecture, and dimly lit hallways. Well, sure, that’s academia in a nutshell—but what exactly is “dark” about that? Aside from the standard horrors of higher education, themes consistent with Dark Academia include murder, professors with an abundance of power, secret societies, and even supernatural and Lovecraftian horrors. Typically, the protagonists have to form a friend group or close circle of like-minded individuals to band together and defeat whatever nefarious people or societies they come up against (hence the rise in popularity during a time of isolation).
Now, one question remains: is Dark Academia considered “horror”? The answer is… it could be. That’s the beauty of it as an aesthetic/subculture, it can really be whatever you want it to be. Typically, it would be considered more of a “light” horror, but the overtones of murder, mystery, and even supernatural forces mean it could absolutely tango with horror. Series like Netflix’s Wednesday and The Umbrella Academy are great examples of this. Take also, for example, our two newest comic releases; while neither are considered straight horror, there are still enough themes within these two comics that even the most hardened of horror fans will enjoy.
DARKLING, written by Sarah Kuhn with art from Carola Borelli, Ellie Wright, and Jack Morelli, is a perfect example. A reboot of a classic Archie superhero character, DARKLING follows the story of Darla Lang, an outcast with a cloak that allows her the ability to communicate with the supernatural world. In this newest iteration of the character, Darla’s in an academy where she’s considered an outsider by the elite students—namely, the ones whose parents fund most of the college’s programs—until she meets her match in Phoebe, another loner with a love of true crime. When Darla begins researching disappearances that have happened on campus, she and Phoebe work together to uncover the truth about what’s really been going on, as well as learn more about Darla’s powers.
Don’t let the title of our following release, SABRINA THE TEENAGE WITCH: HOLIDAY SPECIAL, fool you; it’s not your usual festive romp. Returning to the gorgeous world of the SABRINA THE TEENAGE WITCH series by writer Kelly Thompson and artist Veronica Fish (and of course, the great Jack Morelli on letters!), the lead story takes place at the Academy of the Unseen Arts, an elite school for those who already practice magic. What, then, could be overt or hiding in the shadows about a school where magic is already at the forefront? Well, you’ll have to read it yourself to find out; you won’t get any spoilers here! But Sabrina must not act alone. In this story, we meet several new witches who work with her to defeat the enemy.
Both of these comics handle similar themes, though they are distinct in their presentation and stories. Where DARKLING is a bit truer to the traditional themes of Dark Academia, SABRINA flips it on its ear by the “shadow” of magic and the supernatural being there right at the forefront. Despite this difference, two things hold true across both titles: our heroines have the skills and magical abilities necessary to conquer the evils they’re facing, and they stand for underrepresented groups within their higher educational systems. Darla is an outsider because of her cloak and powers, sure, but she and Phoebe also don’t fit the mold of the rich, white, elite women who rule the school. Likewise, Sabrina and her group of friends are all witches at a magical academy, but even in the magic realm men in power use it to take women as their prey, and Sabrina’s diverse female-identifying friend group rebels against this and works together to overcome a frightening problem not unlike one found in the real world.
This is where Dark Academia has the power to tell more than just your standard mystery or magic fare. When done with care, stories in this genre can highlight the real institutional issues with higher education as a whole. The concept of “secret societies” in academia is hardly new, but they represent an extreme beyond the already inaccessible entryways into many higher educational systems. Because so many involved in these secret societies have deep ties to the universities or politics, they’re often allowed to act in the shadows because they’re too powerful to ever be tried for their crimes. Dark Academia also allows the ability to tell stories that dismantle traditional power structures, putting a focus on the oft-abused power dynamics found not only in educational institutions but in society as a whole.
In terms of genre, it is also an excellent gateway into horror. I’ll assume if you’re on this website you’re already a fan, but if someone you know hasn’t yet embraced the dark side, Dark Academia is a great place to start. And if they’d prefer to keep their mysteries more gothic or even cozy, the themes within can still appeal to horror fans as well. Also, it’s worth a mention that the second story in SABRINA HOLIDAY SPECIAL (by writer Danielle Paige, with art from Veronica Fish, Matt Herms, and, of course, Jack Morelli) features the undead coming to life on the solstice—what’s not to love about that?!
So, the next time you’re getting ready to cozy up by the fireplace (or, if you’re like me, an excessive number of candles) and don’t know what to watch or read, I hope this helps expand the horizons of the genres you’re willing to take a chance on. And remember, don’t be like those secret societies; always keep the door open behind you for new fans.
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SABRINA THE TEENAGE WITCH HOLIDAY SPECIAL (ONE-SHOT)
Celebrate the winter solstice with Sabrina Spellman in this special holiday one-shot that returns to the acclaimed world of the Sabrina the Teenage Witch series! First, in “The Longest Night,” at Sabrina’s magic boarding school, she and her friends work together on the longest night of the year to save their friend enthralled by a dark and clever Beast, impossible to kill in his own world, and difficult to kill in our own. Then, in “A Very Spellman Solstice,” a flash backstory shows young Zelda and Hilda breaking tradition to go to a school dance, but when Hilda joins forces with one of the ghosts of Solstice past, it curses their night out. Writer Kelly Thompson and artists Veronica and Andy Fish return for another bewitching Sabrina story, along with the team of writer Danielle Paige and artist Veronica Johnson for a festive flashback story!
Script: Kelly Thompson, Danielle PaigeArt: Veronica Fish, Andy Fish, Veronica Johnson
Colors: Matt Herms
Letters: Jack Morelli
Cover: Veronica Fish
Variant Cover: Laura Braga
On Sale Date: 12/13
32-page, full color comic
$3.99 U.S.
Cover Art by Veronica Fish:
Variant Cover Art by Laura Braga:
From the outside, Darla Lang looks like a normal college student—save for the peculiar voluminous black cloak she wears everywhere. Her peers and professors chalk this up to Darla’s eccentric, introverted, slightly creepy persona, but Darla is a young woman with a secret… and a mission. Darla’s cloak is actually a mystical artifact that she can use as a melee weapon, trapping her enemies inside and teleporting them away. Darla’s power and connection to the supernatural world have always been a curse, and now she’s enrolled in Ivy Hollow University which harbors some dark secrets of its own. Will Darla find within its hallowed halls the answers to the questions about herself and her powers that she’s been seeking? Darkling mixes superheroics with dark academia from writer Sarah Kuhn (Shadow of the Batgirl, Girl Taking Over: A Lois Lane Story) and artist Carola Borelli (Spider-Woman).
Script: Sarah Kuhn
Art: Carola Borelli
Colors: Ellie Wright
Letters: Jack Morelli
Cover: Maria Sanapo
Variant Cover: David Mack
On Sale Date: 11/22
32-page, full color comic
$3.99 U.S.
Cover Art by Maria Sanapo:
Variant Cover Art by David Mack:
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