With a string of top-selling comics establishing Jinx Holliday as the latest star of the Archie Horror imprint from Archie Comics, supporting character Danni Malloy will be next to take center stage. The duo embarks on a new terrifying adventure in Chilling Adventures Presents… Strange Science, a one-shot comic book releasing in August.
Writer Magdalene Visaggio, whose run on a modern update of the classic character Li’l Jinx began with the instant sell-out anthology Jinx: Grim Fairy Tales last Fall, teams with artist Butch Mapa for this latest entry, a turn towards dark sci-fi. In a story about being true to yourself and what matters most to you, Strange Science will also reveal that Danni is transgender.
“I’ve been wanting to make this happen for a long time, and it’s really cool to see it finally come to fruition,” Visaggio said. “I never wanted Danni’s trans identity to be gimmicky, or for her to feel like she was only created to be trans. So, I’d like to apologize for sneaking her over the line like this! I wanted you to have a chance to fall in love with her for who she is, not what she is. I’m honored (that) I got to make it happen, and I’m grateful to Archie for never, not even once, pushing back on my insistence on making their books a little bit more queer. I hope Danni finds a good home at Archie with supportive writers and artists helping to keep her alive for years to come.”
The new one-shot takes its title from the 1989 comic book series Dilton’s Strange Science, which introduced Danni, a science genius who rivaled tech expert Dilton Doiley’s prodigious talent. In Visaggio’s story, Danni has left that life behind to become an artist and musician, exposing her to criticism from Dilton as the teens try to save themselves from a bizarre time travel accident.
“Strange Science is one of, if not the, most important one-shots we’ve released to date. It also showcases how versatile horror can be, as it deftly blends sci-fi with horror and tells a beautiful, poignant tale about confronting the past,” said Archie Comics Senior Director of Editorial Jamie L. Rotante. “That’s all thanks to writer Magdalene Visaggio, who had the idea to have Danni Malloy tell her own story about her transition. We just needed to figure out the best way to make it fit, and a callback to her character’s classic origins mixed with the new horror surroundings she’s been re-introduced in just made the most sense.”
Mapa added, “Magdalene wrote a story that is vital and poignant and brilliant at the same time, while also being a fantastic piece of horror/sci-fi. Expect lots of weirdness, emotion, action, and character.”
Strange Science, with an open-to-order variant cover by Skylar Patridge, colors by Ellie Wright, and letters by Jack Morelli, releases August 16 in local comic shops nationwide.
With a string of top-selling comics establishing Jinx Holliday as the latest star of the Archie Horror imprint from ArchieCOMICONRead More