DARLING to donate sales to those struggling with drug abuse
By Staff Reports
Years in the making, inspired by journals left behind by his brother, playwright Michael Fleizach (The Onion) and co-creator Todd Hunt (The Secret Adventures of Houdini) delve into the underbelly of the 1980s New York City’s drug epidemic with Darling, from Source Point Press. The art and colors by Dave Mack Mims (Scrimshaw) is emblazoned with influences of street graffiti and punk rock culture, the story pays homage to the style of Lewis Carroll and Frank L. Baum—making Darling a comic series that captures the passions that Michael and his brother once shared.
With all of New York City enveloped in the zeitgeist of a missing 8-year-old girl, lovable anti-hero Francis Darling accidentally stumbles onto the machinations behind her kidnapping and the drug war that ensues.
…but has he really?
A bit like chasing the Mad Hatter through a toxic chemical cloud, Francis’ inconceivable journey brings us uncomfortably close to NYC’s most crooked…most deviant…most irredeemable characters; the kind that can only be extricated from the drug-addled, guilty conscience of a failing brain.
“In 2012, my brother died of a heroin overdose. It feels good to type that out, actually. It feels good because there is a stigma associated with drug death; it isn’t exactly discussed on the checkout line, at the hairdresser, or while you’re waiting on an oil change – it just isn’t done,” said Michael Fleizach. “Shortly after his death, wanting to connect and understand, but feeling like a societal leper, I turned to my brother’s journals to make sense of something I thought was impossible. This was the impetus for the world of Darling—It’s important to remember – addicts are not these cast-off wretches of society. They are, almost certainly, very dearly loved by at least one other human being; someone who can only be halfway whole when they leave this plane for good.”
“Creating the world of Darling with Mike has allowed me to do the impossible on multiple occasions including getting closer to his brother,” said Todd Hunt. “It’s a place where Mike and I have shared our fondest memories, our greatest inspirations and exorcised our deepest fears.”
With a percentage of sales donated to programs dedicated to helping those who are struggling with alcohol and drug abuse, the creators of Darling, along with Source Point Press, hope to open the floor and give a voice to those coping with addiction within their families and communities.
Darling #1 is slated for release June 30, 2021. Letters by Zack Turner (Unlife). Cover B by Alex Riegel (Scumbag).
