Writer David Pinkney is back in a new teen drama layered on dark secrets, social rules and intense resentment. His upcoming graphic novel, Sarah & Dara: The best madness forever explores the blurred boundaries of friendship and rivalry set against the background of the pressure cooker of an elite prep school.
Explained by Pia Prado, The Comic blends sharp, interpersonal drama with a sharp, sometimes burnt, cen-like story that asks what happens when rumors take away their lives, and whether redemption is possible in a position-obsessed world.
Beat spoke with Pinkney before the release about building suspense, writing messy characters, and perhaps the perfect school becomes a battlefield of identity, boundaries and survival.
Diego Higura: What inspired you to tell this kind of story? Also, why did you set it up in such a blocked elite environment?
David Pinckney: I wanted to talk about boundaries and what it’s like to have the people around you change you in ways you wouldn’t be proud of. With that in mind, the elite environment felt like a natural environment. Growing up and finding your path can be difficult, and social circles to survive can sometimes take a lot of time. The cutthroat environment like high like places felt like they could test these characters in a fun and unique way.
Higura: Dara’s return is full of mystery and fire. What can you tell us about shaping the shape of her character, especially balancing her vulnerability and desire for vengeance?
Pinckney: I knew there was some balance in character that all have a bit of a hollow character. Positioning her as someone with some kind of vulnerability and empathy made her feel more balanced. In line with some of the themes of the graphic novel, we also explored the characters around her and helped shape her. How she plays the other characters really helped to show all aspects of her and influenced the way I saw her arc go.
Higuera: The tension that Sarah and Dara experience are built on dramatic betrayal. What is this dynamic saying about how their friendship, power, and status interact?
Pinkney: Sarah comes from a wealthy family and is in a popular group of friends. Dara is wealthy, not pretty and has no friends. The dynamics would naturally say that Sarah has a bit of a preponderance in the tension context built here, but Dara says that as long as she is concerned, there’s nothing to lose. When you have nothing to lose, it says a lot – you’ll be willing to push a little further than the others. Sarah isn’t ready for Dara to take that extra step when the two are at odds, and neither is the people in Dara’s life either. Their dynamics affect not only them, but almost everyone else in their respective lives.
Higuera: This book has a story that includes several twists. How did you approach the construction of suspense and continue to speculate on the characters’ true motivations?
Pinckney: sort of inline with previous questions, most people are not ready for the length some of these characters go. So, to maintain the twist and suspense, push the character and take a step in a direction that may feel a little too far. This is something the readers themselves don’t expect. The catch is that when someone goes too far they sometimes surprise themselves. At that point, when these characters take these steps, they sometimes have a self-reflection and at that moment they start to lose a bit. It is difficult to know exactly where they are and where they want to be in a moral sense when they are not sure of themselves.
Higuera: How did your collaboration with Illustrator Pia Prado help you increase the placeside and make the cast of characters come true? Was there any scenes that made her visual storytelling particularly surprising or impressed?
Pinkney: Honestly, I think the designs for these characters were largely a take on peers, and the characters came to life in a very enjoyable way. The art has a softness, so comics are fun, but they can even deliver those serious moments. The part that personally stands out for me is this is my first time seeing Violet, Sarah’s best friend. Violet is your textbook, film-esque popular girl, and when we first saw her in comics, you know exactly who she is and what she is. It’s a panel that really stands out for me.
Higura: Dara is rumoured to be a “place.” ‘How much does rumors and school legends unfold in the social structure of this story?
Pinkney: For Dara, it has a big impact on her personal story. For everyone else, these rumors don’t seem to be rumors, they feel the complete truth. These rumors were the first we heard when readers heard about her, and it quickly shapes what we think about not only her but what is spreading the rumor. In short, rumors are the basis of the social structure of the story, as everyone knows the rumors and most cannot separate them from Dara herself.
Higuera: What do readers, especially teens, want away from Sarah & Dara: The best madness forever? Is it a warning story or a fantasy of revenge?
Pinckney: Hopefully readers will take away the setting boundaries are difficult but necessary. Hopefully, this story shows you need to set them up for your own improvement. From that point of view, I have never seen this as a warning story or a fantasy of revenge, but at the heart it is a story about life. There are ups and downs, but at the end of the day, the choices you make and the people you relate to are partly shaping you, and it’s worth trying to grasp the kind of person you want to be.
Ahead of the release, check out the preview of the graphic novel below!
If you’re looking for a teenage drama that mixes social wars, personal calculations, and the right sparks of chaos, then Sarah & Dara: The Best Madness is something you should watch forever. With incisive writing from David Pinckney and layered visuals from Pia Prado, the book offers a high school story that is more than just a surface-level scandal.
Stay tuned for the latest updates on book releases and where to get it. And in the meantime, think about it carefully before spreading rumors about your next high school. Sarah & Darah: Best Frenemies will hit the shelf on June 24th, 2025. Don’t miss out on the chance to jump into Placeside High and pre-ordered dramas at Mad Cave Studios now!
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