HIVer Darren Davis reveals his latest comic book, Victoria's Secret Service-and a studly HIV positive character in the works
Darren Davis
Chula Vista, CA 37 Comic-book creator
You've become so Hollywood-Kelsey Grammer's company optioned your Legend of Isis, reputedly for a big star.
Another company also optioned my new comic, Victoria's Secret Service. I used to want to be a Hollywood mogul-I love the business stuff.
What's Victoria's Secret Service all about?
[The idea is that] in the 1800s, four handmaidens saved Queen Victoria's life, so she formed this secret service to protect the royals-and the organization still exists.
What does Zak Raven, the HIV positive hero of your future series Lost Raven do?
He fights monsters! Zak is a lawyer who finds out he's positive-I think we're going with blood transfusion-and quits his job the next day. He sails the Seven Seas and gets shipwrecked on a government-run island where they're doing DNA testing. During the day, he fights these monsters-
Symbolic of HIV?
Not at all! But at night he writes in his journal, reflecting on being positive and, like, what are the chances of him dating and things like that. He's straight, but the dating part is based on my experience. Dating and being HIV positive sucks.
Are you single?
I've been with my [HIV] negative boyfriend for two and a half years. We met at a bar, and I told him right then and there I was positive.
Why do you think movies starring comic-book characters are so popular today?
With the war and everything, people want to have heroes.
Is being openly positive like being a superhero?
Well, I feel like a role model. When I was diagnosed in 1999, I was like, "Oh my God, what the hell's going to happen now?" I was even fired once for having HIV. So I've achieved a lot.
