In September 2020, the global storytelling platform WEBTOON launched webcomic sensation Suitor Armor as an ORIGINALS series. For four years, the series Suitor Armor grew in popularity and became a must-read for fantasy enthusiasts everywhere. Taking place in a medieval fantasy world, Suitor Armor tells the tale of a fairy hiding in plain sight among humans, an enchanted suit of armor, and their budding romance. As a fantasy fan, I have enjoyed the series immensely since its debut on WEBTOON CANVAS, so I was thrilled when Purpah announced that Suitor Armor was scheduled to hit physical store shelves.
In November 2024, Penguin Random House released the first physical copy of Suitor Armor Volume One. Hardcover copies can now be found at bookstores nationwide, covering the prologue, several chapters, and a bonus chapter designed specifically for the printed edition. The printed edition also contains early concept art of original Suitor Armor characters that will showcase how the characters have evolved. In my opinion, Suitor Armor Volume One provides a wonderful introduction to the main story, showcasing the beautifully vibrant art style and storytelling and leaving you wanting more. If you love fantasy with a hint of romance, you will LOVE Suitor Armor and will want a physical copy for your shelf! I already have plans to collect the entire series!
Last year, I had the pleasure of interviewing Purpah to discuss her original story of Suitor Armor and how it launched as a WEBTOON ORIGINALS series. You can read the original 2023 interview here. This month, I was presented with the opportunity to interview Purpah regarding the launch of Suitor Armor Volume One’s printed edition. Keep reading to learn more about Purpah, her creative process, and how Suitor Armor became a major sensation!
In your own words, how would you describe the world of Suitor Armor to new readers?
I would describe it as one that is filled with magic and mystery. With the way the world is now, a lot of things regarding magic and creatures have been lost to time under human rule. So, there is a lot of potential as to what you might run into, discovering the world alongside the characters. You never know what you might run into!
What originally inspired Suitor Armor, and what motivated you to tell this particular story?
The original idea came from a dream that I had with a basic premise – “Woman meets and falls in love with a Dark Knight.” I keep a dream journal next to be bed to jot down any interesting ideas that come from them. Of course, they are usually only ever skeletons of ideas. I spent a lot of time adding the meat later. In this case, I wanted to add the things that I loved and wanted to see more of. Namely fantasy, fairies, and emotional connections between characters in those moments between the action. As time went on as I worked on it, I realized the premise allowed for a lot of lessons and messages to be taught that I am passionate about. Namely what makes us all similar, what makes us different, how we can change for the better, and an overall message of kindness whilst still fighting for yourself.
Would you argue any authors or artists had a significant influence on your storytelling style?
I think it would be silly not to argue that! I have always been a huge fan of anything by Guillermo del Toro. He has always had a fantastical way of telling stories that are equally emotional, beautiful, and terrifying. I’ve also always been a big fan of stories with heroes whose kindness and empathy serve as their greatest strength – my favorite examples being Ella from the 2015 “Cinderella” and Marta Cabrera from “Knives Out”. And as for artists, there are too many for me to count that have served as inspiration. Social media allows me to collect them like Pokemon and pull up their art to help motivate and push me whenever I feel I need it.
Who is your favorite Suitor Armor character thus far, and why?
This has always been a hard question to answer. I love writing them all so much for so many different reasons. Right now, that answer would be Lucia. It is always nearly impossible not to put a bit of yourself into your main character. And while she is undoubtedly flawed, her journey has been directly inspired by my own flaws and the lessons I have learned myself. I really enjoy writing her story and knowing where it will end up. I just hope the payoff feels as satisfying to everyone else as it does to me!
Since Suitor Armor was originally published as an episodic webtoon, what was the process of translating it to print?
The main process was choosing where to slice up the story to best fit print since there was so much material due to the size of the original series. The wonderful Miranda Mundt had the largest job of reformatting the episodes to fit the traditional page as she did an amazing job! Apart from that there was also designing the cover and back cover and the additional materials. Even though the guts of the book were pretty much done there was still a lot of art to make for it. All worth it though to make it look as it did! Everyone did such an amazing job and I am beyond grateful for their guidance on it as this was a first for me.
How did you decide which chapters to include in Volume 1 and so on?
The main thing was choosing the best stopping points. One where it left the reader wanting to have more but where each book’s length was close enough to the previous to help keep it all balanced.
With Suitor Armor officially in print, do you foresee it being further adapted in future years as a movie or animated series? Do you have a preference for live-action or animation?
It would be amazing if it was! I obviously would love to see it adapted and it would be an honor. As for live-action or animated, it might surprise people to know that I would pick live-action over animation. I adore animation and would love to see it, obviously! But there is a certain curiosity I would have in terms of seeing how it might be done in live-action. The costumes, the actors, and how they might expand on the original story (and probably improve a few things). I think that it would be an interesting way to tell the story, to see it represented by real people on screen. Of course, if is adapted into animation you won’t hear me complaining!
With Suitor Armor being an ongoing webtoon series, can you predict how many Volumes will encompass the story from start to end?
I honestly have no idea given how many episodes can go into one novel! Math wise I believe there is enough to cover a large handful of books but I can’t predict a number. It’s rather mindboggling to see how few episodes it takes to fill a book. Really helps put into perspective just how much art I’ve made since starting Suitor Armor!
Can you predict when fans can anticipate Volume 2 of Suitor Armor hitting store shelves?
It will be available to my fans in May of 2025!
If given the opportunity, what would you say to fans who have been reading Suitor Armor since it was first published via WEBTOON CANVAS?
The biggest most sincere thank you I could ever offer! None of this would have been possible without my readers. As far as I am concerned, they are the real force behind Suitor Armor now being on shelves. They are the reason I work hard and the reason why my lights are on. They have transformed my life in ways I never thought possible. I can only thank them again and again and work to continue this story to its completion as well as create new things for them to enjoy if they will have me.
Currently, Suitor Armor can be read for free here on WEBTOON, and if you are an existing fan, you can purchase a physical copy of Suitor Armor Volume One here. For more information on future Suitor Armor news, check out Purpah’s WEBTOON creator profile or follow her on Instagram or Blue Sky.
