SABRINA, THE TEENAGE MANGA WITCH

**MattBrady** · 12-19-2003, 12:20 PM

The influence of manga finally hits the extended Archie family next year when Sabrina, the Teenage Witch gets a manga makeover, courtesy of Tania del Rio, a winner of Tokyopop’s Rising Stars of Manga contest. Newsarama spoke with Archie Chairman Michael Silberkleit for more.

The change in appearance comes in next June’s Sabrina the Teenage Witch #58, and marks del Rio’s first major comics work, after winning a place in Tokyopop’s Rising Stars of Manga contest with her story, “Lovesketch,” which appeared in vol. 2 of the new talent anthology.

The discovery as it turns out, wasn’t a matter of a hunt by Archie, but rather was quite serendipitous. “For quite some time, we have been looking into the manga style and have seen that this style is appealing more and more to many young readers,” Silberkleit, Chairman and co-Publisher of Archie Comic Publications told Newsarama. “Coincidentally, there appeared an article in the local Westchester, N.Y. newspaper written about Tania and her accomplishments. We were impressed by the fact that she had won several awards and that she had already self published several manga comics. We invited her to our office and discussed her ideas on manga, examined her artwork which we found to be exceptional.”

As for matching del Rio to Sabrina, as the star of comics, a live-action series, and an animated series, Silberkleit said that it was the publsiher’s opinion that Sabrina was the most obvious choice. “We had discussions about developing a manga character or having one of our own existing characters make the change,” Silberkleit said. “It became obvious that Sabrina the Teenage Witch had the power to make herself manga, or for that matter, anything she chose. Witches can do things like that.”

In giving Sabrina a manga makeover, the plan is fairly obvious – widen the appeal among readers, particularly young girls, many of whom, are already steady manga readers, thanks to the likes of Tokyopop.

“Manga has become very popular with kids and particularly girls,” Silberkleit said. “A lot of the manga comics we checked out though were violent and sexually orientated. They were intended for older readers. We also found manga that appealed to younger readers and felt that this was a niche we could enter with our non violent more wholesome characters. Sabrina has a tremendous following and we decided to start with her.”

The change won’t just be artistic – del Rio will also be writing the book for the foreseeable future, kicking off a new storyline with the debut of the new art style in #58.

And as Silberkleit hinted, Sabrina won’t be the only Archie character viewed through a manga lens. “There are plans to experiment with manga among other characters in the Archie universe. But as the saying goes, we have to crawl before we walk. Let’s see how Sabrina manga does.

“By the way, we are going to ask other creators who have manga characters to show them to us if they want to discuss possible comic publication. I hope that by making this statement we are not inundated with submissions. At the proper time we will talk about it some more. If anyone out there thinks they have the next ‘hot’ property, they can drop our Managing Editor Victor Gorelick a short note with a brief description and he will get back to them by email letting them know when we are ready to consider new properties. Please, no artwork submissions for now.”

Hopefully, given del Rio’s bona fides, Archie and Tokyopop will be able to find some common ground and the opportunity to talk to each other’s audiences. “ We would love to talk to Tokyopop about cross promotions,” Silberkleit said. “We hope this interview will whet the appetite of the manga audience. We believe that our Sabrina manga is perfect for the Archie/Sabrina audience who likes this art style. They’ll love Tania’s treatment.”

Reliant · 12-19-2003, 01:01 PM

This is all part of the long-term secret plan for manga and Krispi Kreme doughnuts to take over the world...mark my words...

Skinshark · 12-19-2003, 01:05 PM

This rocks and I don't know why!!!

I remember back in Art School in the early 90's how Akira was a huge influence and none of the comics publishers wanted anything to do with manga influenced art.

I remember a lot of my black friends at the time were totally into manga, again proving to be ahead of the curve in entertainment.

Me personally I didn't care for it except on the big screen.

Finally it's come full circle. The impenetrable wall of Archie coolness has opened their arms to the Great Eastern Culture...I'm sure it won't hurt their wallets either.

Good luck.

=s=

Charles RB · 12-19-2003, 01:29 PM

You fucking morons, Archie. Instead of doing pseudo-manga "big eyes" artwork without following manga style in narrative and cinematic art layout, why don't you, gee, I dunno- make something that might actually be like a manga?

This whole article is how you can tell Archie is creatively dead and needs to be shot.

Jason Seaver · 12-19-2003, 01:33 PM

Good move by Archie. My first thought when I saw the cover wasn't so much "manga" as "Chynna Clugston-Major", but it's in the same ballpark. As strange as it is to see Archieverse characters in something other than the house style, it's at least a neat idea from a fairly conservative publisher.

OM · 12-19-2003, 01:52 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Charles RB
You fucking morons, Archie. Instead of doing pseudo-manga "big eyes" artwork without following manga style in narrative and cinematic art layout, why don't you, gee, I dunno- make something that might actually be like a manga?

...You mean Archie and Reggie slugging it out in Giant Warrior Robot suits, with big fucking guns, shields and swords, while Jughead becomes an assassin in an Armani suit, and Betty, Veronica and Big Moose run around in naught but their underoos with Doreamon-style stupid funny animals printed all over their privates?

Bah. I'm gonna go read my old Bob Bolling Li'L Archie giant sizers just to rebalance my karma after running over this dead dogma...

GMSLegion · 12-19-2003, 02:04 PM

"What will save Sabrina comics?" Drawin' gigantic eyes - it's so obvious!

You know, call me a cranky old curmudgeon, but I've never, ever liked this art style despite the occasionally high-quality story, and the sooner this manga crap stops selling and characters' eyes stop looking as big as coffee saucers and Tokyopop gets off my yard, the dang whippersnappers, the happier I'll be.

Fazhoul · 12-19-2003, 02:04 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by OM
...You mean Archie and Reggie slugging it out in Giant Warrior Robot suits, with big fucking guns, shields and swords, while Jughead becomes an assassin in an Armani suit, and Betty, Veronica and Big Moose run around in naught but their underoos with Doreamon-style stupid funny animals printed all over their privates?

Well, that would certainly get ME to buy Archie comics. Especially the part about Betty & Veronica in their underoos.

**MattBrady** · 12-19-2003, 02:09 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Charles RB
You fucking morons, Archie. Instead of doing pseudo-manga "big eyes" artwork without following manga style in narrative and cinematic art layout, why don't you, gee, I dunno- make something that might actually be like a manga?

You've read the issue, or del Rio's other story and know what her writing, layout, and pacing is like?

How exactly do you know that she wont "following manga style in narrative and cinematic art layout" without having seen her stuff, especially when TP judged her work to be good enough to call her one of the "Rising Stars of Manga?"

I'm not getting the harshness here....

MattB

Charles RB · 12-19-2003, 02:12 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by MattBrady
You've read the issue, or del Rio's other story and know what her writing, layout, and pacing is like?

It's an Archie comic. I can't seem them letting del Rio change anything beyond giving Sabrina big eyes.

**MattBrady** · 12-19-2003, 02:14 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Charles RB
It's an Archie comic. I can't seem them letting del Rio change anything beyond giving Sabrina big eyes.

well instead of accusing them of being creatively dead, we wait until June and read it together, and then compare notes?

MattB

The Blue Spider · 12-19-2003, 02:15 PM

I'm going to vomit

psycha · 12-19-2003, 02:21 PM

It's interesting to see peoples' negative reactions to Archie comics 'turning manga' when Archie comics have actually been one of the founding inspirations for the 'manga look' along with Astro Boy.

And funny enough, that artwork doesn't actually look too far off or that drastic a change from the original look of the characters. Yet some people have been quick enough to judge before researching.

Taylor Porter · 12-19-2003, 02:25 PM

Some people seem to not like this idea. I wonder when was the last time anyone here acutally bought a Sabrina comic.

I think this is a great idea. Archie comics aren't supposed to be on the cutting edge of creativity and innovation; they're supposed to sell fun stories that appeal to young kids. And the old-school Dan DeCarlo design probably just doesn't appeal to kids like it used to. Kids like Manga-style, so why not give it to them?

El Toro Rojo · 12-19-2003, 02:39 PM

Dear Lord, this looks horrid.

It should be huge.

Charles RB · 12-19-2003, 02:40 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Taylor Porter
they're supposed to sell fun stories that appeal to young kids.

And that's why I detest them. Because they're not fun and they seem like the antithesis of fun stories for young kids. See, over here in Britain we have fun comics for young kids that involve an off-the-wall, semi-violent and anarchic bent. And the better kids cartoons tend to be the same (Tom & Jerry, Looney Tunes, etc). Archie, on the other hand, is mind-destroyingly bland.

psycha · 12-19-2003, 02:52 PM

Doghouse Comics · 12-19-2003, 03:13 PM

I pick up Sabrina for my 9 year old daughter, who enjoys reading it and likes the character...she alos enjoys Miricle Girls and several other Toykopop series of manga books. I myself am a manga and anime fan, but I am trying to get her to at least read comics and enjoy them and if that means her reading manga stories...at least she is still reading comics...I do worry about what Holly G is going to be doing now that Sabrina is gone manga. So I guess in response to several other posters on here, if you don't like it...hey no one is forcing you to buy it...

tim seeley · 12-19-2003, 05:22 PM

Congrats Tania!
I worked with Tania a couple of years ago at Dead Dog Comics, and this girl is a total pro. If you can find it, check out her book, Realm Denizen. It was from Steel River Comics....good stuff.
TIM SEELEY
www.devilsdue.net

Crazy Penguin · 12-19-2003, 05:44 PM

Why are people getting pissy just because the book has a new artist/writer?

The girl's obviously got a lot of talent, and one of my favourite things about this industry is seeing the newcomers with talent work their way up.

I honestly cannot look at that cover and say that it the art doesn't suit Sabrina. It's PERFECT for it. It's much better looking, IMO than when the comic went for the style of the recent animated series.

OM · 12-19-2003, 06:03 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Crazy Penguin
Why are people getting pissy just because the book has a new artist/writer?

...It's not that, it's the fact that quite a lot of us are getting tired of this "Let's cash in on the Manga!" scam that the industry seems to be trying to pull. I prefer US comics as they are, and not a knockoff of something from overseas.

Quote:

Originally posted by MattBrady
well instead of accusing them of being creatively dead, we wait until June and read it together, and then compare notes?

...What planet did you get rocketed away from as it exploded, Mikey? That ain't the way we do things around these heah parts :-P :-P

wraith · 12-19-2003, 07:46 PM

I like the new manga art style for Sabrina. I think te manga style is perfectly suitable for Sabrina and the rest of the Archie line. Do I have no problem with Sabrina "going manga".

However, I do feel that the whole "lets make all our books/characters look like manga" attitude that many american comic publishers are taking, is a bad idea. Like I said on another thread, the current manga craze runs the risk of being played out as a result of publishers flooding the market with all of these wannabe american manga comics. Also, there's more to manga then drawing characters with big eyes.

That all being said, I wish Archie luck with the new manga Sabrina. Now if only Archie would revive their all ages superhero line and letting seasoned pros like Defalco,Claremont ,Stern, Priest,Hama,Lim,Byrne,MD Bright,Lyle ,Jurgens,Ollife,Frenz, and Udon (and other american manga artists) work on this line, then all will be right with the world.

Crazy Penguin · 12-19-2003, 09:27 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by OM
...It's not that, it's the fact that quite a lot of us are getting tired of this "Let's cash in on the Manga!" scam that the industry seems to be trying to pull. I prefer US comics as they are, and not a knockoff of something from overseas.

This isn't the first time that Sabrina's gone through a redesign. Are Archie trying to cash in on the popularity of manga at the moment? Yes, by all means they are, but at the same time aren't they giving the kids what they want? Y'know, trying to make the comic more appealing to them? Guess we'll have to keep a look at Sabrina's sale figures.

As for it being a "knockoff of something overseas" I don't get that argument. How many artists have been inspired by John Romita, John Byrne and the almighty Jack Kirby for example? Hundreds. This talented young girl mostly reads Japanese comics and so unsurprisingly her work shows what influenced her art just as so many artists have more than just a hint of Kirby to them.

Is it wrong for her to have had her inspiration from Japanese comic artists? Is there a rule stating that you can only be inspired by comic artists from the same country?

Does her art look identical to that of another comic artist? If so then please tell me who that artist is and we'll take a look, and don't say that all Japanese comics look the same, because whilst they have a similar style a lot are very distinguishable, just like a lot of traditional US comics are.

This girl has shown a lot of talent, and she's landed a nice gig that could revitalise the whole Sabrina franchise. The look does suit Sabrina, I wish her good look. Let's not overlook her talent just because her artistic influence comes from Japanese comic artists and not American comic artists.

Quote:

Now if only Archie would revive their all ages superhero line and letting seasoned pros like Defalco,Claremont ,Stern, Priest,Hama,Lim,Byrne,MD Bright,Lyle ,Jurgens,Ollife,Frenz, and Udon (and other american manga artists) work on this line, then all will be right with the world.

Y'know what, I think that would be a great idea, as long as the super heroes were distinguishable from what's already out there and the line is kept small, say to a maximum of four titles, and at least one is a female protagonist. Whilst I do think that there are too many super hero comics on the market I also believe that there aren't enough comics for kids, and kids love super heroes.

It'd also be nice to see Archie go for other new ideas too, at the moment they have the big Archie line (Archie, Betty & Veronica etc), Sonic the Hedgehog (#134 will feature the debut of hot new artist Jon Gray, by all means check it out), Sabrina, and that's about it. I think that it would be wise for them to try a few new titles, starting with super heroes as you suggested.

And they really need to get Chris Giarrusso on a new comic, his art has bundles of appeal that's very kid-friendly.

Well, that's my two cents as they say.

antpicnic · 12-19-2003, 11:23 PM

Reliant - wrote
This is all part of the long-term secret plan for manga and Krispi Kreme doughnuts to take over the world...mark my words...
--
you forgot ebay
--
I'm gonna buy it - looks groovy
---
whether good or bad this is the
most I've ever seen a sabrina
book discussed....

Erik K · 12-19-2003, 11:29 PM

Jeez, people, lighten up. Such vitriol about Archie Comics making a change. How many of you screaming complainers are the target audience for this book or actually buy this book currently?

Oooh, big scary Manga actually has some mass market appeal and is beating American style comics in bookstore sales. It MUST be crap! Much better to have twenty years of complicated back-story and secret fanboy handshakes...