Exclusive: Talking With The Creative Team Behind March’s Sabrina: The Teenage Witch One-Shot

After having appeared a couple of times in Jughead, Sabrina the Teenage Witch’s reinvention takes another big step forward in March with the release of the Sabrina the Teenage Witch One-Shot, written by Katie Cook with Franco and drawn by Andy Price, best known for his work with Cook on IDW’s My Little Pony comics.

The character, a longtime staple of the publisher’s Riverdale-based library and arguably the property with their most recent success in outside media (by virtue of a long-running live-action series and a number of recent stabs at interpreting her in animated form), joins a number of other Archie projects getting one-shots in March, presumably with an eye toward developing them into more if sales justify it and schedules align.

“I’m really excited to be involved in the relaunch of Sabrina,” said co-writer Katie Cook. “One, it’s a character I loved growing up (along with the rest of the Archie cast) and two, I’m working on this with Franco and Andy. They’ve been friends of mine for a long time and I love that we are working together to bring new life into the Sabrina story. Getting a chance to come up with a bit of a spin on an old story is fun… trying to include elements of what’s been standard for her setting for decades but still make it fresh and new… it’s been a blast. You’re going to find the story touches on what already exists for Sabrina’s world, but you’ll also find a new story about a girl who is awkward and excitable and anxious and real… who also happens to be a witch. Also, there’s a talking cat. Every comic needs a talking cat.”

Franco, for his part, was a bit less subdued.

“AHHHHH!!!!! I get to work on SABRINA the TEENAGE WITCH!!!!” The Eisner-winning cartoonist wrote in a statement for ComicBook.com. “This is a dream come true! I’ve always had a great affection for all the Archie characters but it’s been fun to strip down the essence of what Sabrina is and rebuild a brand new origin for the first teenager of magic! The fact that I get to work on this dream project with two of the most talented people in the business is unbelievable! Katie Cook is a treasure and more talented and funnier that you can shake a stick at! Very easy and gracious to work with, I think we built a truly wonderful script to build this new Sabrina on. Andy Price is a marvelous master with that pencil of his! The work happening on this title from this man is going to be the best anyone has ever seen from him and that’s tremendous if you are already of fan of his art, and if you’re not, you will be after this! I can’t wait for the world to meet Sabrina again!”

Given the records of all involved (Cook and Price, as noted, have worked on My Little Pony, while Franco is one half of the beloved Aw Yeah Comics team and responsible for books like Tiny Titans, Aw Yeah Comics, and Itty Bitty Hellboy), it seems likely this will be a significantly more all-ages-friendly take than the Archie Horror title Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, currently in publication (but marred by chronic lateness). The ecstatic enthusiasm of the creative team certainly speaks to an almost childike energy and affection for the characters.

“Holy broomsticks, this is happening! It’s not quite sunk in yet that we’re doing SABRINA!!” said artist Andy Price.”My all-time favorite character from the Archie pantheon. We’ve been handed this cauldron filled with 54 years of humor, horror, and history that is the white-haired witch and we get to sprinkle in our own touches of magic! Katie Cook and I have worked together for years and it’s always such an abundance of ideas and creativity being thrown back and forth, and now I get to pick the multi-talented Franco’s brain for even more of those great elements! My pencil is enchanted and my inkwell filled with powdered bat-wing, time to make some magic and show the world the new SABRINA!!”

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You can check out the covers for the issue — including a standard cover by Sandra Lanz and variants by Adam Hughes, Paul Renaud, Andy Price — in the attached image gallery, and check out the official solicitation text for the issue below.

SABRINA THE TEENAGE WITCH ONE-SHOT

BRAND NEW ONE-SHOT SPECIAL! Sabrina is off to college for her first foray into “the real world.” After years of being protectively home schooled by her aunts, she is ready to experience friends, boys, and parties—but a shocking revelation will rock her world in a way she never expected! From writers Franco (Tiny Titans) and Katie Cook (My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic) and art by Andy Price (My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic)!

Script: Katie Cook and Franco
Art: Andy Price
Cover: Sandra Lanz
Variant Covers: Adam Hughes, Paul Renaud, Andy Price
On Sale Date: 3/22
48-page, full color comic
$4.99 U.S.

The Sabrina: The Teenage Witch One Shot will be in stores on March 22, 2017.

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