Sabrina: The Teenage Witch

1)      Archie: At the core of the character, who is Sabrina?

Tania del Rio: Sabrina, despite all her magical powers, is just a regular teenage girl! She's not the "popular girl", but she's not the one that everyone picks on, either (well, except for Amy, of course!). I think she's a character many teens can relate to... she's got a good heart but she can also be selfish and short-tempered. She doesn't always want to take the advice of those who are older than she is, and she gets distracted easily. At her core, she's just a girl who wants to love and be loved, and who wants to know what her place in life is... as she gets older she has to start thinking about what she wants to be when she grows up and that scares her! I put a lot of my teenage self into Sabrina, because I remember how stressful and confusing it could be! But I was never quite as fashionable as Sabrina, that's for sure!

Archie: Whose idea was it to make Sabrina evil?

Tania del Rio: My editor Mike and I discussed it as a way to spice up the Sabrina storyline and I realized that it fell right into place with the overall story I wanted to tell. I think this is Sabrina's personal "test" she has to endure before she can become the person who can help save the Magic Realm.

Archie: What was the point in wiping out her boyfriend’s memories?

Tania del Rio: I think it represents a really difficult loss for Sabrina and I wanted to challenge her character and see how she would handle that loss. So far, she doesn't seem to be handling it very well. Poor Harvey! I have such a soft spot for him and I know he's always been somewhat of an enigma. And just when he begins to open up, his memories are erased. Keep in mind that not ALL his memories are erased - just his memories of Sabrina and of magic. So he's still the same guy we know and love.

Archie: Are the memories gone for good?

Tania del Rio: That remains to be seen. All I'll say is that I'm generally not a fan of the familiar plot device where someone's memory is wiped and then restored, in the same way that I don't like how dead characters are brought back to life as a way to "reset" the story. It's too easy.

Archie: Is it the Duality Wands that corrupts Sabrina or is she discovering a darkness in her own personality?

Tania del Rio: Good question! In the Magic Realm, wands are just tools, like a sword. And, like swords, they're usually reserved for symbolic acts or formal duels (like fencing in the Mortal Realm). Simply holding a sword will not corrupt you, but using it to hurt someone will. It's the same way with a wand. However, there may be more to these wands that meets the eye and that will be revealed in issues 93 and 94!

Archie: If Sabrina keeps the dark powers we will have to change the title to Sabrina the evil witch. However, if she ultimately rejects the dark powers, won’t she still be changed because she had accepted the powers and used them?

Tania del Rio: I do feel that she will learn some valuable lessons as the result of these experiences. I think every person has a bit of a “dark side” in them. It's how we choose to handle that darkness that defines us as people. By accepting that darkness yet choosing not to succumb to it is a classic theme you see in literature and movies. I think Sabrina won't be as innocent as a result of this experience, but she will be wiser and perhaps more mature in some ways. But, don't worry... she'll still have her bubbly personality and distracted nature when it comes to boys!

Archie: Bartholomew plays a role in “The Turning” will he continue to be an active character after this story?

Tania del Rio: Yes, definitely. His role will become very important as Four Blades Day approaches and the kids try to save the Magic Realm from the hands of the Queen.

Archie: We have gone from “Shattered Lives”, to “Hidden Worlds, Forbidden Power” and then “The Turning”. Will Sabrina ever be happy again?

Tania del Rio: Writers often say "Without conflict there is no story". If Sabrina had everything she wanted in life and was always happy, there wouldn't be any story to tell! So even though part of me feels bad for putting Sabrina through all these trials, I think she's handling everything well and still manages to keep upbeat and hopeful most of the time. And I think the rewards for her troubles will be worth it!

Archie: With the relationship between Harvey and Sabrina forever altered, will the focus of the comic change?

Tania del Rio: The focus will definitely shift back towards the Four Blades movement as the day grows closer. But Sabrina has always been about romance and friendship, and even though things have ended badly with her and Harvey, she still has Shinji and Llandra as her friends, and there will also be more romantic possibilities in her life!

Archie: How easy is it for new readers to join the story and understand what’s going on?

Tania del Rio: Granted, after 30+ issues of building up the overall storyline, there's a lot of back story and details that a new reader may not be able to catch onto right away. But it's always been important to me that each issue is an exciting, entertaining story on its own and that's what I strive for. We've started putting little blurbs at the beginning of each story arc so readers can quickly catch up on the main plot points that are important to know.