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THE
INSIDE SCOOP PART
ONE: BIRTH OF AN ICON (1941-1949)
As it turned out, Cheryl Blossom wasn't the only character rescued from limbo to enjoy newfound popularity with a brand new generation of Archie fans. At 8 PM, on April 7th, 1996, Easter Sunday, the Showtime cable channel premiered a prime-time made for TV movie aimed at kids. The movie was "Sabrina the Teenage Witch". Based almost entirely on the comic book series, the Sabrina movie featured in the starring role, Melissa Joan Hart, best known for fronting the hip and popular Nickelodeon series from the early 90's, "Clarissa Explains It All". The premise of the movie centered around Sabrina, sent to live with her aunts Hilda and Zelda in a new town, gaining magical powers on the eve of her sixteenth birthday and her struggle to fit in with her peers while adjusting to being a witch. Sabrina is helped along the way by Hilda and Zelda who were portrayed as attractive but extremely quirky women and her familiar, Salem, a sleek black cat who just so happens to talk. The movie clicked on all levels, casting, acting and, of course the special effects. But the movie would only be the beginning of the Sabrina saga. In May when ABC released its fall schedule, Sabrina was one of the new shows on the docket, joining the network's popular "TGIF" Friday night kiddie sitcom line-up, sandwiched between the long running "Family Matters" and a small screen version of the hit movie "Clueless". The plot of the original 90 minute Showtime movie had been effectively condensed into a half hour premiere as Sabrina Spellman, sent to live with her nutty aunts by her warlock father (divorced from her mortal mother) gained magical powers on her sixteenth birthday. Thanks to the enchanting presence of Melissa, Sabrina was given a wonderfully spunky and sassy personality, something the character never had in the comics as Sabrina was portrayed as a typically awkward teenager who just so happened to be a witch. Filled with delightfully off-beat humor and guest stars galore such as Penn and Teller, Robby Benson (Sabrina's dad), Brian Austin Green, Randy Travis, Kathy Ireland, Coolio and Raquel Welch, just to name a few, Sabrina attracted quite a following in her maiden season and became a sleeper hit. As "Sabrina the Teenage Witch" continued to gain in popularity with viewers, it became the highest-rated show in ABC's "TGIF" lineup. As a result, the network recently renewed Sabrina for not one, but two years in advance, guaranteeing fans plenty of magical hijinks clear into the next millennium. Beyond the realm of comic books, Archie, unlike any other comic book company, has been at the forefront of educational and charitable relationships for years. In the early 90's, Archie Comics became the first comic book publisher to use soy inks and print their books with 100 percent recycled paper. The company received nationwide recognition for the efforts regarding the environment, leading to the creation of custom environmental comic books for the cities of San Diego and Chino which tied in with Earth Day. Archie Comics created a series of public service announcements, such as for abstinence from smoking, missing children and AIDS education, to name just a few, that have run in their comics. The relationship of Archie and the military has been a long and fruitful one. When servicemen stationed overseas would spend their idle hours reading comic books sent to them from loved ones back home, Archie seemed to be at the top of every soldier, sailor, airman and Marine's list. From World War Two to Operation Desert Storm (Aside: an Archie series comic from spring 1991 dealt with the return of hometown servicemen and women to Riverdale from Iraq in an excellent book length story), this relationship has not changed. During the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Bosnia, Archie and the gang have brightened the grim existence of American troops stationed in that war torn country. Acting on a request from Supply Sgt. Edwin Rodriguez of the HHC 16th Engr. Battalion, Michael Silberkleit, chairman and co-publisher of Archie Comics, arranged to have more than five hundred assorted Archie comics sent to Sgt. Rodriguez to disperse to the troops. Reading the timeless, fun filled adventures of Archie and company was a warm and pleasant reminder of home to the men and women serving abroad. In September 1997, Archie and company invaded cyberspace with the celebrated launch of Archie Comics Online. An exciting, fun-filled website devoted not just to Archie and his friends, but to Cheryl Blossom, Sabrina, Josie and the Pussycats, Katy Keene and Sonic the Hedgehog, ACO presents daily comic strips, games, puzzles, contests, fan art, trivia, monthly columns by your favorite characters and classic comic stories to entertain both the young and the young-at-heart. PART ONE | PART TWO | PART THREE
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Meanwhile,
at Archie Headquarters, the editors, seeing how much of a success
Sabrina had become produced a one-shot special in the latter
half of 1996 with a cover featuring Sabrina, as drawn by longtime
artist Dan DeCarlo, next to a photo Melissa as the live action
version. This entertaining book length story recounted Sabrina's
origin straight from the two TV pilots, but with one twist,
as Sabrina used her magic to transform Hilda and Zelda from
the crones they had always been in the comics into the modern
looking versions as seen on TV.
Archie
has also produced custom comics for such businesses and agencies
as Radio Shack, Alcoholics Anonymous, the FBI and New York State.
The cause of literacy in Mississippi led to the creation of
a custom comic book for that state's school system, promoting
the importance, and the fun of reading. In 1995, Archie Andrews
was selected to be the official ambassador for the United Cerebral
Palsy Associations. As UCPA's spokesperson, Archie has made
public appearances, assisted with fundraising and donated comics
to people with cerebral palsy and other disabilities. In 1996,
Archie Comics participated in a promotion with Ore-lda foods
in an effort to raise more than $100,000 for UCPA. For every
two and five pound package of Tater Tots and Onion Tater Tots
purchased in March of that year, Ore-lda donated two cents to
UCPA while Archie donated twenty five cents for every comic
book subscription they received.
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