PRESS RELEASE
Watch out, Greendale — there are two new witches in town! This Halloween season, Archie Comics welcomes Sapphire and Jade to the hometown of Sabrina the Teenage Witch, where they will team up with the villainous Amber Nightstone to form The Wicked Trinity. The new lead story by writer Jamie L. Rotante and artist Holly G! kicks off SABRINA ANNUAL SPECTACULAR, a September one-shot comic book collecting magical Sabrina stories from throughout her iconic history.
“We saw such an enthusiastic reaction to Amber Nightstone that we had to go back and see who else she hangs out with,” said Archie Comics Editor-in-Chief Mike Pellerito. “Enter The Wicked Trinity! Sapphire and Jade are two new witches who love to be bad, but in a different way from Amber so it makes for some fascinating story angles to come that we’re excited to explore. Jamie’s story is a great introduction to these two and Holly’s art is always magical.”
As revealed in Amber’s debut comic, the 2022 Halloween special SABRINA ANNIVERSAY SPECTACULAR, she was born on the same day as Sabrina. Only one witch born that day is allowed to live among mortals, so Amber sets her sights on unseating her rival. Still smarting from defeats in various stories over the past year, Amber now enlists the help of Sapphire and Jade to accrue as much magical power as she can. Amber’s debut issue was an instant sell-out that went to a second printing.
Rotante said, “I’m always ecstatic when Mike asks me to write a new story, especially if I get the chance to help introduce new characters to the Archieverse. It’s an honor to get to work on a Sabrina story, and even more so to expand the witch world! Amber Nightstone’s introduction last year was such a fun and necessary addition to the magic realm, and I cannot wait for everyone to meet her two new sidekicks–but something tells me Jade and Sapphire won’t hide in her shadows for long!”
Holly G!, who says she may be “the first fully functioning witch” to draw Sabrina, said, “When I received Jamie’s script, I felt like I was dropped into this epic dangerous spellventure! I met these two new witches, Sapphire and Jade, and I just love their designs and energy.”
Sapphire and Jade development art by Vincent Lovallo with colors by Rosario “Tito” Peña
As Pellerito hinted, the two new witches wield power in much different ways than previously seen in the Sabrina side of the Archie Universe. Jade, a small-but-fierce woodland fairy who generates her power from the wind, is an agent of chaos, and is often the wildcard of any operation. The calm and collected Sapphire, by contrast, comes from a family of sea-witches, with the ability to conjure water and communicate with sea life.
Holly G! further explained: “Jade is this feisty pixie, a force of nature—don’t judge her by her size! (Should I have written that in Yoda-speak?). Then there’s Sapphire; she isn’t anyone’s puppet. She wants a place at the table, working with other witches to get the power she craves.”
The comic will publish alongside a complete slate of Halloween-themed digest comics throughout the weeks leading up to the holiday, all featuring brand new stories and classic reprints, as well as Archie Horror’s “Month of Mayhem” lineup for older horror fans. SABRINA ANNUAL SPECTACULAR releases September 6 in comic shops nationwide, featuring a cover by Archie legend Dan Parent.
