Tania del Rio is an author/illustrator of comics and middle grade books. Her most prominant work has been for Archie Comics, delivering the popular Sabrina the Teenage Witch: The Magic Within manga series and Diary of A Girl Next Door (Riverdale Diaries). Here, she kindly took the time to discuss her artistic inspiration, working on the Magic Within and the latest book in her spooky Warren the 13th trilogy.

1. What are some of your artistic inspiration or role models?

I take inspiration from many things, but the main ones would be classic anime, including films by studio Ghibli, 90s Disney animation, and manga, particularly Shoujo manga which is aimed at young girls. One of my earliest role models was Wendy Pini, the creator and artist of ElfQuest. I was about 13 years old when I discovered her work. Until that point I didn’t even realize women could become comic artists. That may sound silly now, but back then comics was a much more male-dominated field and all I had been exposed to were superhero comics. She still inspires me to this day!

2. How did you develop your style of illustration?

It happened gradually over years with countless hours drawing and practicing. When I was younger I imitated the styles of the things that inspired me and my work was very derivative. But as I grew older and more confident in my abilities my own style emerged. It happened so slowly that for a long time I stressed that I still wasn’t unique enough, or that my style wasn’t good enough. But when people started recognizing my work on its own and began seeking me out for commissions and jobs I realized I had finally developed something that was my own.

3. When did you first discover Sabrina?

Like many kids I grew up reading Archie comics, but it wasn’t until the Sabrina TV show came out (both the live action and animated series) that she was really on my radar! I definitely enjoyed watching those after school.

4. How did you get started at Archie Comics?

I was very lucky! After graduating from art school I moved to Westchester, NY, which happens to be the area where Archie Comics is located. I had been selected as a runner’s up in a national manga competition and the local newspaper wrote an article about it. One of the editors at Archie happened to see the article and they contacted me directly, asking if I’d like to bring my manga style to Sabrina. It was like a dream come true!

5. When you started the manga run, did you have a clear idea of where
the story would go or was it issue by issue?

Not in the very early issues, as Archie originally wanted me to keep the stories as one-shots with self-contained stories. But it wasn’t too long before the characters and situations demanded a bit more continuity and at that point I envisioned an overall plot. I always knew how I wanted it to end, I just didn’t know exactly when the series would come to a close. I worked on it for several years ultimately spanning about 40 issues. It was fun weaving in a bit of foreshadowing here and there as I built my way to the final story arc. Even though I was sad to see the series close, it was very satisfying to me as a storyteller to have the chance to wrap it up the way I had envisioned!

6. The Magic Within delved deeper into the society of the Other-Realm like the reign of Queen Seles and the rebellion of the Four Blades, Sabrina’s greater powers etc. How did you go about building up this world, its lore, its holidays and its systems?

A lot of the Magic Realm was inspired by Japanese culture and making it feel a bit like Japan was also a nod to the manga style of the comic itself. I’ve been fortunate enough to have visited Japan a few times now and it’s one of the most beautiful and vibrant countries I’ve ever visited, and hugely inspiring. But I also mixed in some elements inspired by European and Nordic paganism, as well as some purely fantastical elements I imagined up. The worldbuilding was a gradual thing, getting more definition and clarity as the series progressed, but it was one of my favorite parts of writing and drawing the series.

7. In doing so, you were able to explore big topics like propaganda and war, how did you balance these serious themes among such fun issues like Salem briefly turning back to a human among others?

One of the things I love about manga is that it can get incredibly deep and deal with some really big issues even as it maintains a focus on surface level character relationships and plotlines. I think American comics have moved in that direction within the last decade, but most of the comics I read growing up felt a bit more superficial and two dimensional, involving basic good vs. evil characters and somewhat predictable situations. So when I first discovered manga I was blown away by the subtexts and the moral grayness of the characters. But I also loved how humorous the stories could be while still carrying a heavy plot forward. Since the Sabrina comic was inspired by shoujo manga I wanted it to have all the richness of the stories I loved to read. Also, it was a turbulent time politically in real life, and current events definitely influenced my work as well.

8. While Sabrina’s world has some central figures, you were also able to include new characters like Llandra and expand on others like Holly G’s Shinji. What was your process for blending and including these characters into Sabrina’s world?

I was a big fan of Holly G’s run, which also seemed inspired by shoujo manga even though it was drawn in the classic Archie house style. Her stories deviated from the classic gag format, and she brought some real complexity to Sabrina and her friends. So it just made sense to me to carry over some of the characters she created and bring them into the manga redesign. In the first issue, they literally transform into manga versions of themselves! Besides, Shinji was so cute, how could I leave him out?  He was just perfect for continuing his role in the Harvey-Sabrina love triangle!

9. Though it had a satisfying ending, some readers felt storylines in the mortal realm (especially Harvey) were unresolved. Were their plans for more or arcs that got shifted and dropped?

Ultimately the story was about Sabrina coming into her own power as a witch, so it made the most sense to me that she would end up with Shinji instead of Harvey (spoiler alert!). As a result, the mortal world and its characters were somewhat left behind, both figuratively and literally. Sabrina’s future lay with the Magic Realm and its rebuilding.

Despite this, I did regret leaving some loose ends but that was mainly due to the fact that I was informed that the series would be ending on issue 100 and I had limited time and space to wrap things up. My focus was on making sure the main storyline resolved but unfortunately some of the mortal world B and C plots fell to the wayside. I was happy when a Salem spin off was born from the series and we got to learn more about his character. Too bad Harvey couldn’t get the same treatment!

10. With such a huge cast, what were your favorite characters to write?

Sabrina was my favorite, of course. I felt so close to her over the years I wrote her, and I felt as proud as any parent to see her grow. But other than her, I loved writing Shinji the most. He was so charming and confident, but also deeply troubled and flawed. A classic shoujo hero with all the scars and a smile (and great hair!) to cover it up. He was a lot of fun to write.

11. Since it’s her 60th anniversary, what are your thoughts on what
makes Sabrina so endearing?

Sabrina is such a relatable character. Sure, she’s a witch with supernatural powers, but her core character is a girl who straddles two worlds and can’t quite master either of them. I think many of us know what it’s like to have to hide parts of ourselves or act a certain way in front of certain groups of people in order to fit in. We’ve all felt clumsy at times or used our abilities to our own advantage, sometimes with unintended results. Many of us even talk to our cats out loud! Ultimately what gives Sabrina her staying power over these past 60 years is that she is quite literally a master of transformation. Moreso than any other Archie character, her magical nature allows her to change and adapt to fit any timeline, any style, through the ages. From 60’s chic to a cartoony 90s girl, to a Gen Z horror queen she slips into any role effortlessly. I’m excited to see how she continues to evolve over the next several decades!

12. Now you’re working on your own series, Warren the 13th, a boy of
all trades at his family’s ancient hotel who soon comes across supernatural mysteries. Already on book 3, can you spill any exciting details from your new work?

The Warren the 13^th series is complete as a trilogy and I’m really proud of how it came together. If you enjoy spooky mysteries with lavish design and illustration, you should definitely check it out! I’m nearly finished with another middle grade fantasy novel inspired by Mexican folklore, and I’m working on an independent graphic novel based on a Web3 fantasy franchise called “Forgotten Runes”. In general I’ve been having a lot of fun drawing and continuing to strengthen my craft.

You can follow me on Twitter @taniadelrio to see more of my art and progress.