New Names for Classic Comics

Witches and curses, mystery and murder – nothing is what it seems in the world of Sabrina and the Riverdale gang.

On Jan. 26, 2017, the CW network aired the first episode of Riverdale. 1.4 million people tuned in to see the new adaptation of the famous Archie Comics.

“I felt really intrigued and fascinated,” sophomore Maddison Austin said. “My dad told me about the comics so that made me want to watch it even more.”

Similarly, on Oct. 26, 2018, Netflix released the first season of The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina for streaming. Just like the comics, the show is a spin-off to Riverdale and an adaptation of Sabrina the Teenage Witch.

“I like the creepy vibe it gives off,” sophomore Alexia Partouche said. “The setting really adds to this because you have this small mining town. The concept and the detail is pretty impressive.”

Both Riverdale and CAOS (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina), are creating a new name for themselves by making their own story with the beloved characters from the comics, as well as changing the characters themselves.

“Well it’s based on [the comics] so most of the characters are similar, but in the show they’ve made [the characters]have a more mysterious and kinda dark twist,” sophomore Rachel Fuentes said

Because the characters are different than the originals, both Riverdale and CAOS allow for more freedom to explore new ideas for the characters that the comics weren’t able to.

“The show draws me in that the characters are witches and warlocks, but also the fact that they’re gay,” sophomore Janine Abad said. “I think it’s great to have inclusion of LGBT characters.”

In a poll on Instagram, students voted their favorite show being Riverdale at 73 percent, over Chilling Adventures of Sabrina’s 27 percent. This can be because the new concepts both shows are able to develop makes it more relatable, as well as it keeping true to its original despite the overarching fantasy.

“I relate to Veronica,” Austin said. “No I didn’t have a really rich family, but my dad used to work all the time and I never saw him and he also got into some trouble with his business, so I kinda have similar feelings as Veronica.”

Both Riverdale and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina have developed their own new identities while still holding true to the original stories that are loved by many. By being more inclusive it creates a sense of relatability, while still drawing in new audiences of all ages.