New York, NY and Los Angeles, CA (September 22, 2011) — Archie Comics, the leading mass market comic book publisher in the world and home to leading all-ages properties Archie, Betty and Veronica, Jughead and Josie and the Pussycats announced plans to partner with Moonscoop, one of the leading worldwide animation production studios, to create a new animated series based on the adventures of Sabrina, the Teenage Witch.

Sabrina, one of the most popular properties in Archie’s wide collection of characters and universes, has been a strong presence in visual media since the 1970s, and was the focus of a long-running ABC and The WB sitcom, which was followed by an equally-successful animated series which ran on ABC.

The Archie/Moonscoop partnership will bring a new look to the long-running character, and bring her in line with a more modern and teen-centric sensibility. Sabrina will face the trials and tribulations all teens come across — along with monsters and the supernatural.

“Sabrina is a huge and important character for Archie, so we were very careful in how we brought her back to animation. The team at Moonscoop are the perfect partners for us,” said Archie Co-CEO Jon Goldwater. “They know how to put together quality animation and they get the characters. We’re excited and honored to be working with such a talented group.”

Moonscoop will bring the company’s award-winning production and creative teams together to reimagine the character and her supporting cast for a modern audience and an integral part of Moonscoop’s past catalogue of animated programming (currently over 3,000 half-hours and growing). Current Moonscop projects include Hero: 108, Tara Duncan, Fantastic Four, Casper, Code Lyoko, Titeuf and Wild Grinders among many others.

Mike Young, CEO of Moonscoop’s North American office said: “We can’t wait to collaborate on production of these fantastic new shows. The Archie Comics library is a real treasure trove of brands ideal for bringing to animated life for television.” Nicolas Atlan, Executive Chairman added: “Sabrina The Teenage Witch and Little Archie’s will have a top-quality look and feel that captures the essence of the original illustrations and stories, while giving them fresh appeal for international TV audiences.”

Moonscoop and Archie are looking to launch the animated series with a network or cable partner in the coming year.

Chris Arrant

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