Archie transforms into 'Archina' in August edition

The Riverdale heartthrob will turn into a girl in August's Archie No 636 and while Archie Comics has been dealing with some serious topics of late, including gay marriage, the character won't be transforming due to hormones or an operation.

"There's some magic," Archie president Mike Pellerito said of the story, entitled "The Great Switcheroo." "It's really fun, silly and kind of goofy."

The gender swap happens after Sabrina the Teenage Witch's cat hears Archie and long time love interests Betty and Veronica argue over who has it easier --boys or girls, the New York post reported.

"The grass is always greener on the other side," Pellerito said. Betty and Veronica are also affected by Salem's spell, becoming Billy and Ronnie in a world where they've always been boys and Archie has always been a girl.

Pellerito said "Archina is still the most popular kid in school," and she still can't decide between the filthy-rich Ronnie and the perfect boy next door Billy.

"Even in 'Reversedale,' some things are forever," Pellerito said.

The hit comic, which was first published in 1941 in 'Pep Comics', has sold more than 1.5 billion and is published in a dozen foreign languages.

The Life With Archie series, a spin-off from the original, follows the lives of the Riverdale High School students as they enter their 20s.

In the original series, the characters were at high school.

In 2010, the Life With Archie series was revived as a magazine-sized comic devoted to stories that grew out of the main character's wedding to his high school sweethearts Veronica and Betty. PTI ASK AKJ