Endlessly in love with the majestic nostalgia of 90s content, Alysia Anderson set out to create a story that blends magical girl fantasy with coming-of-age themes, adventure, and hard-fought battles. The result is Cosmyx, the Time Witch, a self-published comic series that brings a fresh mystical spin to the comic book medium.
Cosmyx, the Time Witch follows Dorothy, a young girl who recently discovered she has a rare form of magic that controls time. With newfound powers, Dorothy starts a mentorship with Constance, a wealthy heiress by day and vigilante witch by night. This series is a magical mystery with a blend of youthful struggles–like keeping grades up–showing how being a hero isn’t easy.
Creator Alysia Anderson talked with Pages and Panels writer, Tyreke Rambert at the 2026 New York Comic Con.
Alysia Anderson at Artist Alley at 2026 NYCC
Tyreke Rambert: What started you on your creative journey and how does that show up in your storytelling?
Alysia Anderson: I've always loved comics and manga, and when I had the idea for Cosmyx, I just knew it had to be a comic because of the way the story unfolds.When I started, I did not know what I was doing, so I had to put everything together piece by piece–and my character Cosmyx reflects this in how she is different elements that are both hard and soft. She’s a scrappy teen who wants to save everyone, but still gets crushes.
You advertise it as Sailor Moon meets Batman, how did you land on that unique intersection to pull inspiration from?
Sailor Moon captures something really beautiful about girlhood and power. And Batman–he’s the goat. He represents such a cool idea for what it means to save and protect your city. I merged these ideas when I was watching The Batman with Robert Pattinson. I wondered what a teenage version of this Bruce would look like, and then imagined the story with a magical Black teenage girl.
How did your love for anime, manga and comics affect the paneling and page layout?
As a huge fan of the manga, I got an understanding of what a page-turning story looks like that includes cool action. I can’t draw a straight line to save my life, but I worked closely with my two artists to ensure the visuals were something people could get excited about.
The term Black Girl Magic has become quite popular in recent years; as it should, this series existing is like a testament to the power behind that statement. What does the term Black Girl Magic mean to you and how does it affect your character Dorothy?
We are magic! Like I really do think that being a Black girl is a magical existence. So for me it was just a matter of leaning into that like innate power for my character. I actually didn't even put two and two together at first, hilariously. But once I started to bring it up–I was like this is Black girl magic. It was very authentic and intentional as she has a very unique power in her world that only she can do, and sometimes it feels like as a Black Girl there are only things we understand. I also wanted to create a character that looked like me and that I think is a form of Black Girl magic as well!
One final question is, what are you hoping that readers will take from this story when they pick it up?
I'm hoping that readers really enjoy a fresh, fun story that is positive and lighthearted. Even though Cosmyx the Time Witch is about a coming of age story blending time and prophecy, it's also about a teenager who's just trying to grow up. She’s authentically 16, wants to defeat evil, and talk to her crush. A lot of stories featuring People of Color are very dark, and I want to remind people that our stories can be fun and full of whimsy.
