| Ongoing: | Y |
| Genre: | Teen humor |
| Publisher: | Archie Comics |
| Date: | (vol. 1) April 1971 - Jan. 1983 (vol. 2) May 1997 - Dec. 1999 (vol. 3) Jan. 2000 - Sept. 2009 |
| Issues: | (vol. 1): 77 (vol. 2): 32 (vol. 3): 104 |
| Sort: | Sabrina the Teenage Witch |
Sabrina the Teenage Witch is a comic book series published by Archie Comics about the adventures of a fictional American teenager named Sabrina Spellman. Sabrina was created by writer George Gladir and artist Dan DeCarlo, and first appeared in Archie's Madhouse #22 (cover-dated Oct. 1962). Storylines of the character at elementary-school-age also appear under the title "Sabrina -- That Cute Little Witch" in almost all of the Little Archie comics.
The premise is that Sabrina, a "half-witch" - her mother is an ordinary human, or "mortal" as witches refer to them, while her father is a warlock - lives with her two aunts, Hilda and Zelda Spellman, both witches themselves, in the fictional town of Greendale, which is located somewhere near Riverdale, the home of Archie Andrews. Also living with the three women as the family pet is Salem Saberhagen, a warlock who has been turned into a cat as punishment for world domination attempts. Sabrina's primary romantic interest is her mortal boyfriend Harvey Kinkle who, like nearly all the other mortals in Sabrina's world, is unaware she is a witch.
Most of Sabrina's adventures consist of Sabrina either trying to use her powers in secret to help others - witches generally are not allowed to tell mortals about their abilities or existence - or dealing with the day-to-day trials of being a teenager. A recurring theme in Sabrina's stories is her learning more about the proper use of her powers, either through her aunts or from trips to a magical dimension that is the home of various magical/mythological creatures, including other witches. Various names are given to this dimension; the mid-late 2000s comics refer to it as the "Magic Realm,"[1] while the live-action sitcom referred to it as the "Other Realm".
The comic's characters have also appeared in various other media formats. The live-action sitcom, in which Sabrina discovers her powers at the age of sixteen, aired for a combined seven seasons on ABC and the WB. Earlier, there had been an animated series produced by Filmation Associates. Another format was a series of paperback novels (see list below) written by various authors, including Nancy Holder, Diana G. Gallagher, and Mel Odom, as well as a late 1990s/early 2000s animated series set in the original Archie Comics continuity, where Sabrina already knows about her powers while in junior high. She is portrayed by Melissa Joan Hart on the live action sitcom and Kiernan Shipka on the Riverdale spin-off, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.
Sabrina the Teenage Witch debuted in Archie's Madhouse (the logo is sometimes given as Archie's Mad House) #22 (Oct. 1962). Created by writer George Gladir and artist Dan DeCarlo. She first appeared in that humor anthology's lead story (the logo then spelled "Teen-Age"),[2] and eventually became one of Archie Comics' major characters, appearing in an animated series and a television sitcom. Gladir recalled in 2007,
Sabrina made regular appearances in the comic book Archie's TV Laugh-Out. The title was published from 1969 to 1985, and consisted of 106 issues.[3]
The first volume of Sabrina The Teenage Witch was published from 1971 to 1983, and ran for 77 issues.[4] A new "Sabrina" comic series was introduced shortly after the debut of the 1996 live-action sitcom. This series ran for 32 issues, between 1997 and December 1999. The new series incorporated elements from the live-action sitcom, including modernized fashions and appearances for the aunts, Sabrina's last name and Salem's personality and backstory.
Starting in January 2000, Archie rebooted the series from #1, this time based upon the 2000 animated series (the final issue of the 1997–1999 series had acted as a transition between the two adaptations). This new title was simply titled Sabrina and lasted for 37 issues; issue #38, published in late 2002, again acted as a transition issue, as the series was re-titled Sabrina The Teenage Witch and resumed the conventional high school setting. However, elements of the live-action sitcom (Salem's backstory, the modernized appearances of Hilda and Zelda) were retained, along with the name of Sabrina's hometown (Greendale) from Sabrina the Animated Series being incorporated into the comics. The conventional setting lasted until issue #57, published in 2004, when the comic underwent a manga makeover (see below). The series ended with issue #104 in September 2009.
Sabrina also occasionally appears in other Archie Comics as a visiting acquaintance of Archie, Betty Cooper, Veronica Lodge, and Jughead Jones. In Jughead #200 (May 2010), Sabrina reveals to Jughead that she is a witch, which is made use of in a follow-up story.[5] Sabrina and Salem make a notable appearance in the 2012 Archie issue #636, where Salem, as a plot device, performs a spell (against Sabrina's desires) that gender-bends the entire town of Riverdale without the characters noticing the change.[6]
Issue #28 of Sabrina, as well as the Sonic Super Special Crossover Chaos, featured a crossover with Sonic the Hedgehog, in which Sonic was brought to Greendale from Mobius by one of Sabrina's enemies and subsequently brainwashed into attacking Sabrina herself. In this issue, it is mentioned that Salem is a fan of Sonic and has all of his comics and watches Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog.
In 2004, beginning with issue #58 (in the second Sabrina the Teenage Witch comic book series), the comics were taken over by Tania del Rio with her manga-inspired art and design style. Concurrent with this, the comic ceased to be connected to either the live-action or animated Sabrina series. The comics were then released featuring new characters and a slightly more serious, continuity-heavy plot. The manga Sabrina story wrapped up at issue #100 in 2009,[7] albeit with a few unresolved subplots.
Issues #58-61 of the 'manga makeover' series were reprinted as Sabrina- The Magic Revisited.[8] [9] Then, in 2013, issues #58-67 were reprinted as Sabrina the Teenage Witch: The Magic Within Book 1 in grayscale instead of full-color.[10] [11] [12] Sabrina the Teenage Witch: The Magic Within Book 2 containing issues #68-78 also was reprinted in grayscale instead of full-color.[13] [14] Book 3 and 4 containing issues #79-89 and #90-100, respectively, were also released and, like the first two, were reprinted in gray-scale instead of full color.
Issues #58-100 of the 'manga makeover' series were released digitally as Sabrina Manga #1–43.
A four-issue spin-off miniseries featuring Salem as a young boy (predating his attempts at conquest later in life and his transformation into a cat) was published in 2009. The miniseries was written by Ian Flynn and illustrated by Chad Thomas. The mini-series continued directly on Sabrina's regular series beginning with issue #101, albeit with a different title known as The Magical Tales of Young Salem. This was done as a method to cut newsstands costs. The new series is partially based on a two-part story which occurred during the manga Sabrina series issues #93 and #94, which was a flashback about Salem's near-rise to power.[15] As of issue #104, the first The Magical Tales of Young Salem mini-series was concluded, but apparently the comic book series was subsequently suspended for internal reasons[16] with no further Young Salem stories announced.
In 2015, "New Riverdale" was introduced, rebooting the entire original Archie lineup in favor of a realistic aesthetic aimed at older readers. Sabrina debuted in the "New Riverdale" with Jughead #9.[17] She continued to appear for issues #10 and #11. In December 2016, it was announced that a Sabrina the Teenage Witch one-shot would debut in March 2017 as part of Archie Comics' "pilot season". This one-shot would have been greenlit into a full series if there was enough fan interest.[18] However, in May 2017 it was revealed that the one-shot was cancelled, with no intention of releasing it at a later date.[19]
In November 2018, Archie Comics announced a five-issue miniseries, written by Kelly Thompson and illustrated by the husband-and-wife team of Veronica Fish and Andy Fish, set to launch in the spring of 2019.[20]
The series was critically acclaimed, with Thrillist calling it "one of the best comics of the year"[21] and commercially successful. Archie Comics announced a second series to debut in the winter of 2020 with the same creative team.
In Winter 2020, “Sabrina, Something WICKED” would debut with writer Kelly Thompson and husband-wife duo Veronica Fish and Andy Fish all returning for another five issues.
This miniseries would end with the fifth issue, featuring the first comic appearance of Ambrose, from the chilling adventures show, telling Sabrina she had been accepted into a magical academy.
This version of the Sabrina mythos would continue with one last issue, the 2020 Sabrina Winter Special, picking up after the end of “Something WICKED” with writer Kelly Thompson again returning to write with Veronica Fish and Andy Fish once again illustrating.
The Winter Special shows Sabrina attending her new magical school, and helping her classmates rescue a fellow friend from a demon-beast.
As an added bonus, the winter special would also include a bonus comic featuring Sabrina’s aunts and parents in their teenage years trying to save the “Yuel Festival” from the spirit of one of Sabrina’s ancestors.
This is a list and description of the characters that appear in the Sabrina comic books. For information about the characters from the live-action TV sitcom, see List of Sabrina the Teenage Witch (1996 TV series) characters.
the lead character of the series. In the early comic series, Sabrina is a well-meaning girl, but she struggles with constant pressure to be "bad" from all the other witches around her, especially her aunts, as well as learning to master her powers. Later comics incarnations (and media spinoffs) present other witches, including her aunts, as largely "good," though Sabrina still struggles to fully master her powers.
Sabrina's aunt. In the earlier comics, Hilda is portrayed dressed as and behaving in a more stereotypical witch manner, including being cranky, disliking mortals (particularly Harvey), and prone to using her powers for revenge or resolving petty disputes. The 1990s comics toned down Hilda's cranky behavior and modernized her clothing and physical appearance.
Sabrina's aunt. In the earlier comics, Zelda (like Hilda) also was dressed in stereotypical witch's clothes, but unlike Hilda, was the more compassionate and kindly of the two. The 1990s comics modernized Zelda's clothing and physical appearance. In the earliest comics, she was supposed to find a husband within a year or else lose her powers.
the Spellmans' American shorthair cat. Salem was formerly a witch, who was turned into a cat as punishment by the Witches' Council for plotting to take over the world. Salem has the ability to speak and possesses a sarcastic and somewhat self-centered attitude. The name "Salem" refers to the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. Comics published before the late 1990s presented Salem as an ordinary orange-colored cat unable to speak. Since the late 1990s, Salem inherited the elements of his live-action sitcom counterpart, including the backstory of formerly being a witch, the ability to speak, and being colored black. Since the late 1990s, reprints of earlier Sabrina stories in Archie digests usually recolor Salem as black.
A 1990s storyline saw Sabrina and her aunts relocate for a time to the town of "Gravestone Heights," which is populated by various monsters and creatures.[27]
See main article: Sabrina the Teenage Witch (1970 TV series). In 1970, CBS debuted a Filmation boy-oriented animated superhero fantasy sitcom, The Sabrina the Teenage Witch Show, a spin-off from its popular Archie franchise. It included shorts with her Universal Horror-inspired cousins, the Groovie Goolies, and ran for four seasons, with the Goolies spinning off into their own series in 1971.[28]
See main article: Sabrina: The Animated Series. In 1999, Melissa Joan Hart provided the voice of Sabrina's two aunts for . This series lasted one season and produced 65 episodes. Broadcasting & Cable reported that a second season was in the works,[29] but no further information came out about this new season. After its cancelation, the television/direct-to-video movie made its debut in Nickelodeon, and was eventually followed up by the continuation-spinoff series Sabrina's Secret Life. Both of those Sabrina animated shows and the movie are all produced by DIC Entertainment. Unlike the sitcom, the DIC series takes place in the original Archie Comics canon and so the characters live in Greendale.
DiC had also announced a spin-off that revolved around Salem the Cat, but just like the show's second season, no further information on that came out.
See main article: Sabrina: Secrets of a Teenage Witch. In 2011, Archie Comics announced plans to produce a new animated series based on Sabrina the Teenage Witch to be released in late 2012. The show featured CGI animation that was produced by MoonScoop, and a brand new look for the Sabrina characters.[30], The Hub has picked up the series,[31] and it finally debuted on air on October 12, 2013.
See main article: Sabrina the Teenage Witch (1996 TV series). In September 1996, the live-action TV movie spawned the Sabrina the Teenage Witch television series. Both the TV-movie and sitcom starred Melissa Joan Hart as Sabrina. The fictional home of the series was moved to Westbridge, Massachusetts.[32] Her original last name, Spellman, was retained, and her mother was stated to be mortal. The sitcom ran for seven seasons and included two television movies and one soundtrack release.
See main article: Riverdale (2017 TV series). On July 23, 2016, at San Diego Comic-Con, K.J. Apa, who portrays Archie Andrews in the darker, subversive live action take on Archie, confirmed that Sabrina will eventually appear in the CW series. Sabrina was originally slated to debut in the show's season one finale, but this was eventually decided against, as showrunner Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa said it would've distracted from the rest of the episode, though she is still being considered for a later season.[33]
In December 2017, a live-action adaptation of the comic book series Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, produced by Warner Bros. Television and Berlanti Productions, with Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, Lee Toland Krieger, Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, and Jon Goldwater as executive producers, was picked up by the online streaming service Netflix for a two-season order.[34] Starring Kiernan Shipka as Sabrina Spellman,[35] the first part of the series was released worldwide on Netflix on October 26, 2018,[36] with a special Christmas episode being released later that year on December 14. The second part was released on April 5, 2019,[37] the third part was released on January 24, 2020,[38] and the fourth part was released on December 31, 2020.
See main article: Sabrina the Teenage Witch (film). In 1996, the comic was adapted into a live-action made-for-television film of the same name. In this version, Sabrina lives in Riverdale (fictional hometown of the Archie characters), rather than Greendale, as it was in the comic books. Her last name is Sawyer instead of Spellman, also it is said that both her parents are witches.
A film starring Melissa Joan Hart, it follows American teenage witch Sabrina and her food-obsessed magical talking cat and mouse to Rome, the last whereabout of her 16th-century aunt Sophia.
The third Sabrina film finds the title character trying to save mermaids from environmental pollution and a man trying to alter Australia's waterways.
Between 2006-2007, Turkish Version, Acemi Cadı series released and starred Merve Boluğur.[39]
Notes