Sabrina the Teenage Witch Was Originally Way Creepier

She may be a fun-loving, charming witch now, but Sabrina’s first appearance in comics had a much more eerie take. Casual fans of the teenage witch are likely more familiar with the spell caster who uses magic to navigate the life of a not-so-average teenage girl. But the character introduced to the world decades ago was a bit more chaotic and much more willing to embrace the stereotypes that come with being a witch.

Presented to the world in 1962, Sabrina Spellman was created by George Gladir and Dan DeCarlo. While initially appearing in the anthology series, Archie’s Madhouse, the character’s popularity led her to receive not only cameo appearances in other Archie Comics but her own series. Sabrina’s popularity even extended outside the medium, gaining a cartoon and two live-action television shows. Most series generally characterize Sabrina as having a good heart, even if she tends to be a bit of a mischief-maker. However, her earliest portrayal welcomes her witchy side and all strangeness that comes with it.

In Archie’s Madhouse #22 Sabrina introduces herself and presents readers with the idea of a more modern witch. Rather than dressing in all-black and brewing potions in the woods, Sabrina claimed that witches had evolved and were more than happy to live in homes with all the creature comforts anyone else has. But aesthetically pleasing clothes and houses aside, Sabrina was proud to admit all the traditional witch traits she still possessed, no matter how unsettling.

Aside from having a roguish familiar in Salem, Sabrina straight-up admits that like all witches, she cannot cry. In an even more disconcerting confession, she tells readers that when it comes to water, she can’t sink and even recounts a story where this nearly got her found out by local teenagers. Sabrina caps off her magical traits by telling of her powers to make others fall in love, though she is forbidden by the “head witch” from falling in love herself. Sabrina’s candor is quite self-assured, and she seems to revel in the weirdness that separates her from the others of her world. This version happily fills the role of a creepy witch and agent of chaos, while later versions of Sabrina would often have her torn between her magical and normal sides. Even as she prepares to appear on Riverdale, Sabrina will be bringing a much heroic characterization with her than a chaotic one.

Sabrina has evolved like any other comic character. While she may have originally embraced the idea of being a stereotypical witch and the eerie traits that come with it, the idea of a teenager battling two sides of themselves makes for a compelling characterization. Sabrina has largely resonated with audiences as a noble character who wants to do good, even if she breaks the rules of magic every once in a while. Regardless, Sabrina the Teenage Witch’s creepier self was the foundation that built one of Archie Comics’ most popular characters.

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