| Salem Saberhagen | |
|---|---|
| Sabrina the Teenage Witch character | |
.png) Salem in Archie #636 (August 2012). Art by Gisele "Gil" (pencils), Rich "Richele" Koslowski (inks) | |
| First appearance | Archie's Mad House #22 (October 1962) |
| Created by | Dan DeCarlo George Gladir |
| Voiced by | Dallas McKennon (Filmation series) Brian Steele (TV film; uncredited) Nick Bakay (Sitcom series, Sabrina: The Animated Series) Maurice LaMarche (Sabrina's Secret Life) Ian James Corlett (Sabrina: Secrets of a Teenage Witch) Luke Cook (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina) |
| In-universe information | |
| Species | American Shorthair cat (currently) Wizard (formerly) |
| Gender | Male |
| Family | Comics None Sitcom Morty Saberhagen (uncle) Goliath Saberhagen (uncle) Humphrey Saberhagen (grandfather) Julia Trumfull (grandmother) |
| Significant other | Comics Stephanie Saberhagen Gingrich Sitcom Shelley (ex-girlfriend) |
| Children | Comics None Sitcom Annabelle Saberhagen (daughter) |
| Relatives | Comics None Sitcom Morty Saberhagen (uncle) Goliath Saberhagen (uncle) Gummo Saberhagen (father) Humphrey Saberhagen (grandfather) Julia Trumfull (grandmother) France Trumfull Saberhagen (mother) Cheryl (cousin) |
| Nationality | American |
| Other Information | |
| Abilities | (As a cat):
(As a wizard): |
| Hair Color | Comics Black and White Sitcom Black |
| Eye Color | Comics Blue Sitcom Yellowish/Gold |
Salem Saberhagen is a character from the American Archie Comics comic series Sabrina the Teenage Witch. Salem is an American Shorthair cat who lives with Sabrina Spellman, Hilda Spellman and Zelda Spellman in the fictional town of Greendale, located near Riverdale. Formerly a human warlock, Salem was sentenced by the Witch's Council to spend 100 years as a cat, as punishment for trying to take over the world. Salem first appeared alongside Sabrina in Archie's Mad House #22 in 1962, and was created by George Gladir and Dan DeCarlo.
Earlier comics portray Salem as a normal orange-colored feline who does not speak. With the debut and success of the 1990s live-action Sabrina the Teenage Witch sitcom, Salem's backstory and character underwent several retcons to bring it more in line with the sitcom's version. A late 1990s story initially revealed Salem was turned into a cat for jilting Enchantra, the Head Witch, at the altar. A similar version of events was presented in a 1990s live-action television film, where he was imprisoned in the form of a cat for attempting to use his magic to make a mortal love him. However, the comics eventually gave Salem a similar backstory that was shown in the sitcom and its spinoff, Sabrina: The Animated Series. Further details about Salem's past before his transformation into a cat were revealed in the 2000s manga-inspired version of the comic, written and drawn by Tania del Rio.[1]
In the graphic novel Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Salem is given a more serious role to fit with the series' darker tone.[2] In this version, Salem often acts as a conscience to Sabrina, questioning her hot-headed or more daring ideas.
- ^ Sabrina, the Teenage Witch #58–100, August 2004 – April 2009
- ^ Jasper, Marykate (February 10, 2018). "Things We Saw Today: The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Shows Off Its Salem". The Mary Sue. Retrieved November 11, 2018.