JOHN ERWIN DEAD AT 88

 

You can read the full story here.

Best known as the original He-Man, he played Reggie Mantle in Filmation’s Archie franchise based on the comics. He also played Reggie, Cousin Ambrose, Hexter, J.R., Humphrey and Hank in Sabrina the Teenage Witch (1970); Dick Tracy, Alvin, Smokey Stover, Spooky, Gaylord Buzzard and various others in Archie’s TV Funnies; Q and Slick in The New Archie/Sabrina Hour; Casey Balloo in “The Horse That Played Center Field” episode of ABC Weekend Specials; and Ronald Radford III and Clumpley in The Thing. He also provided voices for Foofur.

LARRY STORCH DEAD AT 99

 

You can read the full story here.

Best known for his starring role in F-Troop (which was seen in archival footage on an episode of Freakazoid!), he also had an extensive career on Saturday morning. He starred as Phineas J. Whoopee, as well as Rocky Maninoff, G. Washington Bridgit and Red Beard in Tennessee Tuxedo and his Tales; Joker in The Batman/Superman Hour and The New Scooby-Doo Movies; Drac, Ratso, Hagatha and Ghoulihand in Groovie Goolies, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Daffy Duck and Porky Pig Meet the Groovie Goolies (where he was also The Phantom), The New Archie/Sabrina Hour and Sabrina, Super Witch; Marlon, Fleetwood and Chuck White in “The Brady Kids on Mysterious Island” episode of The ABC Saturday Superstar Movie, which was followed with The Brady Kids where he was also Mop Top, Sleezy Sam, Knuckles, Coach, Chuckonis Ospro, Krunk, Nets Nolan, Hoax, Orville Wrong, Wilbur Wrong, Major LeTraine and Colonel Jones; Eddie Spencer and Big Al on The Ghost Busters; and Mr. Mendaelbaum and Herbert Finagle in episodes of Garfield and Friends. He also provided voices for Lancelot Link: Secret Chimp, The Pink Panther Laugh and a Half Hour and a Half Show, The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Show, Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo, Mork & Mindy/Laverne & Shirley/Fonz Hour, The Puppy’s Further Adventures, and Foofur.

50TH ANNIVERSARIES

SMF ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION (PART 7)

We continue our third anniversary celebration!

As we celebrate, we figured we'd also take the opportunity to celebrate the various other programs enjoying anniversaries this year (at least at an interval of 5). Some we've covered, some we'll get to covering sooner or later, but all of them represent Saturday morning. For this installment, we recognize those shows turning 40. The big 4-0.

Take a walk down memory lane with us, and feel free to share your memories in the comments, or over on our Facebook group or Facebook page, or on Twitter @SatMForever. We'd love to hear from you!

Now, without further ado, join us in celebrating...

NOTE: Not all intros available at this time.

(As part of The Tom & Jerry/Mumbly Show)

SABRINA: THE ANIMATED SERIES

SABRINA: THE ANIMATED SERIES

(Syndication, September 6, 1999-February 27, 2000)

Archie Comics, Savage Studios, Hartbreak Films, DiC Entertainment, Buena Vista International

            After over 20 years, Sabrina the Teenage Witch made a return to television. In 1996, Showtime aired a film based on the character starring Melissa Joan Hart in the title role. The film followed Sabrina’s discovery of her witchly abilities on her 16^th birthday and how she tried to use those powers to get Seth (Ryan Reynolds) away from popular girl Katie (Lalainia Lindbjerg). The film performed well-enough for ABC to invest in a spin-off television series developed by Nell Scovell and Jonathan Schmock. Sabrina, The Teenage Witch revamped the movie’s plot for the pilot and followed Sabrina as she dealt with being a typical teen who just happened to have magical powers. Hart was the only actor carried over from the film, with Caroline Rhea and Beth Broderick assuming the roles of her aunts Hilda and Zelda, Nate Richert playing love-interest Harvey Kinkle, and Nick Bakay as the voice of warlock-turned-cat Salem Saberhagen.

DVD cover featuring Salem, Quigly, best friend Chloe, Hilda, Sabrina, Zelda, Harvey and rival Gem.

             In 1999, Savage Steve Holland spun the television series off into an animated series for a younger audience. Sabrina: The Animated Series followed the same premise as the live sitcom, but Sabrina (Emily Hart) was reduced to middle school age. Hilda and Zelda (both Melissa Joan Hart) continued their roles as Sabrina’s mentors, but had been reduced to teenagers as punishment by head-witch Enchantra (Jane Mortifee) for misusing their magic. Their guardian was a new character created for the series, Uncle Quigley (Jay Brazeau), who came from Sabrina’s human side of the family and possessed no magical powers. Bakay reprised his role of Salem, and Harvey (Bill Switzer) was changed from Sabrina’s boyfriend to having a mutual crush on her. The film and both shows were produced by Hartbreak Films, the production company run by Melissa and Emily’s mother, Paula.

The Sabrina comic.

            Sabrina: The Animated Series ran in syndication for a single season of 65 episodes. It was shown concurrently on ABC’s Disney’s One Saturday Morning programming block and UPN’s Disney’s One Too block on Sundays, as well as on UPN’s weekday lineup. To commemorate the sitcom, Archie Comics had relaunched their Sabrina title with updated character designs reflective of the show. After 32 issues, the series was rebooted once again in 2000 and published adventures based on the cartoon. When the series was cancelled, Archie returned Sabrina to a teenager with #38 until an all-new continuity and a manga style was adopted with #58. 

HISTORY OF SABRINA, THE TEENAGE WITCH

Sabrina and Salem's introductory panel.

            Sabrina Spellman is just your average teenage girl with average teenage problems. Boys. Homework. Oh, and she’s a witch.

Head Witch Della pops in.

            Created by writer George Gladir and artist Dan DeCarlo, Sabrina first appeared in the 22^nd issue of the humor anthology Archie’s Mad House in 1962. Originally intended as a one-off, fan response prompted the pair to continue producing new stories with her for Mad House. Sabrina eventually became a feature in Archie’s TV Laugh-Out, which featured stories based on Archie Comics characters currently appearing on TV at the time, before gaining several self-titled series of her own beginning with Sabrina, the Teenage Witch in 1971.

Sabrina with aunts Hilda and Zelda.

            Sabrina, whom Gladir incorrectly named after a former junior high classmate (the girl’s name was actually Sabra) feeling it had a nice New England ring to it, was a half-witch on her father’s side. Sabrina attended mortal school but was also actively studying the use of her witchcraft (usually independently, but some story lines saw her attending a witch school). She frequently dated mortal Harvey Kinkle (Archie’s TV Laugh-Out #1, 1969), a kind and loyal boy prone to moments of klutziness. Sabrina often used her magic in secret to try and help others despite the witch’s code of causing mischief (although she would sometimes inadvertently cause mischief when her good deeds backfired). This often annoyed her overseer for the Witch’s Council, Della (debuting with Sabrina, albeit with only one “L” in her name), who had a short temper and often intervened in order to get Sabrina to act more like a real witch. Sabrina resided with her two aunts in Greendale: Hilda and Zelda, both responsible for her continued training.

Hilda, Zelda and Salem's first modern make-over.

            Hilda actually appeared before Sabrina in Mad House #19 (1962). She was an ugly witch in both her own stories and occasionally as host for the book before becoming Sabrina’s aunt. She gained less-witchy features and red hair but maintained a witch’s appearance right down to her long, black dress and pointed hat. Hilda was short-tempered and shown to enjoy casting evil spells; particularly against mortals whom she despised (namely Harvey). When Sabrina gained a live-action sitcom in the 1990s, Hilda’s personality was softened and her look updated into a slender, attractive red-headed woman with contemporary clothing.

Zelda and Hilda's second modern makeover.

            Zelda first appeared in Mad House #65 (1968) and was the complete opposite of Hilda. She was short and stout with green hair and glasses, and had a relatively good-natured personality while also wearing traditional witch’s garb. Around the time of the 1990s sitcom, she became taller and slender with short green hair and an updated wardrobe.

Salem gets his own prequel spotlight.

            The Spellman’s also resided with Salem Saberhagen (originally Plotsworth, first appearing in Mad House #22), a warlock cursed to be a cat as punishment by the Witch’s Council for one of three reasons: plotting world domination; standing up Queen Witch Enchantra (replacing Della, now her assistant), who first appeared in Sabrina vol. 3 #15 (1998) at the altar; or for using magic to entice a mortal to kiss him (depending on the continuity). Named for the Salem Witch Trials, Salem originally appeared as an ordinary cat before gaining some limited magical abilities. With the success of the 1990s live-action sitcom, Salem was altered in the comics to be able to talk.

Ambrose bringing the family drama.

            Additionally, various other relatives would pop in and out. Most frequently was Cousin Ambrose (Laugh-Out #1). Ambrose presented an adult figure not in a position of authority that Sabrina could turn to at times. Depending on the story, he could be a bit mischievous and, in later years, something of a womanizer, as well as alternating from a heavyset older gentleman to a younger warlock.

Sabrina and the Archie crew animated.

            As her fellow Archie creations from Riverdale were doing well on Saturday mornings, it wasn’t long until Sabrina joined them.