Archie's Madhouse #24
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeArchie's Madhouse #24 (February 1963) holds a firm place in Silver Age history as the second appearance of Sabrina the Teenage Witch — the character who would go on to anchor one of Archie Comics' most durable franchises, spanning animated series, a long-running live-action sitcom, and a Netflix drama. Because her debut in issue #22 was conceived by writer George Gladir and artist Dan DeCarlo as a one-shot gag, the fact that reader demand brought Sabrina back just two issues later is the earliest concrete evidence that she resonated with audiences beyond anyone's expectations. The 'Witch Pitch' story in this issue also returns Della the Head Witch and Salem the cat alongside Sabrina, marking the second outing for those supporting characters and beginning to cement the ensemble around which the mythology would grow.
In "Space Guys 'n' Gals," Sabrina's magic takes a mischievous turn when she's tasked with hexing her school's hockey team—only to find herself distracted by a cute player, accidentally helping him score. Della, frustrated by the unexpected results, takes matters into her own hands, only to reconsider when she sets eyes on the team's handsome coach. A lighthearted mix of charm, magic, and teenage crushes unfolds in this 1963 classic, written by George Gladir and illustrated by Dan DeCarlo with inks by Rudy Lapick, and featuring a cover by Samm Schwartz.
In "The Law of Attraction," two bold girls from Pluto visit Earth to study human romance—only to find the local boys too shy to respond. When their direct approach backfires, they turn to Earth girls for help, eager to learn the secret behind their charm.
In "Witch Pitch," Sabrina finds herself caught between duty and distraction when Della assigns her to hex the school hockey team—only to accidentally help the cute player score goals. When Della takes matters into her own hands, her plans shift the moment she lays eyes on the team’s handsome coach.
In this playful 1963 installment from *Archie's Madhouse #24*, four short, sharp cartoons skewer everyday teen social quirks—ranging from the awkwardness of showing up to a party alone, to the universal craving for pizza, the surprising twist of dating someone younger, and the bold move of inviting food enthusiasts to a gathering. With humor rooted in relatable teen life, the story captures the absurdity of growing up with a wink and a grin.
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We Buy Collections ▸History
Archie's Madhouse had pivoted from Archie-gang humor to a monster-and-sci-fi anthology format starting with issue #19, positioning it as Archie's answer to the mid-century craze for satirical humor magazines and creature-feature pop culture. Gladir and DeCarlo's Sabrina strip had landed in issue #22 as one installment among many one-off concepts the title was exploring, but reader response was strong enough to call her back for issue #24, still under the Comics Code Authority's approval stamp. Cover art on #24 was provided by Samm Schwartz, while interior Sabrina work continued under the Gladir–DeCarlo team, with Joe Edwards contributing additional stories in the issue.
Trivia · 8 facts
- Published February 1963 by Archie Comic Publications, cover price 12 cents (a scarcer 15-cent variant also exists).
- Contains the second appearance of Sabrina the Teenage Witch, just two issues after her debut in Archie's Madhouse #22 (October 1962).
- Also features the second appearance of Della the Head Witch and Salem the cat, both introduced alongside Sabrina in issue #22.
- The Sabrina story, titled 'Witch Pitch,' was written by George Gladir and drawn by Dan DeCarlo; it features Sabrina assigned by Della to hex her school's hockey team, only to be distracted by a cute player — and Della herself is similarly distracted by the handsome coach.
- Sabrina is identified as attending 'Baxter High' in this story — an early piece of world-building for the character's setting.
- Cover art is by Samm Schwartz; additional interior stories include 'Space Guys 'n' Gals' and 'The Law of Attraction,' with art by Joe Edwards.
- The issue is part of the Archie's Madhouse series that ran from 1959 to 1982 under several title variations, and was published seven times per year at this point in the run.
- The 'Witch Pitch' story from this issue was later reprinted in Archie's Madhouse Annual #3 (1965–66) and again in Madhouse Comics Digest #1 (1975–76), reflecting the continued appetite for early Sabrina material.
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Reprints
↩ Reprints Archie's Madhouse #20 (1962)
Reprinted in Archie's Madhouse Annual #3 (1965), Archie's Madhouse Annual #4 (1966), Mad House Annual #12 (1974), Madhouse Comics Digest #1 (1975), Tales from Riverdale Digest #16 (2007), Tales from Riverdale Digest #17 (2007), Tales from Riverdale Digest #21 (2007), The Best of Archie's Madhouse #[nn] (2011), Chilling Adventures of Sabrina #6 (2016), Sabrina the Teenage Witch Complete Collection #1 (2017), Archie's Big Book #1 (2017), Sabrina: 60 Magical Stories #[nn] (2022)
Key issues in Archie's Madhouse
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